What Can You Expect at a Blockchain Conference?
Blockchain conferences are not just the ultimate “playground” for the elite members of the crypto space but also for regular people who are simply looking to gain knowledge about a certain technology or trying to keep up with the latest blockchain news. Participating in events are also a great platform for ICOs to introduce their product, to make pitches, discuss with other teams and connect with likeminded people.
As the blockchain becomes more popular and new developments occur, conferences on this matter have become more frequent, taking place all over the world, with different formats and durations (some last a day, others even a week). But all of them have a few things in common, which we will be discussing below.
Presenters and Panels
Opinion leaders, early adopters, pioneers and highly influential people are always present at this type of conferences, sharing their knowledge and experiences and sometimes even demonstrating hands-on how a crypto-product works. The number of speakers ranges from a dozen or two to a few hundred, depending on the magnitude and length of the conference but you can always expect to see at least a few superstars of the blockchain space. John McAfee — the famous cyber-security figure now turned crypto entrepreneur and Michael Arrington — founder of XRP Capital and TechCrunch — were both speakers at the Global Blockchain Forum held in April 2018 in Silicon Valley. Apart from individual speakers you can expect panels, meaning a group of people gathered in front of an audience to discuss a topic and sometimes to answer audience questions.
Blockchain conferences are also a very important platform for start-ups (ICOs) to present their upcoming product and to draw investor awareness to it. As a new player on the scene, every start-up is looking for the spotlight and being present at such conferences is the best way to make themselves known. Attending blockchain events is almost a must for any respectable ICO and on the other hand, people looking to invest can explore a more friendly approach and interaction than simply reading online about upcoming token releases.
Competitions, Awards and Recognition
Most blockchain events usually offer competitions among ICOs to determine which is most viable to have a real world application, or to decide which one is more appealing to crypto users. Usually a high ranked executive presents the ICO’s use case application and talks about the project, trying to explain it as better as possible. Once all presenters have done their presentations, the judges — which are often the organizers and/or sponsors of the conference — decide who deserves the top spot. Earlier this year, Infinitus (INF) got the nod at the highly touted Blockchain Without Borders Summit in New York and was awarded the title of Best In Blockshow.
You can also expect hackathons in which participants compete for monetary prizes. For example London Fintech Week 2018 will host an event called “Hack The Block”, which according to the organizers, will be their largest hackathon to date and will feature money prizes for most categories.
Just in case you’re wondering, a hackathon doesn’t mean that people group together to hack a website, service or any other type of illegal activity. It is also known as a codefest and involves computer programmers, designers, project managers and others coming together in a sprint-like event to collaborate on a software project. At the end of the hackathon they should have a working software which they can present in front of an audience. Usually at blockchain conferences, several teams compete in hackathons and at the end, the judges decide who wins depending on which team has the best working app/software. Most of the times, hackathons are accompanied by monetary prizes for the top teams.
Workshops
These are learning opportunities for people who are looking to improve their knowledge related to the blockchain. Workshops usually have different audience targets, depending on the level of understanding of the participants: new entrants into the crypto world will attend user-friendly workshops, focused on the basics, while executives, project managers and developers will attend workshops tailored for blockchain experts, focused on technology, coding, ICO marketing and more.
Most blockchain conferences will also feature workshops though they are not a must at each event. Overall I recommend attending them if they are available because there’s always something new to learn, no matter the level of blockchain experience you have.
The Main Event: Networking
All blockchain conferences are different but the things mentioned above are a recurring theme at most of them. However, the most important part (and the one that’s always present) is networking: people can exchange ideas, discuss and even find new partners for upcoming projects. Often times the vibe is lighter towards the evening when people become friendlier and discussions less formal.
Overall blockchain conferences are a great opportunity to meet like-minded people and even have a chat with key people from the crypto space. Infinitus was just at the London Fintech Week 2018 is (July 6th — 13th) and our CEO Xanne Leo, was present to give a talk as well. Events like this are huge, with 600–1,000 delegates per day attending from over 50 countries and close to 3,000–5,000 participants in total. So if you want to know more about Infinitus, make sure you book your tickets early.
