The good news is with tapes you can take it in at any pace you want. You can listen to the tapes, then listen again. I have listened to the same tapes numerous times. Sometimes we will try to apply some things, and then come back and listen again to see what I missed. This is the second reason tapes can be even more beneficial than being there.
Repetition is the mother of all learning.
If the conference is worthy of it, you can listen the conference over and over. If the conference is not worthy of it, you don't have to listen to the tapes at all. Sure, you blew a few dollars on the tapes, but you didn't blow the big bucks going to the conference itself. And you didn't waste a week of your life at a conference you could have taught. Never attend a conference you could have taught.