NEAR Speak
Hi,
In this post I have described how to extend the NEAR activities and or promote NEAR in the year round in different regions. The goal or the purpose at this point is to gather all comments and feedback in order to make the proposal better.
After a period of debate I will put up a community proposal to let stakeholders and the community decide whether we should start promoting NEAR differently through event funding.
What?
Over the years, there have been a lot of cryptocurrency, Fintech and blockchain events that go on in countries around the world. From anecdotal reports, at least four events( blockchain, fintech or cryptocurrency) are organized every year in most countries. After doing some research I realized NEAR don’t have speakers or are not sponsors of such events that are mostly used to build connections between the people and key industry players/ stakeholders. I, therefore, proposed for an event plan that will:
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Expand NEAR into various countries in the world
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Maintain NEAR presence in more countries
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Enable approved spokespersons to present relevant topics at high level conferences across the world throughout the year
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To vitalize the regional base community of NEAR in different regions
Why?
There is still value in maintaining smaller event presence:
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It sends a signal that NEAR is active and strong in various regions
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Increase awareness of NEAR in new and existing geographies in the world.
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Leverage on the event organizers works to yield further media coverage.
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As other projects die off or avoid events, it allows NEAR to stand out and elicits a second look from the ecosystem to explain why NEAR is a community-directed(focus) project.
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It generates content for social media as an opportunity for us to promote software releases or other news.
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It enables community members to get together ideas and build rapport.
How?
I propose two types of event attendance:
- Events where NEAR would exhibit/speak.
2.Quality conferences where NEAR would like to submit for and win speaking spots on merit.
This would bring NEAR community members to a wider set of conferences and position the project as experts on such things as consensus systems, governance, DAOs, a new way to organize the workplace, and so on.
For the first type, I propose we exhibit at one, large, crypto-focused event in each region(Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, South America) throughout the year. I considered including explicit NEAR events here, but arrangements have not yet been finalized (without the NEAR community approval) and I would prefer I not cede negotiating power.
Examples of this type of event include;
List of major events happening in 2022
Side note: Many of these events are not planned more than 4-6 months out, so I lack full visibility into possible events throughout the year.
Budget for such events I shall add soon since I am doing detailed analysis and research about all events that are organized throughout the year and the particular one’s we would have to attend. This budgeting will be based upon historical precedent that includes the cost of sponsorship, travel expenses, and contributor hours
For the second part, I will present a list of vetted conferences with dates, location, and call for all NEAR members who are ready to attend such events to submit their name and short video of them talking about NEAR. Approved speakers will have the opportunity to apply for speaking spots at these conferences and know they are funded for travel and time. ( This will be done in conjunction with the NEAR meet team and the global onboarding team. I am yet to speak with the team about how we will collaborate on this. )
It is preferred, and necessary, that proposals be shared with the community and in the coordination channel room on NEAR meet discord in advance. We shall contact individuals both in the community and outside the community who have experience of drafting proposals of this sort and are eager to help improve NEAR chances of winning speaking slots.
Notes: Intercontinental travel would require special dispensation/approval due to the cost of flights.
Who?
Final decisions on large conference attendance will be decided by the proposal owners with input from a wide range of the community. The NEAR team for each conference will comprise as much as possible of local community members and preference shall be given to those whose travel costs are lower. Decisions shall be made on the final roster by the proposal owners in the NEAR meet discord with input from the community.
For speaking opportunities, community members should be well known within the community and speak on topics relevant to NEAR in a way that positions NEAR as a thought leader in the crypto space. Speakers should have experience addressing crowds and doing interviews.
