This document has been created based off learnings from a number of contributors attending a variety of IRL events on behalf of Gitcoin.

The purpose of this document is to inform our organization (and more specifically the product teams) on how to approach IRL events in 2024. Each product is ultimately responsible for its own IRL appearances, with MMM happy to make recommendations re: which events to attend.

2024 Events Strategy

What we learned in 2023

• IRL events are, generally, great ways to develop relationships and generate leads
• Gitcoin is well known within certain spaces, less known outside of those spaces
• Gitcoin Passport has a lot of recognizability, while PGN, GS and Allo don’t
• The most interesting events have been unexpected side events from the main conference (ex: SafeCon in Berlin, Defi Security Summit in Paris, etc.)
• Handing out envelopes with invitations to “Join Us” worked really well vs. handing out flyers
  • The envelopes created an obvious curiosity that distinguished them from the rest of the noise at the conference
• Stickers are sufficient in terms of merch
• Print a small batch of absolute 🔥 merch and hand it out only to influencers and evangelists (not just anyone)
  • Our “Fund What Matters” sweaters in Denver were a huge hit
  • Printed a small batch and handed them out to participants at the Community Gathering (mostly founders, leaders, influencers)
  • We saw those sweaters all over the conference - including on stage at panels, talks, etc.
  • We continue to see those sweaters show up at conferences beyond Denver
• Hackathon success is dependent on a number of variables, and we have yet to crack “what works best for us” on each product

Experiments for 2024

1. Maximizing ROI (main metric = qualified leads/conversions)
   • Experiment with # of leads generated when we do vs. don’t have a booth
     • Booth advantages:
       • Clear spot for people to approach
       • Great time to show off our strong branding
       • People are generally keen to connect and want to engage with us
     • Booth disadvantages:
       • Tend to be quite expensive (sponsorship + booth setup + individuals manning the booth)
   • Getting better at tracking conversions initiated and/or solidified at conferences
     • Use lead gen form
   • Minimize costs of having a Gitcoiner at live events
     • How do we make anyone/everyone an ambassador for Gitcoin?
     • Focus on getting the most “local” person to represent us at a conference
       • Ex: Conference in the US? Send someone based in the US
       • Ex: Conference in Europe? Send someone based in Europe
2. Creating experiences that last beyond the conference
   • Sticky merch
     • Try a repeat experiment of our Denver merch success - limited quantity print of🔥 merch and hand it out only to influencers and evangelists (not just anyone)
     • Capture instances of non-Gitcoiners wearing our merch to conferences (esp. beyond where they got the merch
   • Memorable brand interactions
     • This can be through Schelling Point activations, positive interactions with Gitcoiners at booths/conferences, social media mentions, etc.
     • How do we create unique, memorable experiences with either a formal event/booth or even just a simple 1-1 interaction?
3. Every Gitcoiner is a sales person
   • Internal sales training
     • Anyone attending a conference should go through a light “sales training” session
     • This will either be run by PGF or, if they are at capacity, by CoachJ/Viriya who have an extensive sales experience as professional coaches and business owners
   • Lead gen form
     • We now have a lead generation form available at https://www.gitcoin.co/contact-form
     • This form is monitored by PGF and will help qualify leads before engaging the product teams