The company I work for typically pays for one conference a year per dev (and obviously this is on "company time"). After 3 years I'm just about to take advanta

The company I work for typically pays for one conference a year per dev (and obviously this is on "company time"). After 3 years I'm just about to take advantage of this for the first time (heading to GopehrCon!). - It's a perk. - It's a chance to clear your head. - You get to meet a lot of interesting people, chat to them about what they're doing. - It's not the same as watching the videos. You can interact with the presenters after their talk. You can discuss the topics with others. Your time is 100% on the topic at hand. - It shows the company really cares about professional development. They're putting their money where their mouth is. - It shows trust in employees not to abuse this. - Conferences help create a sense of community in the industry. It's not something I do often, go to conferences, but it's nice to have the company's support if you want to.