We’ve seen a lot of interest in alternatives to booth sponsorships, and many noted in ETH Denver feedback that side events often create deeper impact than handing out t-shirts at a booth.

At How To DAO, we’ve tested this approach

• DAO Castle at ETH Denver drew both crypto and non-crypto builders interested in practical ways to launch onchain organizations.
• DAO Day in Prague with Polkadot focused on governance and attracted many non-crypto people curious about onchain coordination.
• We’ve also run education cohorts with Polkadot to support new builders in understanding governance and DAOs.
• We also ran DAO events at multiple ETHCC and Devconnect events

Building on this, we want to explore a DAO Day side event format that would:

• Focus on education and onboarding, starting with practical first steps like using stablecoins in operations, which is often the easiest entry point for businesses to get onchain.
• Help businesses understand how stablecoin usage can evolve into onchain governance and DAO structures over time.
• Position Polkadot as the platform for businesses and builders serious about adopting onchain coordination.
• Collaborate with other protocols and partners to share costs and attract top thought leaders, ensuring the event becomes a place people attend to learn, connect, and take action.

This approach would deliver good value for money, prioritizing education and real onboarding over one-off impressions.

Why it matters for Polkadot

• Attracts builders and businesses ready to start using onchain tools practically, not just theoretically.
• Positions Polkadot clearly in front of those looking to take their first onchain steps using stablecoins and governance.
• Provides a clear funnel for the ecosystem to grow with engaged builders and operators.
• Moves beyond surface-level branding into meaningful, long-term ecosystem growth.

The ask

Before we invest time in planning, we want to check if the Polkadot community sees value in this concept.

If there is interest, we would run a short research sprint to:

• Identify which upcoming conferences would be ideal for DAO Day side events.
• Outline a practical, educational event format.
• Map potential partners and cost-sharing opportunities.

If the research proves valuable, we would appreciate a small contribution from the community to acknowledge the work performed.

We would appreciate your feedback:

• Does this concept resonate with you?
• What would you like to see or experience at a DAO Day?
• Are there specific conferences or locations you believe we should consider?
• Would you attend or recommend your teams to attend a DAO Day focused on education and onboarding?

We believe this can help Polkadot support the next wave of businesses and builders coming onchain while maximizing the value of ecosystem participation at conferences.

Looking forward to your thoughts.

— Puncar and the How To DAO Team