One thing that would have made the eLearn conference more comfortable and more condusive for networking would have been some kind of area where people could go before, after, between sessions. Because the sessions were spread out from the basement Grand Ballroom to the 3rd floor, and there were only long, bare hallways and escalators to separate them, there wasn't any place to just sit down, check out your Wi-Fi, and connect to others who wanted a brief place for relaxation. The linear arrangement of benches seemed designed to help folks avoid contact with others.
So what was missing most for me was someplace to go where there are other PEOPLE when I was between events. The hallways were very cold and unfriendly. There weren't really good places for schmoozing . . .