Assistance Needed for 2012 Bitcoin Convention - San Antonio, Texas

[indio007]

Well fist off , I think we should follow the decentralized model. A multi-site location connected using something like this.
http://www.johnewing.org/VirtualCorners/about.php

[enmaku]

Well fist off , I think we should follow the decentralized model. A multi-site location connected using something like this.
http://www.johnewing.org/VirtualCorners/about.php

So you're suggesting we just hold a really large-scale video chat?

[Blackout]

I don't have enough invested in bitcoin to justify flying off to somewhere else at this point, but if another conference is held in NYC I will offer my film / live streaming production services for both pc / mac video and shoutcast radio and android and iphone apps.  If the location is other than NYC and some donations can be raised to get me and my equipment to the destination, that's also a possibility.

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=39874.msg486378#msg486378

[jgraham]

Just putting a vote in for Hong Kong.  香港!

[indio007]

Well fist off , I think we should follow the decentralized model. A multi-site location connected using something like this.
http://www.johnewing.org/VirtualCorners/about.php

So you're suggesting we just hold a really large-scale video chat?

Kind of. More like a whole bunch of mini-conventions to defray the costs. I've actually seen this "virtual corner" and it's a lot better than video chat. It would be sweet to have every wall covered with virtual windows to 30 cities all real time HD and lifesize.


I should add people would go just to experience it and get exposed to BTC in the process.

[Blackout]

I am thinking of and could dedicate one of my shows to talking about bitcoin.  I have unlimited bandwidth so there would be no outages, I have pro video & audio equipment, and people or vendors or whoever could skype in, call in via phone, or chat in the chat room. No one would have to travel anywhere and ideas could be discussed live in real time.  It's not a convention.. no... but it doesn't require anything big as I already have the needed setup and most of the bitcoin crowd I think can figure out skype.  The bitcoin show was more of a live to tape thing and not really live nor interactive - this would be live and interactive.

[giszmo]

sure all the talk about virtual conference is nice but the socializing and getting together with like-minded people to start new biz only works when seeing live for a beer for one on one talks.

i would vote for european cities. london is fine with me.

i would love to see people running btc businesses or just success stories of people that also accept btc on their $ business. on youtube please so i can show those success stories to others.

[aq]

sure all the talk about virtual conference is nice but the socializing and getting together with like-minded people to start new biz only works when seeing live for a beer for one on one talks.

i would vote for european cities. london is fine with me.

i would love to see people running btc businesses or just success stories of people that also accept btc on their $ business. on youtube please so i can show those success stories to others.

I think you missed the anouncement of the euro bitcoin conference:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=40272.0

[edd]

I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that everyone has an opinion about where a bitcoin convention should be, especially with all the recent drama, but I was really hoping for some more constructive suggestions.

Once more: Other than location, what / who does the next Bitcoin Convention need?

[ctoon6]

I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that everyone has an opinion about where a bitcoin convention should be, especially with all the recent drama, but I was really hoping for some more constructive suggestions.

Once more: Other than location, what / who does the next Bitcoin Convention need?

reasonably priced places to stay for a few days
culture or other attractions (might as well get a twofer)
good location to actually have the event at
airport with in 10-20 miles (20-30km)
public transit

[giszmo]

I think you missed the anouncement of the euro bitcoin conference:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=40272.0

oh thanx for the link. Prague is really perfect for me Lets see ...

[dacoinminster]

I vote for the west coast. Silicon valley would be fantastic, or vegas would be cheap (though a prude like me probably wouldn't go).

As long as you aren't choosing a city based on the quality of the gay nightlife there, I think you will already be way ahead of your competition.

It also helps if the conference organizer is not on record as committing fraud, is not trying to start their own competing bitcoin forum where they can silence critics, and is not accused of any horrifying acts of sexual violence.

But I digress.

The next conference location should be based on proximity: to money, to software developers, to bitcoin users, to cheap lodging and facilities, etc. I don't see how we can stray very far from the Silicon Valley by those criteria.

As for what it should be like, I'd like to see more of a trade-show feeling, with lots of presentations by lots of people about lots of interesting things. Just having the developers stand up and review their bug-list can be interesting, but it's not particularly inspiring or visionary.

Also, it would be cool to have a theme, like "where is bitcoin going?", with presentations of competing visions of what bitcoin could become, including at least one naysayer arguing that bitcoin is headed for the dumpster

I'd love to see the big players pitch the future of what their services will look like, and some big new services and features revealed.

[casascius]

I second Las Vegas.  Cheap decent rooms during midweek, cheap airfare, plenty to do.

[edd]

I'd love to see the big players pitch the future of what their services will look like, and some big new services and features revealed.

Who do you consider "big players"?

[dacoinminster]

I'd love to see the big players pitch the future of what their services will look like, and some big new services and features revealed.

Who do you consider "big players"?

Right now I'd be interested in hearing a presentation from any exchange, anyone running a bitcoin business, anyone developing a bitcoin business, and anyone who has a compelling vision and can make an interesting intelligent presentation about the problems and potential of bitcoin. I'm not interested in hearing presentations from pretenders, scam artists, or idiots, but it may be difficult to screen them out.

I love our bitcoin developers, but the overlap between developers and visionaries is very small, and bitcoin is no exception. Satoshi was the only truly visionary developer in this little world. The remaining group of (very talented) programmers is basically just trying to keep his creation running without falling apart. I imagine that future distributed currency innovations will probably be imagined by non-developers and implemented by developers who follow their vision. Consequently, bitcoin developer presentations should not (IMHO) be the centerpiece of a conference.

[dacoinminster]

It would also be interesting to see some presentations from outsiders: tech journalists, venture capitalists, past tech innovators, financial experts, economists, law enforcement representatives, politicians, currency traders, forex operators, pundits, historians, and anybody else who could potentially comment on bitcoin from an interesting angle.

[cypherdoc]

i'll throw in Santa Barbara; West Coast, midway btwn LA and SF and near Vegas.  great weather, plenty to do.

i'd like to see the following speakers:

Gavin
Jeff Garzik
Stefan Thomas
Theymos
Mike Hearns
Grondilu
Casascius
Coderr
Bruce Wagner
Bitpay guys
ALISON
Ira from BTCinch
Mark Karpeles
eMansipator
Jered Kenna
evorhees
Matt Corallo
Max Keiser
John Matonis
Todd Bethell
Trader Steve
Keyur (CampBX)\
ExchB
Ruxum founders
Nefario
Peter Lambert
Steve Gornick
hugolp
Vladimir
tcatm
Jans Vonberger (Instawallet)
Jackjack
hashcoin
mewantsbitcoins
gmaxwell
Luke Jr
genjix
fellowtraveler
hiro
Bytecoin
bcearl
and finally;
Satoshi

edit:

Rick Falkvinge
S3052

[edd]

i'd like to see the following speakers:

...

and finally;
Satoshi

I'll send him a PM.

[cypherdoc]

assuming the turnout would be similar to Bitcon, it would be nice to have sessions that everyone could attend instead of breaking up into separate groups depending on an individuals interest.  for instance,  i would have loved to attend a mining session and a merchant session except they were simultaneous at Bitcon.  even though i know nothing about the details of mining, i think we are all intellectually curious enough to want to know whats behind this part of Bitcoin.

you could have a series of 3 experts in each category speak for 30 min followed by a panel discussion of the 3 speakers and a couple of other experts with Q&A.  these sessions would proceed one by one throughout the day with breaks mid morning, lunch, and mid afternoon of 45 min so that attendees could visit vendor displays in the next room.

i would love to see all the vendors out there bring their products and devices to the conference for attendees to touch and feel.  they should have internet hookups to demo their websites if they don't have a physical product to display.  programs with descriptions of speakers, panel discussants, and vendors would be nice but an extra expense.

anyways, i'm describing my own personal professional conferences which i would love for Bitcoin to be able to reach in the near future.  good luck.

[edd]

assuming the turnout would be similar to Bitcon, it would be nice to have sessions that everyone could attend instead of breaking up into separate groups depending on an individuals interest.  for instance,  i would have loved to attend a mining session and a merchant session except they were simultaneous at Bitcon.  even though i no nothing about the details of mining, i think we are all intellectually curious enough to want to know whats behind this part of Bitcoin.

you could have a series of 3 experts in each category speak for 30 min followed by a panel discussion of the 3 speakers and a couple of other experts with Q&A.  these sessions would proceed one by one throughout the day with breaks mid morning, lunch, and mid afternoon of 45 min so that attendees could visit vendor displays in the next room.

i would love to see all the vendors out there bring their products and devices to the conference for attendees to touch and feel.  they should have internet hookups to demo their websites if they don't have a physical product to display.  programs with descriptions of speakers, panel discussants, and vendors would be nice but an extra expense.

anyways, i'm describing my own personal professional conferences which i would love for Bitcoin to be able to reach in the near future.  good luck.

I completely agree, cypherdoc. I think even the speakers would appreciate the opportunity to listen to one another instead of missing out on everything that happens to be going on while they're addressing an audience.

I am hoping to record and stream all sessions, maybe even strategically placing some monitors around the vendor areas so that attendees won't have to squeeze into a meeting room that might be too small due to an overly conservative estimate of interest.

I think an online program would be a reasonable expectation for an event like this, not to mention being more environmentally friendly and cost effective than a printed one.

Sessions and panels will have to be tailored to the experts, of course. Responses to the emails and PMs I've been sending have been very positive, though.