Is the "Renaissance Weekend" for real? [closed]

I got an unsolicited invitation to the "Renaissance Weekend" which bills itself as sort of an idea conference for "thought leaders". Supposedly it is exclusive and limited to influential people. However, I am not an especially influential person. Not only that, the invitation was mailed to me by a pre-sorted, mass mailing. The included invitation card was fancy, but does not address me by name and appears to be mass printed.

I read a few "news" articles about it, but I got the sense they could have been planted by the people who run the conference and are just PR jobs.

Is this thing for real, or is it just a scam to get people to pay $1000 for wine and cheese?

scams conferences

Best Answer

Renaissance Weekend bills itself as

[N]on-partisan retreats created to build bridges among innovative leaders from diverse fields.

Founded in 1981, it is awash in 80's corporate-speak buzz words: pre-eminent, thought-leaders, trend-setters, change-makers, ground breaking, impactful, enduring.... It boasts such participants as

Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize-winners, venture capitalists, social entrepeneurs & CEOs, leading innovators of Silicon Valley, Hollywood, Wall Street & Main Street, astronauts & Olympians, Republicans, Democrats & Independents.

Is the invite legit? Could be. Only after registering and paying fees will you know whether you're among the

[V]ery limited number of others expressing interest [who] may be included, based on their potential contribution to the expertise, depth, breadth, and diversity of perspectives at each Weekend.