The Zcash Foundation (ZF) is excited to share our vision for the next two Zcon conferences: ZconV (virtual) in May 2024 and Zcon6 (in-person) tentatively scheduled for the first quarter of 2025. Get ready for impactful presentations and outcomes at ZconV, under the theme “Zcash Unified!”
Join us for these two landmark events as we all continue to propel Zcash into a bright and unified future!
Excellent! Let’s get ready to share and learn in these next 2 great events.
Any update on the zcon6 dates @Dodger?
There is evidence that the community prefers virtual Zcon events over in-person events, so we’re reviewing our plans for Zcon6 and in-person events in general.
Watch this space!
It can be interpreted as people prefer virtual events, but it can also be interpreted as people know that near their countries/cities a Zcon will never be organized, and they prefer to attend even if it is virtual.
And that perception could perhaps change if there was a different strategy for Zcash events. For example: one big annual event, face-to-face, and other regional sub-events, perhaps virtual or face-to-face (depending on how they are planned) quarterly or semi-annually distributed strategically in several continents.
I personally think that face-to-face events are more powerful (in terms of engagment, satisfaction and, above all, rapprochement) than virtual ones. The big Ethereum or Bitcoin events are mostly face-to-face. Although it is also a reality that it is more expensive to meet face-to-face.
I think the Zcash major events strategy could be rethought, of course, always taking care of the budget. It would be interesting to read other proposals.
Thank you for bringing this topic and data to the forefront.
Imho physical crypto conferences are great for people with lots of spare cash not caring too much about their privacy. I think it is absolutely fine, even great, for such people to gather and discuss something they enjoy discussing about. I am also absolutely against using any of the inflation on my tokens (ie the dev fund) to finance such thing. But it’s not like token holders have a say in this.
If I actually had a say in any of this, I would however welcome proposals such as the recent one of @gordonesTV (Fundraising campaign to represent Zcash in Europe). I would also welcome proposals to have small booths in various existing conferences, so we can figure out how to make links and collaboration with projects in other ecosystems.
It is true.
And although at Zcash we promote privacy, we also need to make Zcash more visible, to be on the radar of specialized media, influencers, specialists. And face-to-face events are perfect for that.
Is there a committee that helps plan zcon or is it a staff managed thing?
To date, it’s primarily been staff-managed but we’re exploring ways to involve others more.
In the interest of setting expectations appropriately, we’re currently leaning towards Zcon6 being a virtual event.
expectation set. im interested in community involvement if it moves forward in a meaningful way
@Dodger is the decision of going virtual budget based? I see that you linked that survey where you point out that virtual mode was something community has indicated. Could you tell us the whole rationale behind it? How much budget is weighing in towards virtual?
I’ve been attending whenever I could a long running event (month long) in Buenos Aires called “Crecimiento”. They have a lot of sponsors and all the crypto companies interested in developing the BA scene would put some money and host events and sidetracks.
Are we doing something like that in Zcash? Have we already and didn’t get a Zenny to even pay a round of sodas? 
I understand that virtual is awesome because lets a lot of people come in that if it were for the money and time availability, they wouldn’t be. Being inclusive, is super important, but it’s not enough to make Zcash’s mission a reality. There’s the “momentum” factor. What momentum is Zcash creating with a virtual event that is only among ourselves? Isn’t it just yet another echo chamber?
Zcon is a great opportunity to reach out to other “ZK” projects and have them sponsor the conference or at least a tiny bit of it. Maybe they can pay in ZEC as well.
Z|ECC average age was way above 25yo 
. Arborist calls? Light Client Working Group, I pray for a Zingoista dev to show up to make the average lower.
Young people hated the pandemic “stay at home” mandate and they associate “virtual” with it. They’d rather be somewhere with other people, go to eat, hack together or just go see some cool s**t somewhere. I’m “old”, after spending the whole day with other hackers in BA, then meeting Zingo and Zondax at crecimiento, I felt I needed to sleep for two days! 
But hey!! It was worth it!
Zcash needs to build a legacy and that means bringing young people in.
Said one of the Lead developers from Aztec when he saw my Zcash hoodie and I introduced myself.
I asked ChatGPT (the free one, sorry folks, they don’t accept ZEC) “what is the relationship between Zcash and AZTEC” and one section of the response was interesting:
Influence : The success and innovation of Zcash likely influenced the development of privacy solutions like AZTEC, which aim to bring similar levels of privacy to other blockchain platforms, specifically Ethereum.
In fact this is what he presented as “introduction to AZTEC”
If you Zoom in, the guy is explaining what Zcash is to be able to explain what AZTEC does.
As a Zcasher, it felt sour and a bit soul crushing.
A true all times celebrity from Argentina, Mirtha Legrand, once said:
“What it is not, can come to be. They treat you as they see you. If you they see you sad, they’ll mistreat you. If they see you well, they’ll hire you” †
I’m wondering if Virtual is just a way of being in our “comfort zone” (I hate the concept, but what the heck… it goes straight to the point). Maybe we are sort of broke? idk… where I’m from… we were always broke and will ever be 
still… here we are, making the best of what’s around.
See, you and me
Have a better time than most can dream
Have it better than the best
And so can pull on through
Whatever tears at us
Whatever holds us down
And if nothing can be done
We’ll make the best of what’s around
† from Spanish: “Lo que no es puede llegar a ser. Como te ven, te tratan. Si te ven mal, te maltratan; si te ven bien, te contratan.”
Most accurately, ZEC holders must not fund Zcon unless they express a decision to do so.
The sponsoring idea sounds great. if people are interested to make such conference happen, I am sure they can figure out ways to fund it. If there’s no funding, it might just be a signal that there’s not enough interest?
I agree we need the conversation to get out of the current circlejerk (here is the definition for the fragile ones in here). And as far as I can tell, Zcons have not been particularly successful at that so far. I agree also that, for those than can afford it, both financially, and in term of revealing their association with Zcash, connecting between humans is super awesome and can be very impactful.
A high quality booth with random awesome people of the ecosystem, present at various crypto/privacy events, now that would be both impactful and increase our reach.
I guess it’s a free market!
Thank you, @pacu !
Wonderful reflection:
We need “new blood” inside Zcash, new generations.
We need to be more visible, and being only virtual, it is much more difficult.
We need more strategic alliances, which could become sponsors to carry out the events. Certainly, not all the money for the events have to come out of the same pocket (Zcash).
As I see it (and I may be exaggerating), with all the hype today with ZKs, Zcash developers and active members should be seen as an elite, as a group of people who are dictating the pattern for the whole ecosystem.
But the reality is different… and I do believe we can change this… with a different strategy.
I like your approach to face-to-face events. I totally share it, even if the next day I’ll be exhausted…
And how is this interest achieved?
By being visible.
And how do we become more visible?
By being in more events, our own and those of third parties, and in a mix of face-to-face and virtual events.
We must not be extremists. I think that limited budgets (which are an unavoidable reality) should activate our creativity to do more with less.
Oh I’m all for in-person meetups!
As a ZEC holder, I am no longer accepting that our inflation is spent on things we have not approved. It people figure out how to make events happen without the dev fund then problem solved!
I want to see more grassroots events. It really doesn’t take much creativity to figure out ways. We could have sponsored Meetups all over the world for half the price of a single conference. It’s decentralized, in the language of the local people, it’s much more difficult to surveil, list goes on.
ZF and ECC are in a terrible place to lead anything like that. They are safe and comfy. We need people where ZEC actually make a difference in their lives. We need them to share their experiences. I’m really tired of hearing some Zcash CEOs to be honest. Back in the days we used to laugh, pointing people at Bitcoin CEO for their technical trouble. Obviously it was a joke, there were none and that’s the beauty of it. Zcash is looking more like corporation than anything rn, and one that’s not that great with money at that. Sigh.
the importance of inperson events cannot be overemphasized,brings visibility, connects with the local population, onboards people , the list goes on and on, we should pay more attention to this events and other events that target grassroot communities
