ApacheCon On The Cheap?

pixel_bc asks: "I got a bit of a kick out of the registry page for ApacheCon - where it says Open Source developers should attend, and then goes on to list a $1200 dollar price tag. Most of us aren't funded, thanks. Are there any Apache conferences that are more financially accessable? Should there be?" And for those of you who are actually forking out the $moolah$, where might one find affordable accomodations to make that cost-of-admission a little less painful?