{"id":11443,"date":"2022-02-02T14:38:32","date_gmt":"2022-02-02T14:38:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ci0298d52b6000248d"},"modified":"2022-02-02T14:38:32","modified_gmt":"2022-02-02T14:38:32","slug":"getting-the-most-from-bitcoin-events","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bitcoinmagazine.com\/industry-events\/getting-the-most-from-bitcoin-events","title":{"rendered":"How To Get The Most From In-Person Bitcoin Events"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Bitcoin conferences and meetups are great expressions of the Bitcoin ethos and culture. They come in all varieties, from casual drinks meetups, to formalized talks and panels, to small-scale conferences, all the way up to the biggest events that see tens of thousands of attendees.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m a believer in building Bitcoin communities and meetup groups, because of the connections you make, the things you learn and the experiences you have. These are highly valuable for many reasons. Newcomers (newcoiners) often don\u2019t even know what questions to ask, so they learn by coming and soaking up the discussion of regulars at the meetup. Regulars enjoy the discussion of various aspects of Bitcoin, whether that is technology, economics, the social and cultural impacts of fiat money or other aspects. <\/p>\n

\u201cJust See It For Free Online\u201d<\/h2>\n

Now, when it comes to conferences with a ticket price, one argument that confuses me is the people who say, \u201cDon\u2019t pay for an overpriced conference ticket, you can just see the talks for free online.\u201d <\/p>\n

Yes, it\u2019s true that many Bitcoin conference teams will live stream the event or post the videos online afterwards, but seeing this content is not the only or even the main reason to go. This is like arguing that \u201cyou shouldn\u2019t go see that singer live, you can just listen to their music for free on YouTube or Spotify.\u201d There is overwhelmingly an audience of people who want to see it live, and they will happily pay for this. <\/p>\n

While there are some who argue that you should just consume material online for free, I think this is missing the point. The benefit for newcoiners is that they\u2019re receiving guidance<\/em>. It\u2019s a steer in the right direction regarding who to follow, what hardware and software Bitcoin tools to use, what books to read, which podcasts to listen to, etc. By hearing speakers and meeting other like-minded Bitcoiners who have spent time going down the Bitcoin rabbit hole, you can quickly get up to speed on what you need to know. Take advantage of the curation of the conference organizers, who ideally vet and invite speakers who have something useful or educational to say. There\u2019s also a selection bias involved because the more committed people are the ones who will travel for an event. <\/p>\n

This is vastly different from merely trusting what is reported about Bitcoin in the corporate media, or trusting YouTube\u2019s recommendation engine. The YouTube recommendation engine will often point you to the overly-excited people who talk about whether bitcoin\u2019s price is pumping or dumping that day, but it won\u2019t necessarily point you in the direction of learning about the philosophy, economics or technology of Bitcoin. <\/p>\n

Building Networks<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s a certain magic to meeting up with a bunch of like-minded people that you get from Bitcoin meetups and conferences. In many cases, people who attend Bitcoin conferences or events soak up the vibe and community ethos, and later go on to host their own Bitcoin meetups and conferences. I\u2019m reminded of how my friend @BTCSchellingpt<\/a> attended Baltic Honeybadger in Latvia, and went on to become a co-organizer of Bitcoin events in Australia, such as Bitcoin Brisbane and Bitcoin Bush Bash. This is part of how Bitcoin is spreading virally. Without having in-person events to go to, newcoiners who have only been exposed to material online might not feel like they\u2019re part of a bona fide<\/em> community or group. <\/p>\n

Some of the people who argue that conference tickets are overrated are probably the kind of people who have already \u201cgraduated\u201d from beginner level. But even here, they might benefit from staying up on the latest tech or business ideas. For them, the benefit might be more about networking and meeting cool people in the space, or it could even be making connections that enable you to work or hire in the space. <\/p>\n

Maybe You\u2019re Not Picking The Right Conference Or Event? <\/h2>\n

For some, it\u2019s just a matter of selecting the right event. The biggest event on the Bitcoin event\/conference annual calendar would surely be Bitcoin 2022<\/a> by the BTC Media team, with tens of thousands of attendees (disclaimer: BTC Media operates <\/em>Bitcoin Magazine). But there are definitely a range of events to suit different tastes and interests. Let\u2019s overview some:<\/p>\n

LaBitConf<\/a> is the big one in terms of South America, as this conference has been running since 2013 and regularly features big names. With the bigger audiences, you will find more newcoiners as attendees, whereas the smaller conferences tend to be more ideologically aligned with long-time Bitcoiners and\/or with those looking to build their technical knowledge. But if you go into them with the right expectations, then you can have a great time at both types of event.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking for a smaller and perhaps more focused event, perhaps BitBlockBoom<\/a> in the U.S. or Baltic Honeybadger in Latvia (by the Hodl Hodl team<\/a>) for the European bitcoiners would be right for you. Historically, these tend to have somewhere in the range of 300 to 900 attendees. <\/p>\n

Depending on how technical you want the focus to be, you might enjoy technically-focused events that come up, such as Advancing Bitcoin<\/a> in London, Adopting Bitcoin<\/a> (recently in El Salvador) or TABConf<\/a> ( in Atlanta). Or, of course, look for regular Socratic seminars or BitDevs meetups that exist as regular meetups. For instance, you might look to NYC BitDevs<\/a>, SF Bitcoin Devs<\/a>, Austin BitDevs<\/a>, Chicago BitDevs<\/a>, Sydney Socratic Seminars<\/a> (started by yours truly, but now hosted by my friend Lloyd Fournier) or London Bitcoin Developers<\/a>. <\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking for more hands-on events and workshops, you can typically find these as side events to larger conferences, and occasionally done as one-off events by companies or individuals in the space, such as my friends Jimmy Song<\/a> or Giacomo Zucco<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Some Tips For Attending<\/h2>\n

Go Early And Make A Week Of It<\/h3>\n

For larger events, the conference doesn\u2019t just start on the day of<\/em>, the fun starts beforehand. There will be side events: some official, some unofficial. You\u2019ll get great opportunities to run into interesting people at these, and you might even get a chance to meet people who you might not have otherwise. Keep an eye out for side events that will be fun or educational. These might take the form of a workshop or community meeting, or it could simply be a drinks meetup. You\u2019ll make new friends or see old friends that you can then catch up with later at the actual conference. <\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Be Afraid To Say Hello<\/h3>\n

Don\u2019t be afraid to say hello to new people at Bitcoin events. You\u2019ll have a better time of it once you build up friend groups and connections. <\/p>\n

Part of the fun is the shared experience that happens in the side conversations, after parties or over food and drinks while out. So, don\u2019t be afraid, most people there are also interested to meet like-minded individuals. You might find yourself making some random connection or bonding over the shared experience of singing karaoke in a bar nearby. <\/p>\n

For all you know, these connections could lead to you finding a job in the space, or making new friends who can help you with Bitcoin questions that come up later down the line. Bitcoin Twitter characters will also be around, so this is a chance to meet them in real life. <\/p>\n

Use Group Chat Channels<\/h3>\n

Most Bitcoin conferences have chat channels, such as a Telegram channel. Join that so you get updates, or you can quickly ping and find out where people are and what\u2019s going on. <\/p>\n

Consider Volunteering For A Free Ticket<\/h3>\n

If the entry price is a bit steep for you, consider volunteering at the event. Yes, you\u2019ll spend time doing errands and moving things, or corralling speakers, but you\u2019ll have an interesting experience and a chance to meet people this way, too. <\/p>\n

Bring A Small Amount Of Sats With You<\/h3>\n

You\u2019ll want to bring a small amount of bitcoin with you on your mobile phone wallet. This will be handy if you want to buy things at the conference, or pay people back for lunch\/dinner (it\u2019s typical that one person might cover the bill and everyone else pays them their own shares over Lightning). Lightning wallets are ideal for these scenarios just because of the speed, ease and low cost they provide.<\/p>\n

OPSEC Tips<\/h3>\n

Don\u2019t talk too much about your personal life, especially where you live or where and how you hold your coins\/keys. <\/p>\n

As Jameson Lopp says, talk about bitcoin, but do not talk about your<\/em> bitcoin. While at the conference, some attendees prefer to use a burner phone with an eSIM not connected to their personal identity. Security-conscious attendees generally don\u2019t connect to the Wi-Fi and they will use mobile data instead. Don\u2019t leave personal items or devices unattended. <\/p>\n

Embrace Irrelevance<\/h3>\n

As Bitcoin OG Mandrik<\/a> once told me, embrace becoming irrelevant at some point. For me as a Bitcoin podcaster, writer, etc., I fully acknowledge that someday, there won\u2019t be much use in solely being a \u201cBitcoin podcaster.\u201d This makes about as much sense as being a \u201cmoney podcaster.\u201d But for now, Bitcoin is an \u201cindustry\u201d in its own right. <\/p>\n

Over time, many sub-fields of Bitcoin today will simply merge into their broader fields of society. For example, Lightning-focused technologies might fold into payments or other entrepreneurial conferences and events. Mining might end up merging with energy conferences, with mining hardware merging into hardware conferences. Decades from now, Bitcoin protocol development might become something like web-protocol and standards-setting boards. Economics discussions will take place at economics events and conferences. <\/p>\n

But There\u2019s A Long Way To Go Before That Happens<\/h3>\n

There will be fortunes won and lost in this industry, and there\u2019s so much to be done. As Ron Paul says, money is half of every commercial transaction. So, whether you\u2019re a developer, entrepreneur, investor or you work in some other capacity, there are lots of opportunities. <\/p>\n

There\u2019s work to be done helping people secure their coins, helping people pay in or receive sats as merchants or as employees, there\u2019s privacy technology to be developed and technology that will help Bitcoin scale to billions of users. Conferences and meetups are a great way to get involved, or stay up to date. <\/p>\n

Enjoy it while it lasts!<\/p>\n

This is a guest post by Stephan Livera. Opinions expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Inc or <\/em>Bitcoin Magazine.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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