>         First, 68.75% of the people that responded have not 
> attended any of the "live" OpenMPE functions in the last 
> year.  Can some of you that fall into this category (even if 
> you didn't have an entry in the poll) please elaborate on 
> why?  Was it content, timing, costs, location, or something 
> else?  

All of the above. I have totally given up on trade shows/conferences
like HP World/Solutions Symposium/etc...

This may get me shot by all the volunteer presenters that read this but,
it has been a long time since I walked away from one of these feeling
like I learned something in one of the sessions that I could not have
found out elsewhere at a fraction of the cost. I generally find myself
stumbling back into the office, loaded down with T-shirts and other
branded knick knacks, tired from traveling and week further behind on my
deadlines wondering why I went.

Trade shows are no longer good value for my budget dollars when I can
surf directly to a vendors web site and get the same product
information, case studies and demo's to review at my leisure that the
presenter tries to squeeze into a 30-60 minute session.

>         Second, the approval rating of OpenMPE was 
> reasonable, but it should be better.  What is it you feel the 
> OpenMPE organization and community should be doing?

Let me respond to this by asking an honest, not trying to be a negative
jerk, question back.

What is it you feel that the OpenMPE organization has accomplished?

Comments are my own, not my employer's... Etc.