Half of this thread debates paying for our yearly reunion (HiveFest) from the DHF. That was never the ask. The piece that needs funding - the post says it plainly - is ChainCulture, the free outreach day. HiveFest runs on tickets and sponsors. Mine is the Ithildin one, and yes, that name is - as some of you can easily guess - partly my fault.
I created the #0 Return Proposal, the mechanism that sets the funding threshold for the DHF, so I don't say this lightly. The European Blockchain Convention brings thousands of builders and investors to Barcelona, and ChainCulture opens the next day, free. This is probably the most effective marketing outreach we can have this year. And platform-wide marketing is one of only two things I accept DHF money for. The other is core development.
ChainCulture happened once. Cold start, no big conference next to it, and it still brought outside partners and more outside visitors than the HiveFest days. You cannot say "it never works" about a thing that worked the one time we tried it.
Events are not my thing. @roelandp delivered ten editions on three continents, through a fork and a pandemic. On events, his track record beats opinions - mine included.
If Roeland says it's a good idea I trust his judgement.