The #PillarUnconference — Everything You Need to Know
Planning your trip
What to bring
Travel to/from the airport
Travel to/from Vilnius
Accommodation
Registration
Food
Additional activities
Kids
Stay updated and connect with attendees
What to bring
The Vilnius Grand Resort is located near a forest and two lakes. The climate is temperate with occasional showers. It’s summer in Lithuania and the forecast looks promising: 20 to 30ºC. You’ll need both a sunscreen and a rain jacket. There is also an indoor pool, so bring a swimsuit for dips.
You will need a type F power adapter and power converter if your charger or appliance isn’t dual voltage. The standard voltage is 220 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz. Same as in Germany, France, etc.
You don’t need to send presentation decks in advance. Have them ready on a laptop and we’ll help you connect.
Projectors, large HD screens, audio equipment, and other utilities can be provided as per request.
The resort requires ID or passports when checking in.
Lithuania is a member of the European Union. The currency of Lithuania is the euro.
Travel to/from the airport
The Vilnius Grand Resort is 27 km from the Vilnius International Airport and takes 25 minutes by car. You’ll find plenty of taxis outside the airport. Ubers will cost around €15–20 from the airport to The Vilnius Grand Resort.
Travel to/from Vilnius
From the city centre, it’s 20 km and 30 minutes to the resort. Ubers cost €10–15.
From Vilnius to the Vilnius Grand Resort
From the Vilnius Grand Resort to Vilnius
Alternate accommodation
The Vilnius Grand Resort is fully booked! But fear not — guests attending the unconference can book the Radisson Blu Hotel located in the city centre at a 30% discount. Four room types are available:
· Superior class rooms — 90/105 EUR/night per single/double occupancy
· Superior class (Old Town view) — 95/110 EUR/night per single/double occupancy
· Premium class rooms (new rooms) — 100/115 EUR/night per single/double occupancy
· Business class rooms — 130/145 EUR/night per single/double occupancy.
Rates include breakfast and VAT.
Registration
The Pillar Unconference is free. You can walk into any session any time.
If you aren’t staying at the resort and have not registered already, please register your attendance so we know how many to expect.
We’ll use badges to help remember people’s names — please get a badge at the registration desk.
Food
Lunch is between 12:00 and 13:00 each day in the Tilia hall. You can order for €13 outside the hall.
A buffet Dinner is available between 18:00 and 22:00 in the Le Paysage restaurant. You can book for €18 at reception. There may be limited space at peak times.
Alternatively, there are three restaurants at the resort, La Paysage (French), V Steak House (Steak!), Restoranas Bora-bora (grill), Sunset Lounge & Bar (coffee, cocktails, snacks).
Vegetarian options are available. If you have any additional allergies or dietary preferences, please contact the resort for guidance.
Tea, coffee, and light snacks will be provided twice daily near the main hall.
Additional activities
As well as unconferencing, the resort has a series of additional activities to enjoy. All can be booked by contacting the Vilnius Grand Resort.
Guided tours
Guided tours of the Vilnius city center are available on Tuesday and Thursday. You will be taken by bus into the Old Town and shown the sights, history, and a degustation of traditional Lithuanian dishes and drink by a local guide.
The tour costs €15 to €20 depending on numbers. Please register here and pay in the Salvia room on the day.
- Tuesday the 17th, 19.00–21.30 (up to 35 people).
- Thursday the 19th, 15.00–18.30 (here up to 25 people).
Hot air balloon
Take in the beautiful Lithuanian landscape with a hot air balloon ride. The ballon takes flight in the early morning on Wednesday.
Meet in the lobby at 06:00am.
Beer tasting
Explore five varieties of curated beer from professional Lithuanian tasters.
This will begin at 19:30 on Thursday in the Bora Bora restaurant. You can book and pay at reception by Wednesday. Weather conditions depending.
Golf
Experience the finest Championship Golf course in the Baltic States.
Spa
Visit the newly refurbished V SPA at the Vilnius Grand Resort for a pampered escape.
If you are staying in the resort, you can benefit from a 15% discount, just show your unconference pass.
Inflatable attractions
We have an inflatable obstacle course and bouncy castle on Tuesday and Saturday. Please ask at reception for details.
Water activities
Resort guests can use paddle boats for trips onto the lake for free. It costs €5 for those visiting.
The resort also holds a wake park with water jet packing and other activities on offer. Please inquire at reception for details.
Kids
The Vilnius Grand Resort is child friendly with an indoor and outside play areas, wake park, swimming pool, inflatable obstacle course and bouncy castle on Teusday and Saturday, and indoor play area on site.
Unfortunately, the kid’s package is no longer available as the minimum required sign ups were not met.
The resort has many facilities for children to take part in sport, games, and other activities to keep them busy and happy. Please inquire at reception.
To hire a babysitter, please contact the resort as early as possible before arrival to discuss your needs.
Stay updated and connect with attendees
We have an official unconference announcements Telegram group, where you will hear announcements and learn the schedule for the following day. We also have a unconference discussion Telegram group to get support, find others, and share your updates.
Most people would like to have a list of email addresses of everyone attending the event, but not everyone is willing to be on that list. Therefore, we will have a bowl in the main hall, where you can drop your card or a piece of paper with your name and email address. We will make a list and send it to everyone who does so.
The Unconference
Schedule
Sunday is decompression day. We’ll gather for icebreaking, networking, the World Cup Final, and orienteering for the week ahead.
Monday is the only day with a fixed schedule. David will open at 08:30 with his Business Agility workshop, followed by a briefing at 10:00 on how the unconference will work. We have fantastic talks lined up for Monday and will share the schedule the weekend before.
After Monday, YOU decide.
During the day, we’ll have a large board to propose sessions and use dot voting to decide the following day’s schedule.
Before dinner, we meet to recap the day and set the agenda for tomorrow. We then publish the schedule on TV screens around the resort and in the official unconference announcement Telegram group.
Each evening from 20:30 to 21:30 we will have an improv class. All are welcome, if you have not taken improv before — that’s great, you’ll love it!
Spontaneous sessions will continue afterward and run late into the night.
About Talks
In an unconference, attendees generate and lead the schedule, sessions, discussion topics, and interactions. This prioritises conversation over presentation — where most innovations occur — and encourages contribution, flexibility, and collaboration.
Anyone can propose a session and everyone participates in shaping the day.
ALL sessions are given and have a place — we have plenty of rooms. Voting determines which talks will take place on the following day in the main hall and in the rooms on the 2nd floor. You can always have a talk in a room on the 3rd floor any time you want.
How to lead a session
There are many types of sessions you can lead at the unconference: presentations, workshops, group discussions, hack or buildathons, panel debates, brainstorms, learn how to X, and all other colours of conversation.
The best way to propose a talk or workshop is to use our form online.
You’ll also be able to handwrite cards that people can vote on, in case you get inspired at the event.
If you commit to a session, it’s your responsibility to hold the space and make it a success. Pick what you know and love, lead with a question or brief introduction to the topic, and flow from there.
Speak clearly, use tech only as needed, engage others, read the room, stay flexible, ask and answer questions, and don’t worry if it takes a different form than you expected.
Preparation is good, but participation and conversation is best — so aim for a balance.
Beta testing the Pillar wallet
We encourage all attendees to participate in our beta-testing program that will run throughout the unconference. We will have rooms dedicated to testing during the week. Upon completion of testing, testers will have access to the beta wallet on their own device via email invitation.
Open space technology
Those who contribute to the structure and content of a meeting are more invested in its success and outcome.
We will use a range of open space technology practices to guide this involvement, such as sitting in circles, spectrograms, idea pitching, hackathons, sounding boards, value mapping, and games. Feel free to propose your own and reasonably adapt the space as you need.
Open space technology also encourages ‘the law of two feet’:
“if you are neither learning or contributing it is your responsibility to respectfully use your own two feet to find a place you are learning and contributing.”
Excursions to the city
Vilnius city centre is 20 km from the resort and accessible by car, taxi, or the shuttle buses that run from the resort every hour.
We’ve prepared a list of things to do there. Vilnius Tourism has also provided their map of the best spots in the city with discount codes included.
Trakai Castle Party on the 20th
We will close the week with dinner and a party at the historic Trakai Castle. Expect a stunning historic setting, live music, great dining, eccentric entertainment, games, interesting people, surprises, and a hell of a bang to close the week.
It takes 45 minutes by car to get to the Trakai Castle. We have six coaches running from the Vilnius Grand resort to the castle, leaving in pairs at 17:00 and returning later the same night.
Program
17.00 — The coaches leave from the Vilnius Grand Resort to the Trakai Castle.
18:00–18:40 — Arrive at Trakai via boats to the castle.
19:00 Opening of the feast.
19:30 Dinner is served.
20:00 Live music performances
21:30 Party!
23:40 A GRAND PILLAR SURPRISE! :)
00.00 — The end of the party. Coaches return to the Vilnius Grand Resort
Music line up
20.00 — Cyron band
21.30 — Ankeina (Ian Kane)
22.30 — Charlie Stuart
Code of Conduct
The Pillar Unconference is an opportunity to interact directly, personally, and freely with people and ideas from all backgrounds. To foster this, a relaxed, open atmosphere centred on respect is essential.
Discrimination, disrespect, or harassment of any kind will not be tolerated. Harassment is broad, personal, and complex, but might include unnecessary physical contact, intrusive personal questioning, remarks based on physical characteristics, intimidation, or inappropriate communication via social media.
If you witness or feel you have been harassed, please contact a member of our team, the resort, or the authorities (112) so appropriate action can be taken.
The Unconference is also a family event, with children on site, so sexual references and profanity are not appropriate.
The week a platform for learning, collaboration, and teaching rather than pitching or presenting (though there will be allocated times for this).
Privacy is important, so registration is optional and we do not sell or give your information away without your explicit permission.
Attendees are also responsible for this commitment to privacy. Ask before contacting, filming, or taking photos of people and do not publicly share information about other attendees (names, employer, etc) without their permission.
Respect, help, teach, listen, cooperate, understand, share, and encourage for a valuable and memorable week.
Security
This is a crypto event. DO NOT BRING YOUR PRIVATE KEYS WITH YOU ON THIS TRIP. Here are a few tips to help keep you safe.
- Password protect your computer and keep it closed when you are not using it.
- Don’t keep private keys on internet-connected devices.
- Use 2FA on all your accounts.
- When using public internet, be aware that someone may be watching/snooping your traffic/connections — take strong precautions at ALL times, anywhere in the resort, even your room.
- DO NOT USE USB STICKS, they are a security risk, as they may contain viruses and malware.
- If WE ask you for ANYTHING online, be diligent for fishing attacks and double check to ensure it’s from a legitimate source. There always scammers trying to convince you they are someone else — be suspicious and assume nothing!
- Check that the sites you are logging into are HTTPS. In most browsers, you’ll see a lock in the top left of the URL. If your connection is secure, it will show a lock icon.
FAQ?
Can you check-in before noon?
You can check-in to the Vilnius Grand Resort anytime after 15:00 — the reception desk is open 24 hours.
You must check-out before 12:00.
Charge service to room?
You can charge requested service to the room and pay during checkout.
Useful numbers
The main switchboard: +37052739700
Room reservations: +37052739700
Restaurant reservations: +37052739628
Concierge services: +37052739700
If you have any questions, please contact Unconference@pillarproject.io.
