What made Crypto Springs 2018 the ‘best crypto conference ever’?

As Blockchain Week kicks off in San Francisco today, billing itself as “the event of the year,” I’ve been trying to pin down what inspired Crypto Springs attendees to consistently share it was the best crypto conference any of us had ever attended.

I started with this laundry list…and connected the dots around the thought below. Please chime in with your thoughts.

Crypto Springs rocked because:

· Speakers’ motivations appeared to be “to share,” “to teach,” and “to connect.” Not “to impress,” or to otherwise establish status or celebrity.

· Profit — and thererefore hype — did not appear to be a motive.

· Participants took turns being speakers, attendees, and round table leaders — everyone’s expertise and experience was prized.

· Everyone fit into one room; we shared the same agenda, heard the same content, and learned from it together.

· Information was sequenced in a logical and thematic flow.

· We took time for topics that are as critical as they are under-valued, like design.

· No one was presented as a “keynote” — there was a flat, democratic appreciation for everyone’s contributions, and commitment to the space.

· No one was asked to make predictions, or time wasted on debate on who the “winners” and “losers” would be in the space.

· Information was not watered down, nor was it overly complicated. Terms were explained, and the audience’s intelligence was a given.

· Fun was built in — great food and drink, a beautiful setting — and a chance to enjoy it with conversations with people who were destined to become friends…not only co-attendees.

· A sense of humor was at play.

· And, Palm Springs.

What connects the dots? Crypto Springs was female-lead and attendees were largely female, but “female” wasn’t the explicit, implicit or, I believe, unifying theme.

My sense is that the organizers’ intention was around bringing together people whose conversation will support our collective ability to manifest crypto’s potential. Attendees felt respected, included, connected and empowered. The event was, in other words, a human incarnation of crypto’s values. And it felt powerful.

I’m the CEO of OmniSparx.io, a platform supporting genuine collaboration in crypto/blockchain. Connect with me on twitter or linkedin.