John,
I know what you mean about Halloween. We're leaving for Pittsburgh the next morning (Friday), it only cuts one day. I only plan to attend the exhibits, and meet a few people from the boards. No boot camps for me. If I leave there with only seeing some new products, and meeting some of the fine people from the boards, that will be fine with me.
We're making it a mini vacation. I'll do my thing in the morning, and my wife and I can do whatever we want for the rest of the day. Doing that way doesn't waste money for all the things Dan S. said. It's tax deductible.
Sometimes ya just gotta lighten up, and have some fun.