MAD//FEST starts today and I'm not going, but I wish I was. The line up looks brilliant, I know a ton of people going who I never get time to catch up with, and if you love this business, it's going to be so invigorating.

I have written on this site previously about the fact that I'm thinking maybe it's time I gave Cannes another chance another chance. Again - everyone got some much out of it this year. I think I missed out.

And I'm still feeling a little bitter and twisted I didn't pop along to SXSW London (mixed reports but honestly, some of the sessions looked inspiring).

Thing is though. There's Advertising Week London (and for those so inclined, Advertising Week New York; and the Festival of Marketing ; there's the original SXSW in Houston; The Marketing Society Conference; DigiMarcon; The Future of Brands Conference; the Social Media Conference; MozCon. I could go on...

And lots of people seem to go to them all.

With a bit of travel added in you quickly get to....45 days worth. 20% of a whole work year. Sitting around chewing the fat. And that's before you get to all the speciality conferences....

I'm not saying there isn't any value to it.

I'm just wondering how anyone ever gets any work done.