Speaking at a conference vastly increases its usefulness, especially if you get a slot on the first day, as people will then come to you for the rest of the con

Speaking at a conference vastly increases its usefulness, especially if you get a slot on the first day, as people will then come to you for the rest of the conference to talk about stuff. It takes a bit of work up front (although - are there really people who rehearse for hours, apart from TED style performance-talks?) but it makes the conference itself easy cruising, and you get information and energy from it you never get when you're just listening to speakers and having to go 'hey, so who do you work for' a few dozen times over coffee breaks.