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In recent years, the Web3 ecosystem has exploded with innovation. DAOs, protocols, and decentralized communities are multiplying and so are the events. Futuristic parties, colorful booths, panels about “the future of the internet,” and buzzwords in neon.
And yet, despite the hype, many of these events leave people with a subtle, disappointing feeling: something is missing.
There’s a silent contradiction happening here: while Web3 promotes autonomy, collaboration, and decentralization, its in-person gatherings often mirror the same top-down, generic formats of Web2 corporate conferences.
In this article, we explore why most Web3 events fail to connect people in meaningful ways and more importantly, how we can do better.
Visuals are easy to impress with. Connection is harder.
Here’s what we often see in mainstream Web3 events:
The same voices on every stage
Panels with no space for listening
“Networking” that becomes a swap of handles, not real ideas
Environments lacking diversity and accessibility
And worst of all: branded activations with no soul, just merch dumped into tote bags that end up in the trash.
We need to talk about this.
If we’re building the internet of the future, we also need to build events that are sustainable, intentional, and people-centered.
Sustainability in Web3 isn’t just about energy usage, it’s about creating experiences that have meaning, resonance, and minimal waste.
Web3 isn’t just about smart contracts , it’s about smart people dreaming of new social contracts.
Events aren’t just a space for product launches or protocol awareness. They are spaces where human bonds are formed , the kind that actually sustain innovation over time.
This means that Web3 events need to stop trying to look big and start aiming to be meaningful.
The good news: around the world, a new kind of Web3 event is already emerging. Here are some things we’ve seen that actually work:
Small, decentralized gatherings, instead of a single mega-conference, local meetups with depth and intimacy.
Spaces designed for real exchange, circles, open time, silence, shared food, organic dialogue.
Collaborative curation, where the agenda is co-created with the community, not just broadcasted to them.
Local cultural expression, involving local artists, community leaders, and activists as central to the narrative.
If you're planning a Web3 event, from a DAO meetup to a multi-day conference, here are five principles to think about it:
Collaborative Curation
Let the community co-create the agenda.
Design for Exchange
Prioritize human-scale interactions over performance.
Intentional Access
Invite people outside the crypto echo chamber, that’s where real adoption begins.
Mission > Merch
Focus on purpose, not status or swag.
Continuity & Impact
An event doesn’t end when the lights go off. What stories, relationships, and impact remain? What waste did it leave behind?
The decentralized future won’t be built on empty activations.
It will be built by people who come together, listen deeply, and imagine better worlds.
Because in the end, connection is the most powerful technology we have.
samchalom
👏👏👏