Damn, I wish I could go to a Developer's conference. I do get to go to local user's group meetings, and even Devcon that Microsoft sponsored in Kansas City. But cool things like PDC or regional code camps elude me.
Which brings up a good question. Now that we are in the post-glory days of IT (1990's) where we could name our price and jobs were plentiful (where, as Ed Yourdon says, even a liberal arts student could take a class in HTML and get a job as a web designer), so how do I get management to go for something like this when I am lucky if I can get my mouse replaced when it breaks down? (Months of scheming will be necessary to get VS 2005).
So who goes to these meetings? Vendors, and Microsoft reps surely. Do big consulting firms send their people? Do self-employed consultants fit it in as a perk into their budget?