I've become more appreciative of crypto conference culture.

Its value add is: it gives the benefits of cross-org in-person person coordination, serendipitous connections, weak ties, etc, without everyone being gravitationally pulled into NYC and SF.

It's maybe the only institution to have successfully done this.

I really wish to be at one of these conferences one day.

I'm not a degen coder but one who's obsessed with finding out how something is done and then doing it.

In that case you should apply here
https://blog.ethereum.org/2023/06/26/devconnect-instanbul-scholars