Are Writers' Festivals a Waste of Time?

Bruce Elder, who "agrees", and Susan Wyndham, who "disagrees", argue the topic in today's "Sydney Morning Herald". Elder's point is that the festivals are just a PR exercise aimed to selling more "units". Wyndham argues that they can be used by readers to "sample" books across a range of genres. Actually, I don't think either of these are true. I think a lot of readers go to festivals or conventions to see writers of whom they are already enamoured. They want a bit "more" than they have already received by reading the books. Not all of them but a significant number.