The document discusses a panel discussion on whether a company's annual user conference is a "boon or bust" for user experience (UX). The panelists share their experiences attending various large conferences for companies like EMC, IBM, Autodesk, and Red Hat. One panelist notes the conference provides opportunities to conduct user interviews, gather large amounts of usage data, and learn about consistency across products. Another panelist discusses engaging users at a dedicated UX booth through activities and usability testing sessions of varying lengths. A third panelist feels the conference is partly a bust because UX is an afterthought, but can also be a boon by providing a chance to "hang with users."