One of the more subtle but troubling takeaways from Token2049 Dubai: too many teams are spending heavily at conferences with little regard for accountability or actual value creation. And this isn’t just limited to side events—what’s more concerning is the kind of personal expenses being claimed, often without much scrutiny or justification.

Yes, dinners, networking, and side events are an essential part of these gatherings. But what stood out to me was the almost complete absence of ROI thinking around these expenses. In some cases, it felt like spending was done for the sake of spending.

Now, defining ROI for conferences is tricky—it’s not always about direct returns. But that shouldn’t be an excuse for unchecked or outlandish costs. At the very least, teams should be asking: is this aligned with our broader goals?

Leadership has a key role here—not through micromanagement, but by establishing high level frameworks that guide how budgets are used and what success looks like. Without that, it's easy for good intentions to turn into expensive inefficiencies.

Personally, every time I attend a conference, I stay mindful of the cost my company is bearing. I always ask: what value am I creating in return? That mindset shouldn't be rare. It should be the baseline.

This is especially necessary for teams which are not generating revenue at the moment and require runway to find PMF and revenue in the long run.