WHAT

We wanted to deliver a multi-faceted celebration attendees would never forget. The event included a dynamic environment with an industry day, as well as entertainment (Sumo wrestlers, professional dancers, and entertainers), a skateboard demo with Tony Hawk, an art gallery, basketball court, VIP parties, exciting speakers, financial pundits, and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and others.

WHY

The event organizers wanted to accomplish several things by hosting this event. Their primary objective was to create an opportunity for the bitcoin community to celebrate and educate the public about the industry’s impact. However, from this case study, you will see that the outcome of Bitcoin 2021 far exceeded the organizers’ expectations and goals. Here are the real-time results.

GOAL: Create an opportunity for the bitcoin community to come together and celebrate the industry and each other in real life, face-to-face.

OUTCOME: Regarding numbers, demand for tickets was so high, the organizers had to increase the number of General Admission (GA) tickets available for purchase—twice. Astoundingly, they sold 62% more tickets than the original target.

With the number of attendees increasing so significantly, the organizers had to rent the entire Mana Wynwood Event Center in Miami. In other words, the exhibit hall expanded twice to accommodate the rise in attendance. In addition, the on-site art gallery doubled in size to comfortably accommodate the increase in the bitcoin community’s participation.

So many people have passionately touted bitcoin for years through a wide variety of mediums, and Bitcoin 2021 provided a central place where all of these individuals could come together. In effect, the sum total of their voices was heard much louder than their individual parts ever would have been. This voice encompasses the newest Bitcoin users and those evangelists who have been in the industry for years.

Bitcoin 2021 also provided a singular forum where many top influencers— from Jack Dorsey to US Senators to Tony Hawk—could merge and amplify the impact of the community and event. The significance of the event was so enormous for the bitcoin community that El Salvador announced during the event that it would be making bitcoin the legal tender of their country.

GOAL: Educate the public about how the industry functions and impacts the world.

OUTCOME: The educational impact of Bitcoin 2021 extended beyond the thousands of attendees. The organizers provided content from keynotes and panel discussions via live stream, with a goal of 1 million views. To date, the event’s content has received over 4.5 million views!

These views further reinforced the community’s passion for bitcoin and desire to come together and learn more about the industry, as did the fact that additional tent space was added for the educational panel discussions, with standing-room-only audiences showing up every single day.

Interest in the bitcoin industry and the event itself was evidenced by coverage BTC 2021 received by local and national media.  The New York Times, CNBC, Forbes, Fox Business Insider, and Bloomberg, among others, reported on the event.

GOAL: Offer a collaborative forum where different verticals could discuss how to cross-pollinate various areas of the bitcoin industry.

OUTCOME: The level of participation far exceeded the organizers’ expectations, so much so that they plan to triple education space with additional verticals in 2022. This includes adding space for mining and development, each getting their zones and panels next year.

In addition, the No. 1 request from attendees was for the organizers to add more networking zones at future events. These plans are already in the works, with additional networking zones planned adjacent to education areas, including the new mining and development areas.

HOW

The multi-faceted event brought together a unique blend and intersection of a community that has many different tendrils. The event included activities, activations, experiences, and VIP parties held indoors, outdoors and away from the Manna Wynnewood Event Center.  

INDOORS:

The indoor spaces were designed to facilitate functional aspects of the show, including keynotes, panel discussions, and the exhibit hall. In addition, an art gallery provided a place for attendees to celebrate all things bitcoin from the perspective of various artists.

Highlights of the indoor spaces included:

• Keynote Center: A cavernous event hall was transformed into a space with a keynote stage and expansive seating area where thousands of attendees could take in keynotes and panel sessions.
• Exhibit Hall: This space was decorated with sponsor graphics and 80 exhibits explicitly designed for the Bitcoin exhibitors.
• Artist Alley Art Gallery: Artists were commissioned to create Bitcoin-related artwork, which was showcased at an art gallery inside the event center.

OUTDOORS:

Finally, we wanted to create a memorable, one-of-a-kind festival experience, with various experiential activations outdoors. The exterior space was decorated with fun and colorful scenic features and sponsor graphics. Modular domes adorned with custom graphics were also utilized for outdoor activations.

Other outdoor and offsite activation highlights included:  

• Sumo Wrestlers. A group of Sumo wrestlers was hired to perform and pose for photos.
• Tony Hawk Skateboard Demo. A skateboard half-pipe was installed outside, where the legendary Tony Hawk demonstrated his skills.
• Basketball Court. Attendees were invited to shoot a few hoops at a colorfully adorned basketball court located on-site.
• Scenic Photo Opportunities. Several large and 3-D scenic installations were placed throughout the outdoor space, which was ideal for photo opportunities and social sharing during the event.
• Whale Party VIP Event. Bitcoin’s bigwigs refer to themselves as whales, and the event organizers wanted to produce an over-the-top event, appropriate for the up to $20,000 per person ticket price. The party featured an ocean theme and included eye-popping scenic elements like a ship, life-size 3-D whale tail, among other elements. The party spread across two floors—inside and outside—with entertainment provided by dancers, renowned DJ Diplo and other performers.

CONCLUSION

The final outcome of Bitcoin 2021 is still in process because its reach continues to extend long after the event has ended. What is certain is that its results exceeded the organizers’ expectations, setting up tremendous momentum for next year’s Bitcoin 2022. There may not be a better time in the future to get educated and connected with the Bitcoin community.