I just want to add something to this thread, as a postscript.
Everyone who wanted to be there was there.
I received e-mails/PMs from X people, and those X people all received the address. And of those people, I think most of them ended up going -- I met many of them at the conference.
So as far as I know, no one was turned away from this conference. No one can say, "Hey, I have a niece in the area, and she would have loved to go! Why didn't you make it more public", etc.
A wise man told me that sometimes a person will complain and make a big fuss, "Hey, you're not making this conference public enough!" and you can shut them down by just saying, "Do you want to go? Are you going?" and then they're like, "Um....errr...aaahhh...no."
Well then, what's the problem?
"Err....aahhh.....mmmm....*cough*....umm....."
I thought so. Just wanted to make trouble. I see.