Conferences are for networking and interacting with like minded people.

Granted.

But my ability to effectively network is severely ablated when I've been de-energised by being bored out of my skull by crappy content.

Great content energises and sparks conversation. Bad content does the absolute opposite: it's exhausting and mindnumbing. It puts me in a mindset where what I want to do is not talk to people, but get away and get some fresh air.