I attended in 2004 & 2005 and was glad I did. It gave me, as a shiny new modular CPL/IR, an idea of the competition and what the employers were looking for:- i.e. Integrated bods.
In 2005 it was interesting to note the people lurking in the back ground. John Bell (BMI Regional) & Nick Hayter (Jet2) to name a couple. It was as if they were checking up on what their competition was doing about recruitment. I also got to speak to both men quietly and it gave me a boost when one man said he had seen a few of my CVs on his desk.
That said it made me very much aware that I had to do something to drag my sorry ass up from the masses of other new CPL/IRs. A FI rating followed by 8 months part time instructing, (Holding down two other jobs to pay the mortgage)
and I got an invitation for an interview with a company out of the blue. (Was neither BMI regional or Jet2, their loss). I am looking at starting sometime next year with the company.
Was it due to a great CV? Probably not. Was it just luck? More than likely.
Back to the subject. The conference gave me the spur I needed to keep progressing in the industry that has finally lead to a position on a flight deck in the near future. If I was not working on the day as an instructor, I would be going again just to get the feel of the industry in 2006.
One last note, the food in 2004 was better than 2005.
All the best Mumbo
P.S Only my humble opinion