Web3 Conferences: Substance or Product Placement?

I have often observed panel discussions at Web3 conferences that are deficient in the substantive. 

I will keep this concise.

Not long ago, a major Web3 conference asked me about participating in a panel at a cost to me in the tens of thousands.  Now, why would they think that I would PAY them to share MY expertise with their PAYING attendees?

On deeper reflection, I wondered, “How much of the discussions at Web3 conferences today is substance versus product marketing?”  Put differently, when an audience listens to a panel discussion, is it listening to sound, generally impartial, analytic, useful insight, or to a company’s paid product marketing cleverly cloaked in a discussion panel format?

Indeed, companies can market their innovations and offerings through paid participation at conferences, but Web3 isn’t as young as it used to be. 

Web3 conferences must now begin to lean into the substantive and help avert a protracted hype period across the broader Web3 digital ecosystem’s innovation cycle.

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I am Dr. Reuel E. Ocho, a Digital Innovation Strategy and Accelerated Delivery specialist.  I offer digital innovation advisory services across areas such as RWA Tokenization, AI, Innovation Management, and Technology Strategy, Digital Platforms, Product Management, and Advanced Digital Architecture.

Contact me for advisory services or for speaking engagements.