Microsoft slammed over WPC 'hotel tax'
Microsoft charging an extra $500 for WPC attendees to stay in prime-location hotel at its Worldwide Partner Conference
A reseller boss has blasted Microsoft for "taxing" Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) attendees an extra $500 (£333) to stay in a hotel next door to the venue.
In an email from the WPC team to partners sent last week, Microsoft talked up its "Priority Housing Opportunity", which kicks off tomorrow. The offer allows partners to "get closer to the action" at the Orlando, Florida event – but for a $500 fee.
"If you want to be just a short walk from all WPC meeting rooms and facilities, consider choosing our Priority Housing Opportunity when it becomes available [on] 27 January," the note said. "You can elect to pay an additional $500 during registration for the chance to reserve rooms at the Hyatt Regency Orlando, which is connected by an outdoor sky bridge to the Orlando Country Convention Centre."
Around 100 rooms in the top-location hotel are available as part of the offer, CRN understands.
Reseller NCI Technologies' managing director Andy Trish said the move was not really an "opportunity".
"It sounds to me like a Microsoft tax," he said. "It is a significant investment for partners to attend WPC anyway in a foreign country. When we used to go, we budgeted about £5,000 per person to do so."
The cost of a pass to WPC – which allows delegates entry to the venue and access to the talks, workshops and meetings – can set partners back about $2,000: early-bird tickets are currently available at $1,795 but the price will rise by $200 on 29 January. Hotel and flight costs are additional expenses for partners.
Other global partner gatherings come with a similar price – a standard ticket for EMC World costs $2,395 including breakfast and lunch. Cisco's global partner summit is free to attend but is strictly invite only.
Trish said he and his team used to be regulars at Microsoft's global gathering, which is usually held in North America, but in recent years this has not been the case.
"The benefits in past WPCs used to be significant but nowadays we are just sold cloud," he claimed.
Chris Dunning, chief executive of TechQuarters, who regularly attends WPC, said he would be happy with a cheaper local hotel.
"I wouldn't pay the extra $500," he said. "I'm sure there are plenty of hotels nearby so that would be my first port of call. It will be nice weather so a short walk to the venue will be great.
"The [offer] would not entice me - you've already got the cost of your flight and the conference itself. Particularly in the SMB space, we're looking to be lean and mean."
Microsoft was unavailable to comment.