>Sure they are-- but are they necessary at a national level, where travel
>costs time and money?
Networking, man. Isn't it important for sympathetic people to meet each other, make friends, share strategies, and generally feel less lonely? I agree with you on the importance of institution-building, but the affective side counts too. Besides, your aggregate math (the demo costs $12m plus two million hours) make it sound like a big deal, but $60 and a few hours of travel aren't all that much for many individuals. Besides, the demos make it easier to build institutions, by bringing people together and making them feel like they're not solitaries. And it's easier to organize people when they're in one place.
Doug