Hi Renee. I have been attending conferences since 2010 and LIVE and In-person events are invaluable. DUG is hosting local events called Meet-ups on a regular basis all around the country. Check out the areas and see if you are close. This is a great way to get acclimated with the group. Meetup - Dynamics User Group
The national event, DynCon, is growing fast and will be very valuable for send a few folks to cover all ofthe available education and networking. Not only do you get formal education session, if you are proactive, you can get answers to all kinds of issues/questions from experts in the community including Microsoft.