Changes with Homeschool Conferences

This is a strange time for me. Things seem to be changing in the homeschool world, as evidenced by reduced attendance at conferences for the last couple years. That's been the case for every conference I've been to across several states. Conference organizers are making budget cuts, and vendors seem to be viewed as having limited value. This year, I spoke at a couple conferences that didn't pay me, or even give me a thank-you note or a token pen or coffee mug. I know the people I speak to appreciate what I have to offer, but it baffles me that homeschoolers seem to expect me to give away my services. I've even offered to speak at some conferences, and they reply that I can pay to reserve one of the "vendor" speaking spots. They want me to pay them to serve them and bless the people who hear me? I don't understand that. I don't do vendor workshops, and I work very hard to do professional presentations and then make myself available to talk to people throughout the entire conference. The response to my presentations has always been extremely positive. No other venue that I know would expect to benefit from my personal and professional experience and then not pay me at least something for my work. But it has happened multiple time with homeschool conferences. I did five workshops in one weekend at a conference and was given a verbal "thanks" by one person but was not paid anything for speaking and was still charged full fee for my booth space. I want to help people, and speaking to groups has been very effective to accomplish that goal. But I won't pay to speak, and I won't go to conferences and work as hard as I do just to lose money or barely break even. I know there are people who need what I have to offer, and I hope I will be able to continue providing it. I also know I'm worth being paid.