In Web3, big conferences have become a huge part of the culture. Token2049, Consensus, ETHDenver, Devcon… these are events where thousands of people fly in from all over the world, and every hall is full of booths, talks, and side events.
But with all this energy and excitement, there’s also a big question: Are these events really worth the money teams spend?
A booth alone can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Add travel, hotels, team tickets, after-parties, and giveaways, and a single event can easily take a big part of a startup’s budget. And with so many projects present, it’s easy to wonder how much attention any single team actually gets.
At the same time, there’s something special about meeting in person. You shake hands with people you’ve only known from Telegram, you get to talk face-to-face with investors or builders, and you build relationships that can be harder to create online. Big events are also great for visibility, being on stage or having your logo at a big conference can help with reputation.
Some teams say these conferences are great for networking and long-term relationships, even if the ROI isn’t immediate. Others prefer to spend that same budget on online growth, community campaigns, or product development.
Maybe the truth is somewhere in the middle. Big events can be a great opportunity, but not every team is at the stage where they can make the most out of them.
What do you think? Are these offline events still worth the big investment, or should projects focus more online?