If you register for next month's Conscious Capitalism conference in San Francisco as a blogger, be prepared to dole out a few posts on the topic, or you'll have to pay a fine.
That's the message Conscious Capitalism sent to bloggers who registered for press access to its two-day event. Concious Capitalism is a non-profit that operates a range of programs and events for business leaders. John Mackey, co-founder and co-CEO of Whole Foods, and Kip Tindell, co-founder and CEO of The Container Store, are among its better-known directors -- indeed, Mackey is one of the more outspoken supporters of the organization.
The conference is charging $560 for two-day access. Discounted rates are offered to non-profits ($450 for a two-day pass) and students ($225). For approved press and bloggers, access is free, but there's a caveat for bloggers -- that is, those who aren't staffed at "bona fide media organizations," per Conscious Capitalism's definition. If they don't write two blog posts -- one prior to the event and one after -- they'll be invoiced for the ticket price.
Here's an excerpt from the conference's press policy sheet [PDF]:
After the press policy was criticized by Forbes and others, Jeff Klein, trustee and executive team member of Conscious Capitalism, sent a retraction and apology to registered press, saying the company had borrowed from another event what they thought was "standard policy." The letter, as provided by a Conscious Capitalism spokesperson:
It's good to see the policy overruled so quickly, but it's disappointing to see "bloggers" -- a term applied to not a few influential, independent professionals that adhere to journalistic standards -- as a subclass of the press. This isn't the first time an organization has done so, and gotten trouble as a result. In early 2010, Ann Taylor invited bloggers to preview its Summer 2010 LOFT collection, promising attendees a "special gift" (a gift card) for submitting posts to the company within 24 hours of the event. The company was investigated by the FTC as a consequence, although no action was ultimately taken.