GLOBAL SUMMITS - POINTLESS HYPOCRISY?

This article in the Toronto Sun makes a fair point about the massive cost of staging these global summits, such as the current one in Canada. Are they simply a gigantic bean-fest for leaders to strut about making out they are doing things, when in fact these things could be done at a fraction of the cost using video-conferencing? Will the mdia also condemn the 'climate conferences' for the same reason?