The curious case of Pop-up Hubs
When to set up?
Pop-up Polkadot Hubs should be organised periodically. The timing should align with significant events (conferences), when a bigger portion of the Polkadot community gathers at one location. Pop-up Hubs could also accompany important milestones, for example, these hubs could coincide with major Polkadot network upgrades, conferences, or the launch of new projects on the platform.
Why organise them?
Pop-up Hubs are set up to improve the conferencing experience of the Polkadot community and enhance desired outcomes. Their goal is to offer a high quality service in the form of a physical space where people can meet and receive all needed utilities for community interaction, networking, collaboration, but also opportunities for focused events, project showcasing and knowledge sharing.
How to do it?
Setting up Pop-up Polkadot Hubs involves a structured approach to create engaging and productive spaces for the community, generally the setup is very similar to the organisation of an event. Need more help? See the
following checklist!
Transitioning to a Polkadot Hub
Plan
Assess your current space
- what are your space's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis)
Inform your users
- Give notice of your intentions to the local Community with enough notice time and present all the advantages of the Polkadot Hub to the wider Community and local ecosystem teams (i.e. post on the Polkadot Forum) so they can strongly consider pivoting their space (office) setup to join you at the Polkadot Hub.
Refine your branding
- Update your branding, messaging, and visual identity to reflect the current direction of Polkadot. This will help you create a strong association with Polkadot as a brand and not only attract existing but also bring along potential new users of the who are passionate about Polkadot.
Revise your space design
- Adjust the layout of your physical space aligned with current workplace trends, always having in mind increased cooperation between members/users, learning and knowledge sharing sessions, relationship building and new members attraction — matching previously defined Polkadot Hub characteristics. Consider having more private working spaces, a collaborative area also prepared for presentations connected to a kitchen / café area ready to welcome guests at i.e. meetups.
Create the buzz
Curate Relevant Events
- Organise workshops, seminars, hackathons, and meet-ups related to Polkadot. Involve experts, to provide valuable insights and networking opportunities. Reach out to the broader Polkadot ecosystem for help (content&speakers), like parachain teams, ambassadors. Promote networking opportunities by having themed discussions and collaboration sessions to foster interaction and collaboration.
Have Dedicated Resources
- Provide resources specific to Polkadot, such as onboarding materials, wikis, books, templates, publications and online courses (think teaching fundamentals of substrate).
Kick-start Collaborative Projects
- Encourage the Community to collaborate on projects related to the Polkadot technology. Face-to-face interactions often trigger innovation, product development, and mutually beneficial partnerships.
Support Marketing and Outreach
- Update your marketing strategies to target both individuals and organisations interested in Polkadot. Let the Community know that you have a space that they can also use i.e. for team events.
Evaluate
Measure Success
You have already set clear goals for your pivot. Now establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure your success. See Monitor the Hub’s performance for use cases.
Remember that a successful pivot requires a well-thought-out plan, effective communication with your existing community and a commitment to delivering unique value for Polkadot.