One of the components of a marketing strategy is price (along with product/service; place (distribution); promotion (communications); and, position.
Price reflects a combination of ingredients including the cost of providing a service, cometitor's pricing, and an income goal. But beyond how price benefits an organization, price also establishes value, real (tanigble) and perceptual (what a prospect buyer believes something is worth including their real and perceived cost of going and getting that service). As such, price attracts and detracts consumers.
Some would argue then that a high price set on an event could mean that the costs to create and deliver services are high. Others could argue though that the organization only wants a consumer that has means to participate.
For example when a nonprofit wants to attract a wide audience to an event or wants to ensure lots of folks have access to a particular publication it may "price" the event as "free". But, for some, free means "of little or no value". The target customer would not then be the folks who hold such a position about the meaning of "free". On the other hand, that same nonprofit could set a high price i.e. value while finding donors to subsidize lots of folks to ensure a broader range of participants.
The Independent Sector has for many years claimed to be the voice and representative of the nonprofit sector or of those who care about the secotor. But what does the price of their 2.5 day conference say about their desire for broad representation? Currently, the "early-bird non-member" discount rate for the 2011 October Chicago conference is $1,050. The non-member regular Conference Rate is $1,800.
So, based on pricing alone, who do you think the Independent Sector wants at its table?