I guess the overall theme is regardless if you can afford any vendor or not this presents an unfair advantage. 00 is not easy to come by (even without the recession) only have the possibility of getting a bad straw pull and loosing it all in 30 minutes! The odds are better in Vegas at least you get great food, drinks, great memories and stories to tell.
Not to mention the cost of travel and accomodations. Most businesses cut training dollars if not all together. So the end users are footing the bill for the exams, lab gear, books and everything else.