Making Your Conference Worth Attending

Seth's got a good post today reminding people that in an age of better teleconferencing options and hellish travel scenarios, conferences need to add serious value in order for attendees to feel like all that schlepping was worth it.

What should a good conference offer? Seth writes:

...here's what a conference organizer owes the attendees: surprise, juxtaposition, drama, engagement, souvenirs and just possibly, excitement.

To that I'd add INTIMACY - and maybe booze.