[baxtr]

Many conferences work like that, yes.

There are even some companies that offer this style of conferences as meetings for money to vendors.

What I wonder though: How many deals are really made in these rooms? I always had the feeling that the conversion rates were rather low if not zero.

[abyssin]

I've been told personally by the organizer of one of these conferences in the retail industry that illegal non-compete agreements and price-fixing agreements are made in the hallways. It was 10 years ago, and the whole conference existed for this reason.