Attila

As Dale's example shows, some people are extremely interested in demos and workshops.
However, I think that the majority of people aren't.
A convention should focus on catering to the larger crowd first and foremost. Promoting the art and hobby by entertaining and educating.

I would compare it to a science fair or popular science, where there is no time and energy spent on demonstrating the mathematical formula of n-dimensional space distorted in the vicinity of a black hole. Only a few people would be masochistic enough to sit through such a torture no matter how interesting it would be to the specialized crowd.

Attila