DCBKK 2024 Recap: Videos, Pics, Highlights, and More
Another successful DCBKK has come and gone. We hope you were able to experience the fun and excitement!
There were many new and surprising things that happened at this event: Kids party, tattoos, rooftop parties, rain delays, and great food and drink all along the way.
This post will attempt to capture some of the magic (and relive it for those who were there).
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. They decided to meet in a convenient place with world-class amenities.
Bangkok was suggested as a city with a great airport, killer prices, and world-class accommodations. They didn’t know much about Bangkok then, but it was the perfect home for this event.
Here we are, over a decade later, and DCBKK has taken on a life of its own. Our team strives each year to make the next DCBKK the best yet.
DCBKK Highlights
14 Speakers
350 Attendees
New Headshots
Tattoos (see pics below)
Lots of food at the parties
Breakfast for New Members
70 Member-organized Meet-ups
The opening party was a welcome mixer
The surprising success of the indoor pool party
There was the first-ever “Kids Party,” with over a dozen happy children having their own party while their parents were at the Tropical Party.
@MahmoudElsaid and @AdamBartnik were the winners of the DC and TMBA scholarships. Congratulations, guys!
@AlexBarker shared this great post on his DCBKK learnings and highlighted how members impacted him: Best tips from DCBKK & Never read a book again.
@DanAndrews talk on scorecards and getting right with finances spurred the most post-event conversations about getting down to business. It even inspired a meet-up at DCBKK and a meet-up in Chiang Mai after the event.
@DavidLonghini hosted meditations each morning to help us unwind and center before jumping into the day.
Our Hotel Partner, 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.
@NoelAndrews referred the most members using the Invite Tool and won the Referral Contest. He won the “Noel Bell Prize.”
However, he only won by inviting four new members with this tool! This tool is being underutilized and we hope by the next DCBKK, the competition will be fiercer.
Members got wild with the DC tattoos:
Our photographer, @JakeMatthews took headshots so attendees could update their latest profile pictures:
There was fresh swag with the new logo:
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 plenty of things will happen. 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, and 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 helped create lots of connections between members.
Here are some of the activities that happened before the event:
IV Drip Meet-up
Scott’s Drinky Time
Saas Founders Meet-Up
Morning Runs in the Park
Tennis and Padel Matches
Couples Rooftop Happy Hour
The Comedy Joint at Khao San Road
And many more!
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.
Day 1 of DCBKK: Thursday, October 17, 2024
Meet-Ups Hosted in the Conrad
DCBKK kicked off with 30 meet-ups happening throughout the Conrad. These meet-ups were on our official schedule and led by our members. They were a mix of presentations, group discussions, and skill sharing.
Here were some of the meet-ups:
ADHD & Neurodivergent Meet-Up with @LeonBennetts
eCommerce: 4 Proven Tactics to Increase Your Revenue from Email and Google Ads by 60-100% in 30 Days with @DanielPeleg and @DarylMander
Building Team Identity: From Belonging to Performance (Presentation and Discussions) with @JedTabaczynski
Productized Services (Group Discussion) with @PrernaMalik
How to Legally Pay 0% Tax on Million-Dollar Businesses with a Hong Kong LLC (Case Study) with @RaymondMo
Mastering Workflow Automation: Free Yourself from Repetitive Tasks with @JuanMontero
SEO in 2024 - A No-BS Guide with @KarlKangur
Coaching and Consultants (Group Discussion) with @AlexBarker
Amazon Sellers Meet-Up (Quick Presentation Followed by a Group Discussion) with @BrentZahradnik
How to find (and use) your superpowers. 3 simple systems to level up forever with @JodieCook
Entrepreneur Parents Meetup (Group Discussion) with @MartijnReintjes
DC Authors & (Self-)Publishers (Group Discussion) with @EstherJacobs
Mastering Your Ecommerce Logistics Empire from China (Presentation and Group Discussion) with @MichaelMichelini
Meta advertising meetup (+ what I learned from reaching over 1 billion people with our ads in the last 2 years) with @MaticJesenovec
"Can ChatGPT replace my lawyer yet? (presentation and Q&A) / Followed by a US Banking Workshop (presentation) @AlexFreeburg
Growth & Retention for Paid Membership Communities (Group Discussion) with @JamesSvetec
Sprituality to Improve Your Business with @YamileYemoonyah and @MichaelaLight
How to Grow your ecommerce brand through wholesale (Presentation) with @CarlvandenBoom
The Magical Art of a True Executive Assistant with @AmarGhose
How to Avoid Death and Taxes (Presentation and Group Discussion) with @VincenzoVillamena and @JohnGillingham
SEO and AI: The Future of SEO. Our AI/ML/Datascience process for building high quality niche relevant links with traffic with @BrieMoreau
Crypto Meet-Up with Juliane Schulz @JulianeSchulz
Tax Avoiders Anonymous: Conversations on International Tax Structuring with @LisaEyo and @PeterMoriarty
Scorecard Show and Tell (Group Discussion) with @ClareJacky and @PeterSchuh
Thank you to all our meet-up hosts for donating their time!
DC Black Lunch
DC Black members got together for a private lunch at the Hotel Indigo. It was a standing lunch with a buffet, so the members could move around and mingle. The last time this group got together was at the DC Black Barcelona event in July.
NEW: Welcome Party and Mixer
A new DC event tradition is including a “mixer” with icebreaker activities during the opening party. At the party, there were introvert-friendly intros and gentle conversation starters. This was led by @SeonaidBeckwith @NoelAndrews @AdamPalmeter
Seonaid and Noel have done an excellent job hosting meet-ups at other DC events that lead to deep conversations. They hosted a mixer the first night of DC Mexico and it was a hit, so we were excited to have them do this again.
Day 2 of DCBKK: Friday, October 18, 2024
New Member Breakfast
To help new DCBKK attendees get to know each other, there was a buffet breakfast just for them. The DC Team was there and everyone got to mingle and meet more DCers before the content for the day began.
Mastermind Day
75% of attendees participated in the mastermind day. We split the groups into multiple rooms to things quieter and make it more conducive to focused conversations.
If you haven’t participated in the mastermind day at a DC event, we highly recommend it!
Premium Experience for DC Accelerator and DC Black Members
During the major events, premium members have a private experience during the mastermind day. This is because they’re participating in masterminds year-round and the goal is to give them an alternative experience.
In the morning, DCA and DCB members got together to share business ideas and give feedback.
In the afternoon, there were tactical presentations, group discussions and Q&As.
Tropical Party - Rainy Version!
Every year, we cross our fingers and hope the Bangkok weather is agreeable for our many outdoor parties. This was the first time the weather caught up to us.
The Tropical Party was moved from the Conrad poolside to the ballroom due to thunder and lightning. However, the party was still great inside. The Conrad converted the space into a tropical paradise, with plenty of room to spread out, no humidity, and delicious Thai food stations.
New: The Kids Party
For the first time, there was a party for the kids. Led by emcee @AdamPalmeter, there was a clown, balloon artist, magician, games, and a movie.
The kids and the parents had an excellent time! Some of the adults at the Tropical Party were jealous of the activities we had for the kids.
Day 3 of DCBKK: Saturday, October 19, 2024
Women’s Breakfast
The women of the DC got together to connect over a buffet breakfast. The meet-up was led by DC team members @ClareJacky and @BeatrizAlvesSiqueira.
Morning Mainstage Talks
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:
@AdamPalmeter gave a humorous presentation on how he pivoted his business and made the best out of life-altering situations.
@DanAndrews shared interesting stats on the state of the DC and shared plenty of baby pics (proud father alert!)
@TomWilliams told us we should “be more animal” and his experience from spending 30 days alone in the wilderness and winning the UK reality show Alone.
@KiriMasters shared how to get lucky and her steps to grow a life-changing business.
Afternoon Workshops
After we broke for lunch in the Conrad, there were five different speakers in the afternoon that attendees could choose from:
@YotaTrom - How to Use Personal Branding to Transform Your Business
@MatthewNewton - How to Throw Out the Rulebook and Build a Happy, Thriving Remote Team
@JohnAinsworth - From $20k to $100k a Month with email marketing - the exact sequence to 2x your revenue
@TomKent - Blueprint: LinkedIn & Group Sales Calls to Scale 800+ Clients
@JohnCavendish - ARR in 18 Months Through Productized Services
During the break, there was also a comedy show by @AdamPalmeter. As usual, the room was jampacked with excited attendees.
Saturday Night Party at Muse
Attendees took buses from the Conrad to the Muse Hotel where the rooftop and floor below were reserved for our attendees. Party-goers enjoyed the views of the Bangkok skyline while eating and dining.
Day 4 of DCBKK: Sunday, October 20, 2024
Morning Workshops
The day began with workshops. There were five different speakers in the afternoon that attendees could choose from:
@AlexBarker - 1.5 Million from LinkedIn: Mastering Influence and Revenue Growth
@BenMcAdam - Acquiring 3 Businesses in 3 Months (and what happened next)
@MaurizioPetrone - How an In-House Tool Became My First Productized Service
@KendraKinnison - The War Time CEO: How to Build a Resilient Team
@ShaneHumason - YouTube for Busy Business Owners: Lessons from the First 870k Subscribers
After lunch in the Conrad, we all reconvened together in the ballroom for the final presentations.
Afternoon Ballroom Presentations
@AdamPalmeter and @AlexHarling updated attendees in the first ever Fire Crackers News Segment, satirizing DC news.
@DanAndrews dished the “boring but essential” details for serious business growth including scorecards and getting right with your finances.
@OmarZenhom opened up to give lessons he learned in the ten years of building and then selling WebinarNinja.
The “Going Out in Style” Closing Party
The final party is quite the affair. The night starts with the “Road House” in the London room in the Conrad at 5:30. It's a pop-up bar where we can enjoy drinks while waiting for the tuk tuk parade.
Why the Road House? Road House is an American movie from the eighties with Patrick Swayze. (It was recently remade starring Jake Gyllenhaal)
The whole DC team loves the movie, and we quote it regularly.
The movie is about Dalton, a rugged yet philosophical bouncer hired to clean up a notoriously rowdy bar. It has all the charm and grit of an eighties action movie plus the finesse and swagger of the great Patrick Swayze.
Some fun Road House quotes:
"Pain don't hurt."
"Nobody ever wins a fight."
"I thought you’d be bigger."
"Be nice... until it's time to not be nice."
"I’ll get all the sleep I need when I’m dead."
It felt fitting and playful to name our pop-up bar next to where the tuk tuks line up “The Road House Bar”
At 6:30 PM, the tuk tuks took attendees to the Howler restaurant with a police escort. The tuk tuk parade is now a tradition and something everyone looks forward to.
The Closing Party was at the Howler which has a great open-air location on the river. It has become a favorite venue because of its spaciousness and beautiful sites.
This is the night of the photo wall and is the time to get dressed up
There were still attendees partying well after midnight. I’m glad everyone had a good time!
Ready for Next Year?
Over 100 DCers have already signed up for DCBKK 2025 (see the attendee list). Excitement is high after a great event and the DC Team has already started planning for next year.
To get the momentum going for next year, and to thank the DCers who committed early, there were some fun promotions.
It’s now a tradition that the first five DCers to register for next year’s event can get a “grumpy selfie” with Ian the Bossman:
The lucky models were:
There were also four random spa giveaways. The winners of a spa treatment at the Conrad were:
Finally, the biggest prize was the “Golden Ticket” for DCBKK 2025.
@KevinMiller won the Golden Ticket which includes a ticket to next year’s event and a Conrad spa treatment.
Congratulations to our winners!
Want to join us next year?
The prices will continue to increase as the event nears so register early.
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 2024? 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
