DCBKK 2023 Recap: Videos, Pics, Highlights, and More
This year was one DCBKK to remember. Our biggest one yet, with more of everything: 400 attendees, bigger parties (with food!), and more connections. Our theme this year was ‘connections,’ and based on the feedback, I believe the theme was felt throughout the event.
This recap post will attempt to capture some of the magic (and relive it for those who were there).
Also, hear the founders’ take on this year’s DCBKK DCBKK Recap on the TMBA Podcast.
See the original DCBKK 2023 forum post.
A Little DCBKK History
The first DCBKK was in 2012. The DC’s founders wanted to bring together like-minded founders, but at the time, they were flying to fairly remote locations with shaky WIFI to do so. They decided to instead meet someplace convenient with world-class amenities.
Bangkok was suggested as a city with a great airport, killer prices, and world-class accommodations. At the time, they didn’t know much about Bangkok, but it was the perfect home for this event.
Here we are, eleven years later, and DCBKK has taken on a life of its own. Our team strives each year to make the next DCBKK the best one yet.
DCBKK 2023 Highlights
Our members created some videos of the event:
Quick highlights:
14 speakers
400 attendees
75 member-organized meet-ups
DC baseball caps and bucket hat swag
Members shared stories from the stage
Lots of food at every party
Transportation to parties
The Golden Ticket raffle
As Dan Andrews said, “Kids are trending!” It was fun to see all the kiddos running around and enjoying the Conrad. There were more parents and kids at this event than ever before. Martijn Reintjes wrote this guide to help families bring their kids and helped organize playdates during the event.
Check out Matthew Newton’s 'No Hesitation' Thread: Immediate Actions Taken and Wins Post Conf. It’s inspiring and gratifying to see how attendees are downloading and implementing what they took in during the event.
Our Hotel Partner: The Conrad. The Conrad is by far the best hotel partner we’ve worked with at an event. They are extremely generous to our staff and the attendees. I hope everyone attending DCBKK has a chance to stay and experience the Conrad.
Headshots by Jake. Jake Matthews took headshots of attendees before the ‘Going Out in Style’ Closing party.
The Pre-Event Meet-Ups
Members frequently ask, “When should I arrive before the event?” It’s safe to say you can arrive one week before and there’ll be plenty of things going on. The week leading up to the event had most of the activities happening. In one day, you could go from a morning yoga session to a city tour, dinner, then a party, all thanks to Meet Ups in Whova. Whova is the app event we use to manage meet-ups and communication. It has its faults, but it definitely helped create lots of connections between members.
Here are some of the meet-ups that happened before the event and are broken down by category:
Tours and Food Experiences
Coffee walk
Khao Soi Lunch
Thai Food Dinner
Bangkok Tourist Trail
Yamazato (sushi) dinner
The Comedy Joint at Khao San Road
Michelin Guide Street Food Tour by Tuk Tuk
Activities and Sport
Yoga
BJJ in BKK
Coffee walk
Indoor Climbing
Bangkok Nature Walk
Transcendental Meditation
Basketball in Lumpini Park
Let's play tennis at The Conrad
2nd Annual Go-Kart Championships
Skillshare and Learning
Pizza & Pitch
VC in the DC
Coaches Meet up
Language meetup
E-commerce Meet-up
Business Buyers Hangout
Agency Owners Meet-Up
Preparing for AI disruptions
Real Estate investors Meetup
Professional Services Meetup
ADHD/Neurodivergent Meetup
Location independence with kids
Branding and Design Breakdowns
YouTube For Busy Business Owners
Here are some pics of DCers at The Comedy Joint at Khao San Road:
There was something for everyone here. It’s amazing to see members maximizing their time together, getting to know each other, and getting the most out of the city.
Thank you to our amazing Meet Up hosts who made all this possible!
Day 1 of DCBKK: Thursday, October 19, 2023
Meet-Ups Hosted in the Conrad
DCBKK kicked off with 29 meet-ups happening throughout the Conrad. These meet-ups were on our official schedule and led by our members.
DC Black Meet-Up
The members of DC Black, our DC sub-community of 7 & 8-figure founders, went on a luxury boat cruise. This was their first official in-person meeting since DC Black’s launch.
Women’s Meet-Up at the Riddler
The women of the DC got together at the Riddler wine bar. The meet-up was led by DC team members Mackenzie Akers and Clare Jacky.
The ‘Welcome to DCBKK’ Opening Party
Thursday night was our official opening party. Attendees were taken by bus to the ‘Paradise Lost’ rooftop bar.
Day 2 of DCBKK: Friday, October 20, 2023
Mastermind Day
70% of attendees participated in the mastermind day. Because this was our biggest DCBKK yet, we had to split the mastermind groups into two big rooms: The Ballroom and Beverly Hills I-III. This resulted in a calm environment more conducive to mastermind conversations.
Tropical Dinner Party
Attendees were wearing their best floral shirts for the ‘Tropical Dinner Party’ by the pool. There were food stations with plenty of Thai food throughout the party. The party started at 4:30 PM, and many parents brought their kids early on to join in on the fun.
Day 3 of DCBKK: Saturday, October 21, 2023
Mainstage Talks and Workshops
Saturday and Sunday are workshops and mainstage talks led by our speakers. All of our speakers are DCers who have volunteered their time to create unique talks for the community.
The day started with mainstage presentations. These members came on stage and shared their stories of how the DC has positively impacted their lives:
Kevin Miller
Sofia Grande
Karla Singson
David McKeegan
Then, Mark Zhang and Lucy Simkins gave talks from the mainstage. After the lunch break, we reconvened in the afternoon. Attendees had their choice of workshops to choose from.
The Saturday Speaker Lineup
Mark Zhang: How the DC Helped Me Build an 8-Figure Ecommerce Brand
Lucky Simkins: From $200k to $2M/Year in 18 Months (and the 5 mistakes I made along the way)
Nick Drewe: Test, Tweak, Triumph: A/B Testing My Way Towards 8 Figures
Melanie Balke: 5 Email Hacks That Drive Immediate Results
Dustin Overbeck: Blueprint for Hiring Exceptional People
Alexej Pikovsky: How Bootstrappers Can Raise Money, Grow Faster, and Retain Complete Control of Their Company
Leon Bennets: How We Acquired a Boomer Business with Sweat Equity and Scaled from $950K to $3.5M in 2.5 years
DCBKK Comedy Show by Adam Palmeter
Between the workshop breaks, our emcee, Adam, gave his annual comedy show. The jokes were perfectly crafted for the DC and entrepreneurs.
Party at Muse
Saturday’s was at the Muse rooftop bar. The Saturday night at DCBKK is usually when many attendees choose to explore the city or arrange dinners. Afterward, attendees tend to head over to the party. We had over 200 partygoers at Muse.
Day 4 of DCBKK, Sunday, October 22, 2023
Mainstage Talks and Workshops
The day began with the workshops. After lunch were the mainstage talks. Einar Vollset and Frankie Thorogood presented from the mainstage.
The Sunday Speaker Lineup
Justin Brown: The Path to 1.5 Million YouTube Subscribers
Marcus Taylor: Venture Studio Moneyball: Building 7-8 figure Portfolios in Data
Julian Goldie: ChatGPT SEO Strategies: How I Increased my SEO Traffic by 7X With AI
Maneesh Sethi: From Shark Tank to 8-Figures: How to Get There and the Mistakes that Almost Bankrupted Us
Jessica Malnik: How I Learned to Show Up Less on Linkedin and Build More Business
Einar Vollset: When to Sell Your Business
Frankie Thorogood: Building 7-Figure Businesses by Doing the Opposite of Everyone Else
The Golden Ticket Giveaway
The mainstage talks concluded with the Golden Ticket raffle which is sponsored by Remote First Recruiting. We gave away a DCBKK experience, which includes a 2024 DCBKK ticket, steak dinner, and a spa treatment at the Conrad. The winner was Antoine Rousseaux.
Antoine received the Golden Ticket Hat, signifying his win. There is only one hat in existence.
‘Roadhouse’ Pop-Up Bar
At 5:30 PM, there was a ‘Roadhouse’ pop-up bar in the Conrad. Attendees gathered there to enjoy drinks and hang out while waiting for the tuk tuks to arrived.
Tuk Tuk Parade
Starting at 6:30 PM, the Tuk Tuk parade began. 100 Tuk Tuks were taking DCBKKers to the closing party, led by a police escort.
‘Going Out in Style’ Closing Party
The closing party was at The Howler on the Bangkok river. The party atmosphere on the river was unlike any other party we’ve had before.
We had the photo wall at the closing party which was very well utilized as always.
Post-DCBKK Migration
As usual, many DCers went to Chiang Mai to continue spending time together and keeping the vibe going. It is still the de-facto place after the event.
This year, a few groups of DCers headed off to other parts of Asia:
Members from the London community stayed together in the same Phuket resort
Sri Lanka Surf Trip
DCers headed to Koh Samui and stayed together in the same villa complex
Grab Your Ticket for Next Year
Want to join us for DCBKK 2024? Grab your ticket for next year. The ticket is being sold on our recently launched in-app ticketing platform:
Thank you to everyone who was a DCBKKer this year! Thank you to our speakers, sponsors, and meet-up hosts, who all helped make this event possible.
What did you think of DCBKK 2023? Any big takeaways? Share with your fellow DCers in the thread.
For those of you who couldn’t make it, we hope to see you next year!
Thank you,
Alex and the DC Team
