system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Just exactly HOW important is the dinner after a conference?

I am a second - year undergad student just begining a summer position at my university. There is a conference coming up and several of my lab mates (all in grad school or beyond) are presenting. I am not nearly cool or knowledgable for presentations yet, but still want to attend to get some experience under my belt. The conference organizers are allowing undergrads to volunteer by assisting with registration for a day, and in return get to attend the conference at a very low cost. My advisor thinks its a good idea for me to go and seems to appreciate my enthusiam. 

While I can afford the price of attending, I do not think I can justify spending another large sum of money (well, large for me) to attend the dinner afterwards. However, I am torn because I have heard that is where the most networking opportunities come from. I am not sure how many opportunities will be available for someone as shy and as inexpereinced as me, but if its really that important, I wonder if I should just bite the bullet and go. All of thisis under the assumption I won't be called in for work at my otherjob at the university - in which case I will be attending the dinner, but as a doshwasherin the kitchen! Have to make ends meet somehow...

I thank anyone who has read this far, I would like to hear as many points of view as I can! My area of interest is agricultural science, if it makes any difference.
gpt
If it's the formal awards dinner or conference dinner, don't bother. It's usually mediocre pseudo-fancy hotel food for way too much money. In those dinner you end up sitting with your group, other people you know, or sometimes at a table of strangers if you went by yourself. The former two doesn't help networking, and the last one is a crap shoot. 

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It's the informal lunches and dinner and drinks that are kind of useful for networking. But it's kind of a "you have to know a guy" deal. Sometimes the faculty or senior grad students will help make the introductions and the younger students tag along to start their networking relationships.