It varies by region, but in Australia this year has been the first time that IM entries are still available a few months out - Busselton still has spots for December 2014 and Melbourne still open for March 2015. This is the first time that these events haven't sold out 12 months in advance. So what has happened in Australia is they have increased the number of events (Busselton, Melbourne, Port Macquarie, plus competition from Challenge Cairns) rather than restrict events and increase the fees. Based on the current model it appears that increasing fees in Australia would be a bad idea as they appear to have reached a point where supply exceeds demand. Personally I think it's great there are more events to chose from and you are able to enter a few months out rather than having to enter a year in advance.