Wow...I just read through the entire thread and found some very salient points among the inevitable interwoven drama.
All here should bear in mind that the companies that create and operate any show or industry event have specific objectives for them which are typically revenue-oriented, although they may different (i.e. branding, product launch, etc). The goals of these shows are set by the organizers and are not necessarily made public and in order to attain them it may/may not be necessary to charge a registration fee, which is at their discretion.
This business is tremendously fragmented and each show draws a somewhat different segment of attendees so, in my opinion, they are really about what the show attendee makes of them. For many webmasters, shows offer one of the only opportunities to hang out with their industry peers, where for others they are a venue to get off their keyboard and do a little partying. It all depends on what the individual's objectives are and if they do/don't want to pay for that access it's their choice.
In many industries, it is standard practice to charge an admission fee to cover costs for the venue at the very least. Also, some shows mentioned here i.e. AdTech or SES will offer a free Exhibits Only registration which is basically the same as a limited access membership. If you want to attend the conferences and workshops there is a significant additional cost.
Most of the parties are invite-only and require a wristband of sorts which is provided by the sponsors and/or show organizers. This practice effectively keeps out the majority of party-crashers but is not 100% effective.
Our industry differs a bit in the sense that non-industry people are drawn by the opportunity to see/meet adult performers, which is why it makes sense for shows like AEE to have Industry Only hours and Fan hours. CES is a consumer-oriented show where the exhibitors are seeking to directly interface with the end-user, whereas adult online shows do not want the consumer present.
Ideally, we would see and meet a lot more of the webmasters at shows, but as stated, it seems many of them do not want to be bombarded by affiliate reps there which is unfortunate because I have found in my 15 years of marketing that face-to-face contact is the best way to create and solidify relationships no matter what the industry.
But that's just my 2 cents.
