As expected, the fifth "In Real Life" edition of our Worldwide Community Meetup was a blast!
HiveFest⁷ has now been over for a few days. Many of us have finally returned home, sometimes exhausted, sometimes carrying back a small unwanted virus, but all reinvigorated and starry-eyed as this edition has been beyond our expectations and full of multiple emotions.
As for me, I'm just starting to recover, not only from the very few hours I slept during HiveFest but also from nasty angina which I probably caught thanks to the typical Amsterdam weather and which confined me to bed for several days as soon as I got home. Not to mention the inevitable post-HiveFest blues that I'm now familiar with.
But we are decentralization warriors, aren't we? ... so I survived!
And it's now time to share my HiveFest memories with you.
PS1: I first wanted to gather all my memories in a single post, at the risk of breaking the record for the "Longest Blockchain Post" currently held by @smooms. But, as I have so many things to share and as I didn't want to destroy @smooms' pride, I decided to split my memories into several posts.
PS2: You won't see many pictures taken by me on my posts. I tend to use my eyes and brain to engrave memories rather than any other device. The truth is that I'm a photo noob!
(Thank you to @bil.prag for taking such stunning pictures and allowing me to reuse them)
September 15 - Welcome and Opening Drink
Travel and welcome
I arrived quite early in Amsterdam with @crimsonclad, which allowed me to meet @roelandp and my friend @poezio peacefully before the rush later in the afternoon. It also allowed us to squash some bugs that were lying around for the Hivebuzz meetings contest.
For the record, @roelandp forgot to implement the scan feature in the new HiveFest app and when I reminded him about it only 2 days before HiveFest, with his usual phlegm he did the job in a jiffy. Ditto for the addition of the barcode in the app only a few hours before the official opening of HiveFest. Kudos @roelandp, this is coding!
I was greeted by the "volunteer dream team", @minigunner, @artakush, @priyanarc and @blind-spot. Frankly, although this is mostly their very first live HiveFest, these folks have it all figured out! Their welcome was all smiles and joy, in all simplicity.
I was particularly impressed by @blind-spot who, after fleeing the war in Ukraine, having lost almost everything, having to find his bearings in another country, and whose father died only two days before the event, was standing with a welcoming smile and a fierce desire to help everyone. Bro, you have all my respect!
Close encounter
HiveFest day 1 is is often reunion day, where everyone finds the one they haven't seen for a long time hugging each other.
But this year, I was waiting for someone special with some trepidation. I had to meet @zirochka, coming from Kiyv in Ukraine, for the very first time!
Although we have remained in regular contact since her involvement in the NFT for Peace project, we were two perfect strangers to each other apart from many lines of text and photos glimpsed on the chain.
She texted me she was waiting in the lobby of VolksHotel. I went there and saw her looking around, turning to me and meeting my gaze. Then with disconcerting simplicity, we both smiled and hugged each other, like two old friends reuniting, in the most crystal clear way.
If I share this story with you, it's because I consider this moment as my best memory of HiveFest. It shows how much the social dimension of our platform is something that matters, both for the platform itself and for the people who make up our community. And HiveFest is the best catalyst that allows us to reveal the substance of this community made up of people from all over the world.
I will never be grateful enough to @roelandp for initiating this world meetup 7 years ago and allowing me to experience similar moments with many of you!
Opening drinks
How strange it was to be there at the VolksHotel, where it all started in 2016.
The "opening drinks" was therefore a double reunion for me: both that of a place with its ultra trendy, young and dynamic atmosphere, and also that of a group of friends that I hadn't seen for a long time.
The pleasure of meeting again those who had not been able to come to Bangkok but who had come to other editions, and also the joy of meeting newcomers who were participating in their first HiveFest.
However, being now a veteran of the event, I remained cautious and did not party hard from day one. I also knew that a busy day with three presentations was ahead of me. Before midnight, so as not to turn into a pumpkin, I was in my bed.
September 16 - Conference Day 1 - Balls of Steel
I did not sleep much. When you don't want to drink alcohol, it's a very bad idea, to give a try to something you do not know. I drank club-mate all evening, a refreshing soda ... with a lot of caffeine in it.
Even if I was tired, I found myself lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling, rehearsing my presentations, but unable to fall asleep before ... 2 am. I woke up at 4 a.m. because of the noise in the street, fall asleep again at 6 a.m. until the alarm clock rang at 7 a.m.
Shower! Skip breakfast! On my way to the Eye to prepare the presentation material because I was scheduled first on stage with my friend Roeland in the kick-off speech. Fortunately, the air outside was fresh and invigorating.
Oh yes, HiveFest is not for the faint-hearted.
First presentation - Meetings Contest and FiveFest Trophies
This was my most relaxed presentation. But I was not fully relaxed because @roelandp had allocated me only 5 short minutes to present the HiveBuzz Meetings Contest AND to do a trophies distribution.
So to say that I expedited the first part to save as much time as possible for the second one which involved people who were not aware of the surprise I had prepared.
Indeed, while preparing HiveFest I noticed that during the Bangkok edition only 9 people had participated in all the previous editions. As they sometimes had to travel several thousand kilometers to join the party, I thought it was worth celebrating their 5th IRL attendance with something better than a virtual badge: The FiveFest Trophy!
This is how I discreetly inquired to find out who would be present this year to be able to craft a magnificent trophy with their name on it.
Picture courtesy of @bil.prag
Hehe, they didn't see it coming, not even when I asked them to sit in the front row. Once again, congratulations to @blocktrades, @danea, @gandalf and @roelandp (and @arcange 😬) for their commitment and presence at each edition of the Fest since 2016.
Second presentation - @Zirochka and NFT for Peace
It wasn't an easy task for @zirochka to make the long trip from Kyiv to Amsterdam and share with us her story about the war in Ukraine.
Needless to say, this was the most challenging presentation of the day for me. We had chosen the style of a talk show so that I could support her if the emotion should overwhelm her. It was close to me being the one who needed help as her story was so moving.
Picture courtesy of @rubencress
A very moving moment... during which the whole audience held their breath (and maybe their tears). Thank you all for the quality of your listening which was very supportive for both of us when on stage!
@zirochka said, "Hive turned out to be something more than a blogging platform, something more real, a community of real possibilities that can cross the world to reach out to change someone's life and maybe even to save lives!"
If you want to help Ukrainian civilians, go to your Hivebuzz board and buy some of the NFTs for Peace. It won't cost you more than a few HIVEs or HBDs, but the impact it can have is well worth it.
Thrid presentation - Marketing for Devs
During the afternoon, I introduced the Marketing Campaign to Developers. The presentation was made by Manon from the Hilarious Agency (@behilarious).
Picture courtesy of @bil.prag
This is a project that I initiated several months ago, the main goal being to replicate the "Splinterlands effect" on our blockchain and its tokens price by doing more promotion amied at application developers.
If you missed their presentation, I invite you to watch it on YouTube.
A proposal is out to fund the Marketing campaign. If you like the work they did up to now and want them to go further, please support the proposal!
MooieBoules - Balls of Steel
After a boat trip where the atmosphere on board was most festive (the captain understood this well and spared us from unnecessarily playing the recorded soundtrack of the guided tour), we arrived at the MooieBoules, a place obviously appreciated by locals who gather there to play pétanque while having a drink and a bite to eat.
Picture courtesy of @bil.prag
I was on the very best team with @lordbutterfly, @little.lamb and @vcelier!
Unfortunately, the other teams were much luckier than us and we didn't reach the semi-finals. Otherwise, we would have without any doubt won this tournament! As perfect gentlemen, we let them savor their victory. 😇
On the other hand, I didn't manage to stay up until the end because the lack of sleep from the previous night started to kick in. I decided to return to the VolksHotel before the end of the tournament. Thanks to the DACH team for escorting me on the way back.
The night was better, I had started to relax now that 3 of my presentations were done, and I slept a bit more: 4 hours.
To be continued...
Now that I remember the moment we met, I can't explain it. It happened by itself, although it rarely happens to me. I think I can say that my best memory is similar to yours, with the difference that to me absolutely all the participants were strangers. And I have never felt so good and natural in such a large company of strangers. I know that people are still different on the platform, and maybe this is my new bubble, but this experience of mine makes me believe that there are good, open and sincere people in the majority.
This meeting gave me faith in people. I so much want to keep it as long as possible, until the next meeting.
I'm so happy for you that you made the choice to come.
I know all the difficulties and fears you had to go through, and the courage it took to stand and speak on stage for the first time in front of a crowd of strangers. But I also knew how life-boosting HiveFest can be. I hope you were able to take full advantage of it and bring back with you the energy and the humane benevolence of our community to share with your loved ones.
See you next year! In the meantime, stay safe and take care.
See you next year 💙
Deal!
Thanks for all you contribute to this event. I have to say that your presentations were some of my favourites. I chatted with @zirochka and it's so inspiring to see what Hive has done to help her and others.
I really love this Hive family 3.0. Such wonderful people who want to make a real difference.
Thank you 💙💛
It is an honor to see my presentations among your favorites. Thank you 🙇
i am actually surprised that i am not sick. the amount of times i got soaking wet in 5 days was probably a record for me :)
as for the photos, it is HiveFest, i would feel bad restricting the use of them 😄
I'm glad you didn't catch any virus even if HiveFest was kind of Proof of Rain.
Once again, thanks for sharing your pictures. Looking forward to read your next post.
Meeting you was an inspiration to keep smiling. I have told more than a few times, but I will type it now so it stays forever on the blockchain and cannot be forgotten - I highly appreciate all that you have done and are doing for myself and other Ukrainians. After spending those days with you I see your passion for the chain and your undying will to make it even better.
Honestly, how could I not smile? The title of "family" that you announced touched so close to my heart and I cannot agree any more with how accurate it is. Yes, I have lost a lot...but I have also gained a family. This meet is forever carved into my heart and I cannot wait to see you and everyone else again!
Thank you for your testimony. See you soontm
Thank you so much for mentioning me, it was lovely to meet you... After Hivefest, I was feeling ill as well so took proper rest and then returned to work... I hope you had a great time at Hivefest... Thanks for the meet and greet contest :D
It was my pleasure to meet you too dear @priyanarc. Thank you for all you did as a volunteer. 🌹
See you next year!
Definitely and we want to see the same smiley face next year...
Count on it!
Absolute blast to meet you @arcange! Had lovely chats and warm feeling whenever you were around! Hope to see you soon in upcoming events and here on the chain!
P.S. as @minigunner mentioned, you are always welcome in the Netherlands and to our city of The Hague!
I return the compliments to you. The #coldbeetrootsoup was such a great idea and absolutely delicious. I will need to try it at home.
Can't wait to meet you both again next year or even before in NL. I know I have more friends there now. ❤️
It was a pleasure meeting you 🙂 Balls of Steel... not so much 🤣 We lost BAD 🤣 If you ever visit The Hague, don't be a stranger or you could attend to one of our #DutchHiveMeetup's.
Yeah, sorry but we had to prove at least once we can play Balls of Steel and your team was the poor victim.
Feel free to ping me when our next #DutchHiveMeetup occurs. I will do my best to come and have fun with you.
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It's a team efford made by everyone in the @HiQ.Magazine Team. I could not write the longest blog post by myself. But if we would have gotten kicked off of the blogpostlenght-throne by you it would have been an honour.
Hehe, don't tempt me, I may not resist your request to feel honored 😈
Even I watching from home felt same too, I can imagine how much emotions you felt... The story really got me emotional and teary 🥲
I'm guessing you're all well now, yeah Hivers are warriors and we will survive anyways 😁
This sound more like you guys didn't play more than the first round 🤣🤣
Perfect Gentlemen being gentle just when the game started.
The Hive fest was memorable even for me who watched from home 😒 well, you all are amazing especially to those who have been attending all the Hive fest, super cool!
Thank you @merit.ahama
I hope you will be able to attend HiveFest on-site next year. It would be a promise of even more memorable moments.
Until then, I'll look forward to it
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How good that caused a lot of satisfaction the HiveFest, despite the typical climate of Amsterdam and that confined you to bed for several days, nevertheless it is always worth having attended, as it happened to me here in Cumaná, Sucre-Venezuela state, our meeting was fabulous, I got tired because of the great heat in my city and I had the flu, but he always told me everything for Hive, welcome. @arcange Successes in such a motivating publication.
Thank you @omarrojas.
It is one of my wishes to be able to come and say hello in Venezuela. Who knows, maybe the next HiveFest will take place there.
Your visit to Venezuela, for such a distinguished event on Hive, would be very interesting. I wish you many successes. @arcange Thank you for your continued visits to my publications, it strengthens me.
Wow what a great post. It was like being there. Thank you so much for sharing it with everyone !!
Thank you @bombus
!hiqvote
What a great way to break it down. I felt like I was there.
Thank you @whatsup. I wish you were there.
While looking at the 'chemistry' of the two of you while listening, I really thought you were close friends and knew each other (certainly much longer than HiveFest ). Great presentation, and it certainly moved me a lot.
As for the photograph; I took that one of you and @zirochka ;)
I have to watch it again, from this perspective :)
Thank you @rubencress
Fixed the credits for the photo.
@arcange, this post has been manually curated with LUV
!gif who is awesome
Thank you @cryptoshots.nft
Via Tenor
Thanks for your contributions @arcange! You were (are) definitely an integral part of this whole Hive extravaganza. Until next time! (That'll be 6 for you, 3 for me ;))
Thank you @adambarratt. It was nice to meet you too.
See you at the next HiveFest
I wasn't able to go to Amsterdam, but I watched the live streaming, and I could feel the amazing atmosphere of that event!
Thanks for your nice overview!
!PIZZA
Glad to read you could feel the HiveFest atmosphere remotely. Hopefully you will be able to be part of it next year.
Thank you! That is on my list of goals! :)
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This is a wonderful recap, I have still to watch the videos on Youtube, but plan to in the next few days.
I have connected with so many amazing people on here and have even met up with a few of them in the past and more recently I met @edprivat when him and his family visited me. I am forever grateful to Hive for bringing these people into my life xx
A great report. It was a really great time, as I was able to read. Your report has completed everything once again.
Greetings Michael
Thank you @mima2606
I am relatively new to this world. I came here for splinterlands, but I discover here on HIVE a great inclusive world. I think that this moments are great for all the Hive community, for those who partecipate and also who don’t. Quality time togheter, meet each others, support and spread new projects, here could born new ideas and projects, here could start the future!
Thanks for sharing your trip at the Hive Fest. I hope to read again from you about it.
P&L
Thank you for your support @stewie.wieno, really appreciate it! ❤️
Without imposing, may I also ask you to support the Hivebuzz proposal? It is struggling to stay above the HBD Stabilizer proposal and needs help.
The HiveBuzz team would be extremely grateful to you.
I’ll take a look for sure. Think Hive could be better and great experiment of what decentralizing should be.
!PGM
!LUV
Thank you for your support @stewie.wieno, really appreciate it! 👍
If an Idea is good I think I have to support it. I think it could help all HIVe and then also help me!
So I thank you for sharing me this opportunity to help Hive growing
!PGM
!LUV
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@stewie.wieno(1/1) gave you LUV.
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BUY AND STAKE THE PGM TO SEND A LOT OF TOKENS!
The tokens that the command sends are: 0.1 PGM-0.1 LVL-0.1 THGAMING-0.05 DEC-15 SBT-1 STARBITS-[0.00000001 BTC (SWAP.BTC) only if you have 2500 PGM in stake or more ]
5000 PGM IN STAKE = 2x rewards!
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Support the curation account @ pgm-curator with a delegation 10 HP - 50 HP - 100 HP - 500 HP - 1000 HP
Get potential votes from @ pgm-curator by paying in PGM, here is a guide
I'm a bot, if you want a hand ask @ zottone444
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