Sorry to hear you feel disappointed. You could still visit side-events for free, or meet up with Steemians on your own initiative.

Steemfest is being held in Europe for the third time, because it would have been even more expensive in the USA. The price was much lower for early bookers; last time, it was a headache for the organizers to accommodate more guests than were expected. It's still a non-profit event, subsidized by sponsors and donors.

I'm not going this time, and I'd be OK with an unconference in a squat or a high-school gym, but some people want a professional atmosphere for a project worth more than $200 million. At Steemfest 2 in Lissabon, poor bloggers and rich investors mingled without any friction or distance.