Web3 doesn’t need more side events. It needs better experiences.

Every year, like clockwork, thousands of founders, marketers, and BD leads descend on ETHDenver, Devconnect, Token2049, and dozens of crypto events. They RSVP to ten mixers a night, collect five free POAPs, hit the same open bars—and walk away with zero follow-ups, zero traction, and zero idea what the point of any of it was.

Here’s the truth: most web3 events are a waste of money. They’re rushed, unstrategic, and disconnected from any meaningful growth loop. They look good on X but don’t move the needle.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Done right, IRL experiences are one of the most powerful tools in your marketing arsenal. They turn cold leads into real relationships. They build trust faster than X threads ever could. And they create brand moments that don’t just get remembered, they get acted on.

This is your playbook for designing web3 events that actually work.

Events Aren’t Enough. You Need Experiences.

An event is something you show up to. An experience is something you feel.

One is transactional. The other is transformational.

The difference? Intention.

An event has a time, a date, and a free drink. Maybe a logo on the napkin. Maybe not.

An experience has emotional peaks. It curates energy. It turns attendees into advocates because they felt seen, connected, and valued.

You know it when you’re in one. Like Mantle’s Social Capital dinner—tight guest list, thoughtful gifts, everyone in the room hand-picked and connected. Or Superfluid’s wave machine stunt that turned product metaphor into pure IRL spectacle. That’s what we’re aiming for.

Source: https://x.com/benmenontweet/status/1894840738275602535

Why Most Web3 Events Fail

Because they’re an afterthought. A checkbox.

Teams decide they want "presence" at a conference. So they slap together a cocktail hour, order some branded swag, and pray someone important shows up. There’s no goal. No narrative. No plan for what happens after the event.

It’s the same story everywhere: huge spend, shallow outcomes.

The worst part? These events aren’t just ineffective, they actively damage your brand. When people walk away bored, confused, or unimpressed, they don’t just forget you. They subtract points from your credibility.

The Event Flywheel: Turning Moments into Momentum

Here’s how you actually make events work:

1. Set a goal. Is this about BD? Hiring? Community activation? Dev onboarding? Pick one. Design for that.

2. Design the emotional arc. People remember two things: the peak moment, and the way it ends. Use it.

3. Drive follow-through. If your event ends when the bar tab closes, you’ve wasted it. Follow up, close loops, convert attention into action.

We call this the Bow Tie Method—a continuous loop of ideation → awareness → capture → refinement. Like a flywheel, but cuter and smarter.

Caption: The Continuous Loop of Event Growth & ROI

Behavioral Design is Your Superpower

You’re not just throwing a party. You’re designing behavior.

• Loss aversion drives FOMO. Make your event feel scarce. Make people want in.

• Social proof drives attendance. Seed the right people early, and others will follow.

• Personalization drives retention. DM attendees, curate their journey, make them feel chosen.

• Peak-end rule drives memory. Nail your opening and closing moments.

Crypto-native brands already get this. Aave’s Raave nails the exclusivity mechanic. SheFi uses gamified swag distribution to drive app interaction. POAPs? When done right, they’re proof of engagement, not just attendance.

Source: https://x.com/shefiorg/status/1844030227095404948

Big Isn’t Better. Small Is Smart.

Everyone wants to throw the biggest party. Few understand the value of the smallest dinner.

Start with intimate, high-trust gatherings: founder dinners, sauna sessions, co-working hangs. Build from there.

Once you’ve earned trust, then go wide: mid-sized mixers, branded lounges, community hubs. Every touchpoint compounds. Every event becomes an opportunity to deepen your story.

And when you hit your peak—a summit, a hacker house, a full-scale conference—you’ve already done the groundwork. You’re not broadcasting to strangers. You’re gathering your friends.

Source: https://x.com/GuavaGlobal/status/1904215048010011104

Measure What Matters

No more vanity metrics. Forget RSVPs. Track:

• Follow-up meetings

• Partnerships closed

• Social media sentiment

• Product activations

• Repeat participation

That’s real ROI. And it only happens when you design for it.

"74% of event attendees have a more positive opinion about the company, brand, or service after attending."

(Source: Event Marketing Institute)

Final Word: Events with Heart

Web3 isn’t just tech. It’s culture. It's community. It’s vibes.

Your events should reflect that.

Bring music. Bring food. Bring art. Bring experiences that touch all five senses—and maybe the sixth. Don’t just talk about decentralization. Feel it, together, in the same room.

Marketing is energy. And great events create energy that lasts long after the lights go down.

Plan ahead. Go deep. Build the flywheel. And remember: if it doesn’t move people, it won’t move the needle.

Time to stop throwing parties. Time to start building moments that matter.

Need help crafting experiences that drive real ROI? Tap a Myosin expert who’s done it before.

About Estefania