If that's all you're getting out of conferences then it sounds like a waste of time and you should probably stop going. The real reason is to meet and get to k

If that's all you're getting out of conferences then it sounds like a waste of time and you should probably stop going. The real reason is to meet and get to know people in person that you may want work with or collaborate with. Maybe they're a speaker, or not. Also, in the sciences at least, some conferences are for the presentation and in-person discussion of new breakthroughs. The in-person part is frequently invaluable.