I agree but most conferences are a waste. The ones that have good "corridor sessions" are the best, and you need some experience to get value out of those (so send the new kids along with someone who has a bit of experience)
In my experience, this is because most conferences are actually trade shows. But they aren't called that, because organizers want to disguise the fact that they want to use the event to sell products and services, rather than to teach to and train attendees.