zlacker

1. Swag

2. Fancy swag (that is definitely not a bribe)

3. Being wined and dined by sales people (that is definitely not a bribe)

4. Networking

5. Learn niche aspects of a programming language or framework, and prepare yourself for the future features

6. Food platters (can be hit or miss); word of advice, watch out for the fat Developers with the goatees and ponytails, or the skinny developers who dive bomb the food queue, they will clean up the buffet of the good stuff before you get there. Also duck out the presentation 5 minutes before lunchtime so you beat the queues.

>>mothso+(OP)
As someone who attended way too many events pre-pandemic, at some point I came to the conclusion that life is too short to eat bad conference venue food just because it's there. I mostly skip the long lines, soggy sandwiches, and most of the rest of the food on offer. It was harder when I was an analyst because they mostly fed us separately and pretty well.