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I've never been to a conference. I was interested in an upcoming conference related to some technology I have been working with, so I decided to calculate what
by no_protocol 9y ago
I've never been to a conference.
I was interested in an upcoming conference related to some technology I have been working with, so I decided to calculate what it would cost to attend. The fee to attend the conference was not outrageous, but I would have to fly to the location and find lodging for 3 nights.
I decided I could probably do it for about $1,000 if everything went well.
Then I realized that I would probably be able to just watch the videos on youtube afterward. Since I wouldn't know any of the people in attendance and my knowledge of this technology would barely let me converse with experts, it seems like a simple choice.
So if you're hosting a conference, how do you convince people to spend a significant portion of their yearly salary and miss several days of work instead of staying at home?
- obstacle1 9y agoA majority of conference attendees have expenses paid by their employers. If not in full, then at least subsidized.
- mooreds 9y agoI'm at a conference right now. The serendipitous side conversations, the ability to get face to face with vendors and experts (even if it is just you listening to others ask questions) and the ability to sit and focus on learning (as opposed to being distracted by other work) are the primary reasons to attend in meatspace.
- kyriakos 9y agoMost conferences I've been to I hardly talked to anyone but I still found the experience more memorable and useful than watching numerous talks on YouTube. There's of course good and bad conferences depending on speakers and organisation. Except once all conferences I've attended were paid in full by my employer too. Some were actually suggested by the employer and some I suggested and they agreed to fund.