Each year as LegalWeek approaches, I promise myself I'll buy new shoes – and invariably, I do not. And I regret it. This week, I am wallowing in that regret.

The sudden prominence of Epsom Salt in my supermarket budget this week indicates that ALM's annual LegalWeek event was last week. Roughly 6,000 people registered to attend the event — about 88% of whom actually descended on New York (compared to 79% in early February 2020) – and believe me, you could feel those numbers. When I showed up at the New York Hilton Midtown on Monday, I was amazed at just how packed the main foyer was. Another interesting development with this year's LegalWeek was that more senior-level attendees showed up (compared to 2020), resulting in a noticeable uptick in engagement by audiences in panel discussions and sponsor conversations. The evidence is still pouring in, but anecdotally I am hearing from my colleagues (ALM and otherwise) that LegalWeek 2023 can be declared a success.

Kind of like when I'd get home from trick-or-treating when I was a kid and I'd dump out the contents of my bag to assess that year's candy haul, I feel the need now to count the benefits of this year's LegalWeek. After all, while it was fun and a welcome break from my regular work routine, still, I have bosses and deadlines like most people do, and taking the better part of a week off blew a hole in this month's schedule. Was it worth it?