When you work for your PhD I should think you spend your time as much as possible - if not only - on stuff that will get in your PhD. Almost any PhD-student has problems in finishing his/her thesis in time. Even if it could get in your thesis, but would lead to an awkward thesis title like "A and B", I would avoid it.

Being nervous is normal.
I still am after so many years.
I found that rehearsing in front of
a small critical group helped a lot.
Realize that very likely you know more about the subject than
anybody else in the audience.
Whatever happens: speak loudly and slowly.
I wish you success

Apparently you are the only author of the abstract. I think you brought yourself in an awkward position. If you do not withdraw your contribution many people might remember your not showing up. In particular if you were scheduled for an oral presentation.

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I discover that PhD students are getting more and more assertive about authorships and coauthorships of scientific papers. These papers will later be the basis for their PhD thesis.

Is your relation with your supervisor so good that you can discuss - or even refuse - a suggested coauthor?
Or is this question only relevant in my field (physics)?

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Scientific progress is always slow. Any supervisor knows this.
All my PhD students have a weekly 1/2 hour appointment with
me (all these recurrent appointments are visible in our Google group calendar). In many cases during those meetings the PhD student is
telling me that he/she is disappointed by his/her own slow progress. I usually tell them differently. For some reason PhD students often seem to underestimate their own accomplishments. Their keeping (digital) records (1/2 page) of those meetings helps a lot in realizing their progress.

Avoiding a supervisor is always a very bad idea.

If readers need, in order to understand your report, to view tables and/or figures these items should be placed in the main text. If you would nevertheless put them in an appendix you are writing "spaghetti text".

Supporting material goes in appendices.

I have written a free e-booklet on presentations.
With many hints. I think they are very, very practical.
My PhD students love them. My senior colleagues hate them,
because it exposes them as bad presenters.
You do not need to read the hints in any specific order.
If you Google on "StringCat" you will find it.
The guide is also published as a real book (publication date May 13, 2008). Just Google on sciencesurvivalblog for information.


Greetings
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Science is not only about learning.
It is also about interaction. However
if you have nothing to present, conferences
can be quite depressing.
Young PhD's should go first to summer schools
or winter schools. These are usually much better
organized, much less hectic, and much more didactic.

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