Okay Steemians, if you are in shouting distance (or travel distance) of North Carolina, stand up and be counted. If there is enough interest, I will host a Steemfest in Raleigh, North Carolina in conjunction with Cryptolina 2018 (May 15-16, 2018).
Cryptolina 2018
First things first. I am working to secure a room one night (probably the 14th, but possibly the 15th) for just Steemians. For this event, you will not have to register for Cryptolina. But what fun would that be? Cryptolina has been running since 2013 and has featured numerous exceptional speakers over the years. From the 38th Director of the US Mint, Ed Moy (who should be making an encore appearance this year) to our own @Dan Larimer. Yes, that Dan.
The agenda for this year includes a kick-off gathering on the evening of the 14th, along with pre-registration. On the 15th will start with a keynote (to be announced), innovation sessions, ICO pitches, Blockchain tech showcase and a recruitment event. The 16th will feature another keynote followed by an open session introducing cryptocurrency to newbies, innovation sessions, ICO pitches and another showcase. The speakers are still being lined up, but there promises to be some great talent in attendance, to include a Member of Swedish Parliament (who is also on the board of BTCX exchange).
Early Bird Registration is $499. It will increase to $649 closer to the date and then increase again to $849 at the event. Make sure you lock in your registration early. Take advantage of the lower rates! This promises to be an exciting and informative event. As much for the networking as the speakers.
Steemfest Raleigh
Again, you do not have to pay for registration to attend Steemfest Raleigh. I am putting this part together and will cover the costs. I would encourage everyone to attend the seminar as well, but this is time we are carving out for our community. So let's have a chat about that.
First, RSVPs. We don't need hard commits. But if I am going to shell out my hard earned money, it would be nice to have a decent head count so we can get some refreshments together to enjoy while we meet. We can start putting a listserv together by using the comments section below. We can link up on chat or discord to get contact info. If you intend to come, or don't intend to come but know people nearby, share the news. Resteem this post or send a link to someone you know.
Second, volunteers. If you plan to attend and want to help out in some way, particularly if you live in/near Raleigh, feel free to raise your hand. Also in the comments section. We have a decision to make here. If we have enough interest, do we want to set up a Steemit table at the event? If so, do we have people who are paying to come that are willing to miss part of the seminar to man a booth? If that is too much, we can skip it and just proselytize at the event. And maybe even invite some people to come to our function to learn about Steemit. If we get enough interest, I may even hit the organizers of the event up for a blurb somewhere on the website with an open invitation to learn about Steemit.
Third, timing. How much time should we dedicate to this topic. I am thinking we set aside two hours and then have the unofficial Steemfest at a nearby shop that serves adult libations.
Fourth and finally, suggestions. I am open to suggestions here. If you have some ideas for topics, trinkets, treats or recruitment (or anything else), drop them in the comments. I am not one that normally asks for upvotes, comments, follows and resteems. I'll make an exception here. I want to get as many local Steemians as possible to gather together for some good old fashioned community interaction. Please resteem or forward to anyone you think might be interested. Let's get a crowd together.
