In today’s world, some people may automatically choose the “attend virtually” option when registering for a conference, or they may want to attend in person, but there’s not enough in the travel budget to allow for it. But attending in-person has unique benefits that can easily outweigh the cost.

Case in point: At the recent NACVA super conference in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., we were chatting with a young practitioner who was “ecstatic” over being able to talk shop with Dan Van Vleet (The Griffin Group), who co-presented a session on S corp valuations at the conference (with his colleague Bill McInerney). The Van Vleet model has prevailed in several recent cases about tax affecting S corps. They spent time together during one of the several networking opportunities over the two-day event. From the way the attendee talked, the chat the two had was the highlight of his conference experience—which cannot be replicated in a virtual environment.

Conference speakers are very generous with their time and advice, and they typically stay for the entire event, so there are many opportunities to interact. These events draw the very top thought leaders in the BV world, so it’s a rare chance to rub elbows with these esteemed professionals. Make it a resolution for the new year to attend at least one in-person event—you’ll be glad you did.