Do we charge customers to advertise to them now?

I really have to wonder.  A private organisation, Motivational Speaking International Limited, is hosting a "conference" entitled Psychology and You, at the Point Fortin East Secondary School, on March 13, 20 and 27.  From the brief info published in the Trinidad Guardian, the conference runs from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. and the topics to be discussed are:

• What is Psychology?
• Types of psychologists and their work
• Everyday applications for psychology
• Becoming psychologically wise.

I have several concerns.  First off, I'm wondering how anything that takes two hours to complete can be called a conference.  Call it a seminar, or even a workshop, but conference?  Given the agenda, I think this is nothing more than a presentation.

Which brings me to the lack of clarity.  For my application fee, am I expected to attend just one day or all three days?  If it's all three days, then the amount of topics seems dreadfully low.  The first three topics can be covered within one hour - what are you going to talk about for the next five?  "Becoming psychologically wise" seems like dumbed-down populist lingo that has no place in a proper psychologist's vocabulary.

Best of all, they charge attendees $800 for the experience.  Wait: $800 for a two hour presentation?  $400 per hour to give something attendees can get for free on the Internet, on radio/tv or some magazines?  Well, at that price, the attendees may as well visit the presenting psychologist(s) privately for a one-to-one session.

I know many psychologists, and none of them would charge $800 to only discuss what's listed on the above agenda.  When my wife was at UWI, they formed the UWI Psychological Society.  There was also the T&T Association of Psychologists (TTAP), a fledgling body formed to help develop the profession in T&T.  If they're still in existence - TTAP appears to be active - then either of these organisations are fully able to cover these same agenda items for free.

This sounds like a scam to me.  Giving participants a certificate of participation means nothing - it won't help them get a job or anything meaningful, and two hours discussion won't make them qualified to help themselves or others.  So really, from the info presented in the Guardian, it seems to be nothing more than a seminar to describe what psychologists do and how they can help the average person.  This is advertising - so why charge the potential customer for their two-hour long advert?  I wonder what TTAP makes of this?

Yet, somehow, I suspect there are clueless individuals with more dollars than sense who'd still attend.  Go figure.