Importance of Writing Conferences

There has been a lot of discussion with other writers about the importance of conferences and writers attending them. Some of the benefits as I see it are:
1. You are with like minded people which helps to focus you on writing.
2.You can network and share ideas with others.
3 You can learn a lot about things like query letters, marketing and other things from the workshops.
4. Many conferences let you sell your books if you are already published.
5. You may have a chance to meet with an editor or an agent to pitch your book.
6. Some conferences like Boucheran give out free copies of books and other goodies.

There are, of course negatives as well.

1. The cost of the conference is often prohibitive, although some are quite reasonable.
2 You may have to stay in a hotel which is also pricey.
3. You'll have to clear your schedule for 4-5 days which can be difficult.