Sterling here to say I just wrapped up ETHDam and 0100 Europe—two very different conferences. ETHDam was a privacy and security-centered crypto conference, whereas 0100 Europe was an opportunity for GPs and LPs to meet and mingle.
They didn’t have much in common, but one thing is for sure: people love side events, no matter the industry.
I doubt this is news to anyone. People love a good after party or recovery brunch. Some of us have even traveled just for side events, without purchasing a conference ticket.
To some extent, the quantity and quality of side events have become a measure of a conference’s success. They’re almost necessary for small conferences to solidify their legitimacy and worthiness in the eyes of any industry.
Before the conferences even started, people were already asking “Anyone know of any good side events?” During the conference, attendees were more concerned about getting their dinner or after party tickets than attending any of the programming.
For attendees, side events are an opportunity to have better conversations and make stronger connections with industry folks. We at Des Femmes saw this at both our 2022 retreat in Austin and our 2023 IRL meetup in Paris. We had numerous attendees join both retreats not for the conference, but for the opportunity to have quieter conversations over brunch, lunch, and dinner.
There can also be a sense of exclusiveness from side events that doesn’t exist within conferences. Some are open to anyone, whereas others may just be for local community members or a curated opportunity for specific people to meet.
For example, our brunches in Austin and Paris were for friends of Des Femmes to meet each other and make fruitful connections. In contrast, our cowgirl shooting lessons were just for Des Femmes community members who wanted to learn how to shoot a gun in a safe, intimate environment.
Regardless of a side event’s purpose or demographic, organizers should always aim to orchestrate fruitful relationship building.
Are there any conferences you’re excited about? Do you want Des Femmes to organize a side event while you’re there? Let us know in the comments or in our Slack community!
Community Updates
Women in Blockchain is still surveying women, men, and non-binary individuals working in Web3! They are conducting their annual compensation and benefits survey in order to gather as large a data set as possible.
Crypto law, simplified: Professor Tonya Evans is looking for people to test her new Crypto Law Guide GPT. Leave a comment on her tweet to receive the link!
Bookworms: Are you reading Hijacking Bitcoin?
Until next time, stay curious…