My husband has always worked at places where a conference is typically at Friday and Saturday. The Saturday is in his own time. I would not have been so motivated to attend.
When I go on a conference or course, any hours beyond normal working hours are not paid.
When I need to travel inland, one hour travel = one hour working time (either to be paid off or to be taken off). When I travel abroad, one hour travel = 1/2 hour working time, when travelled outside normal working hours. Once on an international trip, I was 5 hours delayed on the departure airport, on a Sunday. That was only 2,5 hours paid working time. Since then, I do like my colleagues do and plan my travel abroad under normal working hours, which I think costs my boss more in time that I don't work.
We are currently sitting in an open landscape type of office. That is to improve communication. We have all gotten sound muffling headphones, because so many of us couldn't work efficiently during the frequent, noisy periods.