Is is worth staying after the main conference if I don't have workshop registration? (NeurIPS) [D]

Explain Like I'm Normal

A NeurIPS researcher revealed that despite having a paper accepted to the main track, they couldn't secure a workshop ticket because the conference sold out before results were even released. This highlights the growing pains of AI conferences where demand now far outstrips physical venue capacity. Most networking happens at side parties anyway, but the gatekeeping of actual research sessions remains a major frustration.