What are the hotel's guidelines for placing advertising? Since the hotel was separate from the actual convention venue, it seems to me that *anyone* could have placed advertising at the hotel and that WordCamp US is pretty darn lucky it was *Pantheon* that advertised there and not just anyone from the convention and entertainment industries (and after being exposed to far too many tacky Viagra ads during the World Series this fall, I can think of a lot of, much more awful advertisers that could have taken that space).

The only logical way I can see clear to having any amount of control over this situation is that WordCamp organizers themselves should first buy or reserve the event-venue-related advertising for *themselves* when they book an event.

If WordCamps are not willing to put their money where their mouths are, then the sponsors should be able to place the advertisements themselves.

In fact, depending on the venues' policies, it may behoove WordCamp to *beg* their own sponsors to take up those advertisements so that no one else can.

It is unlikely the hotel is going to allow WordCamp to ban them from selling their own advertising and if WordCamp doesn't book up the advertising slots, then probably *anyone* else can, depending purely on the hotel or venue's own policies.

Well, that's another $0.02 out of the kiddo's college fund ...