How To Build The BEST Side Event

We've been attending crypto events for three years now, and it's clear we need to rethink the typical conference approach.

Let's consider a fresh perspective - what’s most important for companies when organizing events?

The goal should be maximizing impact and onboarding new participants while revitalizing the traditional conference format.

Here are some key areas to focus on:

Firstly, stop allowing sponsors to pay for speaking spots. Avoid inviting the same people to speak repeatedly and cramming the schedule with over 15 presentations a day. Instead, try partnering with non-crypto communities in the cities we’re visiting. This can help connect with and onboard new builders, breaking our echo chamber.

Partner with fellow companies in the space rather than competing for the same fragmented audience. The real value comes from the builders and innovators who can enrich your ecosystem, not just the brand talk. FYI, we marketers come for the free drinks and may stick around for the appetizer.

Introduce roundtables or hands-on activities to bring new voices into the conversation and refresh the format. Encourage more active participation by requiring proof of hacking for party access, ensuring attendees contribute meaningfully. Focus on attendees' well-being by offering sleep clinics, workouts, and healthy eating options—think sleep clinics or ice baths. Balance product emphasis with equal focus on growth and adoption.

Choose The Right Day

For upcoming events like Token2049, side events start as early as Sunday the 15th, so it's wise to give attendees some time to fly into Singapore. However, keep in mind that towards the later days, people are often exhausted from all the raves and workshops.
Bonus Tip: Select a venue that can adapt to last-minute changes due to unforeseen circumstances (remember the high liquidity in Dubai this year?)

1. Host developer onboarding sessions - Flock is a great example where the founder did a quick demo on why builders should contribute to the ecosystem and how easy it is to do so. Even if you're not an infrastructure project, composability is key to staying relevant.

2. Organize private dinners - While not new, the quality of private dinners and small brunches can be vastly improved. If you’ve launched your alpha and are looking to raise funds, organize a private investor dinner. If you're a network looking to grow, invite top-tier projects, vet everyone, and issue NFT event passes to track attendance. Bonus points if you secure an exclusive venue for your pipeline generation day.

3. Throw a multi-tiered panel event - Move beyond sponsored events where the same speakers discuss the same topics. Be like afk - emulate Lens' success in organizing probably one of the cleanest and most high quality events at EthCC this year. How? By inviting top-tier speakers and structuring panels to ensure strong speakers are spread throughout the event (Panel 2 & 4 out 5 total ones is usually a popular way to do it) - this way, you get the best audience for at least half of the time.

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