Ben and I have been involved with running the D&D Adventurer's League at DragonCon for five years now. In fact, we're five years into a three-year mission of running AL at DragonCon and we're VERY ready to pass the leadership along to a new generation.
Why do I DM at DragonCon? It's not because the rewards are worth it. Hotel rooms are so expensive that we can't get them for DMs. DM quest rewards from the Adventurers League are nice. And while the people who have been running Adventurers League at DragonCon will beg, buy, borrow, or blackmail to get any other goodies that they can, they don't adequately compensate me for my time or expertise.
It's because it's community service that I believe in. A D&D community doesn't grow without people being willing to do that community service. A lot of people - too many people - don't have the time, energy, or chutzpah to get out there and do the things. And that's fine! Not everyone has to DM, organize, or do any of the things that build community.
Atlanta has a great D&D game community. I want to do my part to make that community grow and thrive, and so here I am.