What is a running meeting?
Every year, various Web3 events are held around the world. The most representative and influential one in recent times is the Hong Kong Web3 Festival, which will be held from April 6 to 9, 2025. It has attracted a large number of domestic and foreign investors, project parties and industry experts.
At the same time, there will be side events of all sizes around the main venue throughout the day. According to Luma, a well-known Web3 event platform, there are currently nearly 40 side events.
These events are usually not directly supported by the organizers, but still bring together many well-known Web3 projects and institutions, such as well-known media such as Foresight News and The Block, leading virtual asset trading platforms such as OKX and Bitget, traditional financial institutions such as Shengli Securities and Fosun Wealth, as well as Web3 infrastructure such as TON, AltLayer, HashKey Chain, etc.
"Running meetings" means shuttling between various activities and venues during this period to communicate and discuss, keep abreast of the latest developments in the industry, obtain first-hand investment information, and even expand career and investment opportunities.
Since “attending meetings” is so critical, what is its significance for Chinese Web3 investors?
Chinese investors need to attend meetings more
“Attending meetings” has long been a daily routine for veteran Web3 players, but for Chinese investors, this is never a simple “offline activity”, but a unique window to break down information barriers and re-establish global investment tentacles.
Bridging the information gap
Although platforms such as X (Twitter) and Telegram are the main channels for Web3 information, truly high-quality investment information and project resources are often not made public in the first place. Many deal flows, early financing rounds, technology roadmaps, and even "internal judgments" of certain compliance windows are hidden in offline closed-door meetings and private exchanges.
In addition, as we all know, there are still many restrictions on the virtual asset industry in China, and obtaining information online is prone to "second-hand retelling" and "fragmented cognition." Although many investors have financial strength, they still find it difficult to establish a three-dimensional understanding of the project and a true judgment of the industry.
Offline events like the "Hong Kong Web3 Carnival" are located at the intersection of policy and geography: on the one hand, it is an open regulatory pilot zone, and on the other hand, it is close to the mainland, with smooth language and cultural exchanges, which greatly reduces the threshold for Chinese investors to participate.
Here, you can directly hear the project party talk about the real financing rhythm and ecological layout, and you can also hear how investors evaluate first-level projects and how compliance service providers judge overseas risks - these contents cannot be seen on X.
Penetrating the closed circle
Another challenge facing Chinese investors is the serious “circle differentiation”: domestic capital circles, overseas entrepreneurs, policy advisors, fund partners… These roles, which should have been interconnected, have been cut into isolated islands by the dual barriers of policy and language.
But "running conferences", especially international events like Hong Kong with policy neutrality, can be a connection point. At the main venue, side events, or even in the cafe, you have the opportunity to:
Meet face-to-face with project teams that are seeking financing;
Hear VC’s judgment on the direction of the Asian market;
Find a compliance service provider who can help you “build a bridge to go overseas”.
These high-density exchanges are not about listening to speeches, but about actual contact, evaluation, and judgment, which is a true opening up of resources.
Grasp the resource entrance
Early investments in Web3 have never been about who has the most accurate model or who can calculate the accounts faster, but about who knows it earlier and who reacts faster. Especially for Chinese investors, if they are still at the stage of "reading the project white paper", they may have missed several rounds.
This is why attending events is crucial - it’s not just about whether the venue is hot or not, but whether you can encounter the next potential project at the event, hear key data points of a cutting-edge track, or simply join a Telegram group to open the channel for the next subscription.
Under the current three-pronged pattern of "going overseas + compliance + project incubation", Chinese investors must rebuild their initiative on the global stage, and offline meetings are one of the few realistic ways.
*Tip: Investment is risky. Please participate in Web3 legally and in compliance with regulations.
