I’m not the kind of hobbyist to ever go to a conference for my hobby. But from a business perspective I can say there’s a certain kind of relationship that can be fostered at conferences/trade shows/etc. that can become really valuable, especially when you attend the same conference(s) year after year. I’m not an especially social person, but knowing that everyone in a room has at least one thing in common makes it a lot easier to start conversations and move from one person to another.