[halfbrown]

From personal experience I'd say it's 100% worth it for the networking alone (as long as you are open, willing, and able to actually do it authentically), not to mention the knowledge gained from the speakers.

Over the years I've earned easily 10x in contracts what I spent on tickets, airfare, and hotels/transportation/food across all events, not to mention gaining new friends, colleagues, and industry connections. I highly recommend finding the right conference(s) and hitting them as often as you can, even if it's just once every few years.

But don't limit yourself to just the big conferences, either. Finding the right Meetups and smaller venues and groups can be just as valuable. You'll get as much out of them as you put into them.