How To: Attending a Bitcoin Conference
Anyone involved in the cryptocurrency or blockchain space needs to attend a crypto-focused conference, specifically the Bitcoin Conference.
My brother John and I attended the 2021 Bitcoin Conference in Miami, FL this year to promote our cryptocurrency and blockchain marketing agency Braten Oak.
My brother and I had never attended a conference before, and to start with, the Bitcoin Conference was incredible.
Having never experienced a conference before, we didn’t know what to expect. Googling “how-tos” for conferences can only go so far.
We prepared the best we could, but after experiencing the Bitcoin Conference, we wanted to offer some tips for those of you wanting to attend.
This “how-to” will cover tips and tricks we believe are a necessity when attending the Bitcoin Conference.
1. Patience and water go a long way
June 4th was the first day of the Bitcoin Conference where attendees with general admission could enter. We were among that first group.
Our goal that morning was to arrive early to get inside the conference as soon as possible. After we parked and walked towards the facility where the conference was being held, we were faced with a line as long as the Great Wall of China.
The line to get in wrapped around the entire facility of the conference. We didn’t bring any water to stay hydrated, and it was hot.
Although we were impatient, ready to get inside and in need of water, we made use of our time waiting to go over our game plan.
Three hours went by, and luckily someone passed out water. The long wait was worth it, and we were prepared to network with companies.
Tip: Anticipate waiting outside in line for a while to get into the conference, especially on the first day. Come prepared with water and use the time you’ll be waiting wisely to go over your game plan alone, or with your team.
2. Business cards
Our main focus for attending the conference was to network with people and companies to acquire clients for our marketing agency, Braten Oak.
If you are attending the conference in the same fashion we did, don’t forget to bring business cards. It’s crucial you get some made.
Bitcoin is a complex technology that lives on the internet where people generally discuss its intricacies online, but we exchanged business cards with everyone.
Tip: Get business cards made, and have a secure place to store them. You don’t want to scramble through your pocket when asked for your business card.
3. Talk to anyone and everyone
I believe it’s safe to say most folks in tech are introverted, and that’s entirely okay. If you are introverted, I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and network.
From our experience, every company and person we spoke with at the Bitcoin Conference was a pleasure to speak with, at least for the most part. I even had a great conversation with someone waiting in line while I was ordering a gyro from one of the food trucks outside.
At the end of the day, the Bitcoin community is filled with individuals who love to discuss the space and the technology involved. Striking up a conversation should be effortless.
Tip: If you’re introverted, that’s okay, but push yourself to network with people. You never know where a connection could lead you.
4. Dress appropriately
The Bitcoin Conference is not what I’d imagine a banking conference to look like: a plethora of people walking around in suits discussing safety deposit boxes, golf and gold Italian pens.
People at the Bitcoin Conference were wearing everything from suits to board shorts and tank tops, and everything in-between.
The weather was blistering hot and felt like 134 degrees outside, but we had to present ourselves to potential clients, and wearing suits, or board shorts and a tank top would not work for us.
We dressed business casual — jeans and polo shirts. Business casual worked because we presented ourselves well and were comfortable in the blazin’ heat.
Tips: Dress appropriately for the occasion and for the weather.
5. Choose your hotel wisely
Learn from our mistakes. We waited too long to book our hotel.
The hotel we stayed in was nice, but there were hotels way closer to the conference.
Our hotel was about twenty minutes away from the conference, but with traffic, it added an extra fifteen minutes, plus a ten minute walk because we parked a few blocks away.
Tips: Take advantage of the deals and hotels referred to by the conference when buying your tickets. Chances are, your potential clients are in that hotel, too. You never know who you could meet while grabbing coffee in the morning.
6. Make a game plan
Going into the conference we had a “loose” game plan — speak with every company and person about our marketing agency.
We viewed the list of companies that would be in attendance and designated which ones were high priority.
We started with the smaller companies and worked our way up to larger ones over the course of two days.
Tip: A few months prior to the Bitcoin Conference, create a game plan with yourself or your team. You can view which companies will be there from the conference’s website. It may even be a good idea to set up meetings with individuals at those companies.
7. Have fun and educate yourself
Of course, while you’re there, you need to accomplish the goals you set for yourself and your team, but enjoy the experience. You’ve worked hard to acquire tickets to attend the Bitcoin Conference.
We made sure to have fun and enjoy the experience, whether it was eating at one of the food trucks outside, checking out vendors as a spectator, or viewing artworks in the gallery.
It’s also crucial you try to learn a thing or two while you’re there.
We sat in on some of the fireside chats and listened to influential people in the space as they discussed the future of Bitcoin and important related technologies.
Tip: Have fun at the conference, and further educate yourself about Bitcoin. The space is constantly evolving. Any fragment of information learned is incredibly valuable.
The most important advice we can give to you is to go to the Bitcoin Conference. You will only regret not going.
Whether it’s bringing water when waiting in line, or that wearing board shorts aren’t the best move when meeting with potential clients.
Don’t forget to purchase your 2022 Bitcoin Conference in Miami, FL!
If you attended the same conference or a similar conference, email us at hello@bratenoak.com to share your tips and tricks.
Our Podcast
Check out our podcast, Marketing on the Moon.
We have two episodes dedicated to our experiences at the 2021 Bitcoin Conference in Miami, FL.
