Hive at TechEx Europe 2024 - Amsterdam Recap

Last week, Hive was well represented during the TechEx Europe 2024 conference in Amsterdam! It was a great opportunity to showcase the power of Hive's decentralized technology, connect with industry leaders, and representatives, and shine a spotlight on Hive. The energy at the event was nice. I’m here to report ;) Let's share some highlights that made this a good experience for Hive and our community! Please; share these images on your LinkedIn, and socials, and tag Hive (no need to tag me, as long as you're a Hivean)

Missing in action & the back-up plan

Unfortunately, @mcsamm and @collinz, two key figures for this conference I was excited to meet again, couldn't make it to Amsterdam due to an ironic problem; digital tech. SCHENGEN visas can be a long process, and despite Sam's efforts, both of them weren’t able to receive theirs in time. I tried helping Sam a week before the event, checking out other ways to get them to Amsterdam, but it wasn't meant to be this time. I could feel the disappointment of Sam and Collins, but we tried our best to make the presentation happen

Since we were aware of this possibility, we had to move quickly and had to put Blind-Spot in the Spot-Light (ha, pun intended). We stayed up until 2:00 AM preparing and finalizing the presentation slides so that he could step in and represent the incredible work Sam and Collins are doing in Ghana, using Hive's technology to transform rural communities.

I had a feeling that Blind-Spot would nail the presentation. And wow... he absolutely crushed it! He delivered Sam and Collins' story with passion and shared to all attendees how Hive's technology is making life-changing changes in rural Ghana. The audience was hooked as well, they asked questions while Blind-Spot owned the stage.

Hive Networking Bar

The Hive Networking Bar was a real hit! The design drew people in, and it became a popular spot for attendees to gather and talk. I overheard quite a few people on the phone saying, "We’re at Hive!" to meet up with their teams or with new connections they made during the conference. The bar seemed to be way busier than last year, and the free coffee idea was a great call. It kept the people flowing (there were pretty long lines), as the beans were getting ground.

This gave us some insights, so we brainstormed a few ideas to make it more engaging next time. It would be awesome to offer free Hive accounts on the spot. We could send new sign-ups some HBD so they can "buy" their free coffee using Hive! Another cool idea would be setting up a photo booth with a subtle Hive-branded backdrop for Hive-powered headshots that people can use on their LinkedIn. It would make for a great memory (that hopefully will last longer than the event as people could use them as profile pictures)and could get people a bit more connected to Hive.

Shorts

Even though I was hired to take photographs during the two-day conference, I also shot and edited some videos on the fly, so I could share them instantly on LinkedIn while the event was still in hot. It’s not something I usually do while focusing on photography and networking, but I prepared myself for this beforehand, I bought a DJI Osmo Pocket 3 just for the conference to create more content for Hive. Check them out below.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/g32BalGx4q0?loop=1 _{right-click and loop}

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/gbR9pn-7MPg?loop=1 _{right-click and loop}

Blind-Spot Representing Hive and Ghana

The presentation on Hive’s impact in Rural Ghana was well received by the attendees. Kudos to @priyanarc for filming the entire presentation. And a big shout-out to Blind-Spot. Dude; you did an amazing job stepping in. You should definitely do this more often! Seriously. You made a lot of people listen to you, which is a skill not many have.

Blind-Spot’s delivery surely made a powerful impression, bringing Sam's and Collins' vision to the stage. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and it was great to see people getting engaged with what Hive is achieving in Ghana. Especially after the presentation. Last year, we connected with @elmirabear, a great person who works for Unicef. Unfortunately, the guys from CBRS didn't make it to Hive's presentation, even though they booked a hotel nearby. Gladly Priyan made it in time from Almere.

Networking Event

The networking event is always one of the best parts of conferences. It’s such a great opportunity to meet people who are there for one reason: networking. We had the chance to connect with representatives from big names like Maersk, Fintech, Coca-Cola, as well as freelancers and start-ups.

Of course, I had my camera with me, which made breaking the ice with new connections a lot easier. Taking someone's picture is an easy way to start a conversation (mutually), and it worked like a charm at this event. Blind Spot and I made sure to talk and make meaningful connections that will hopefully lead to future collaborations. There was one start-up in particular that is still in my head, but he was depending on his client.

Iz a wrap

TechEx Europe 2024 was an amazing event for Hive. From the conference itself to the presentation of Blind-Spot, to the networking bar, we tried our best to show everyone interested in Hive what Hive and our community are all about. It’s always exciting to talk about our blockchain and see people making an effort trying to understand it. However, there might be better events to spend Hive funds on, where it is much easier to attract the right people who actually sign up and get invested with and in Hive.

Hive on :)