Astonishing how something as Hivefest can be impacting. In 2018 I talked to theycallmedan about going to Hivefest and he said we could make it possible, but then COVID bit and everything became history. I imagine how it's going to be for you attending another one this year. Imagine being skeptical at first and it later turned out really great.
I wouldn't attribute 100% of my success to attending that first SteemFest but it certainly got the ball rolling and was a great chance to network. There's nothing like meeting people face-to-face. I hope you can make it this year. Maybe theycallmedan will extend the offer to help again?