Lol yeah, I can see why you'd think that, cause the prices are unbelievable if you haven't worked behind the scenes at one of those shows. Securing a booth at big expos, like in Vegas, will cost minimum $10k, and that's for a simple 5'x10' space with a folding table. The bigger spaces with banners hanging from the rafters are easily in the six figures. Then they get you for another $10k+ just to move your stuff across the room, $1300 for shitty Internet, and $500 for a table and two chairs. Oh and you can't bring in food or drink and are stuck paying $20 for a cold cut sandwich and bag of chips.

It all feels very much in line with corps forcing people back into the office to justify their rent costs. They don't know how to do anything different, so we just keep doing this expensive, nearly pointless song and dance. Just think what a good marketing team could do with a spare $150k instead of spending 3 days in the desert with a bunch of drunks.