Proposed location: Flint, Michigan, USA
Why is Flint a great place to host Ethereum events?
Flint is a high-signal infrastructure and industrial reinvention city at the intersection of manufacturing, public systems accountability, and mobility innovation — with significantly lower event costs than coastal metros and a compact downtown district that can function as a cohesive “Devcon campus.”
Flint’s identity — historically powering American auto manufacturing and now redefining itself through infrastructure reinvestment and public trust rebuilding — creates a uniquely credible Devcon narrative:
“Rebuild Week” — where Ethereum builders collide with the systems that keep cities running.
This is not a prestige-capital play.
It is a real-economy infrastructure play.
Country and Entry
1. What are the visa restrictions for the country?
Standard U.S. entry applies:
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B-1 (business visitor) visa
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Visa Waiver Program (VWP/ESTA) where eligible
Conference attendance is a permitted temporary business purpose.
Practical note: visa interview wait times vary by country. Devcon can publish invitation letter templates and recommended timelines early.
2. How easy is international access?
Flint is served by Bishop International Airport (FNT), located approximately 6 miles from downtown.
International arrivals route primarily through Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW), a major global hub located about 70–75 miles from Flint (roughly a 1-hour drive). Organized charter shuttles from DTW would make international access straightforward.
FNT offers domestic hub connections, enabling efficient one-stop international routing.
Assessment: Strong regional access with DTW as the international backbone.
3. What about safety and political stability of the region?
The United States and Michigan are politically stable with mature permitting processes, emergency services infrastructure, and event operations standards.
Flint provides public crime reporting transparency and has an active downtown presence of law enforcement and security.
A Devcon security model would include:
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Hotel block clustering
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Controlled venue access
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Dedicated shuttle corridors
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Night programming within walkable zones
4. How expensive are venue rentals, accommodation, food, and transport?
Flint is structurally cost-advantaged compared to major U.S. tech hubs.
Downtown hotel options include:
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Hilton Garden Inn Flint Downtown
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Courtyard by Marriott Flint Downtown
Room rates are significantly lower than coastal cities. Food and beverage pricing follows Midwest cost structures. A compact downtown reduces internal transport costs.
Impact: Lower overhead enables:
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Larger scholarship programs
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Greater student accessibility
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More experimentation in programming formats
5. When is the climate best?
Ideal conference windows:
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Late May–June
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September–October
Summers are warm but comfortable. Winters are cold and less ideal for walkability. Date selection matters.
City and Venue
1. How easy is transportation in the city?
Downtown Flint is compact and walkable.
Primary venues are within short walking distance of each other. FNT airport is approximately 6 miles from downtown. DTW provides international connectivity about 1 hour away.
Dedicated shuttle service would be recommended as the default transportation layer.
2. Are there modern venues (WiFi / Maneuverability / Catering)?
University of Michigan–Flint Riverfront Conference Center offers 29,000+ square feet of event space with professional management and catering capabilities.
Dort Financial Center provides arena-scale event capacity suitable for plenary sessions or major programming blocks.
As with all Devcon-scale events, network infrastructure would require:
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Temporary NOC deployment
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Dedicated fiber uplinks
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Redundant bandwidth
This is operationally solvable.
3. Are there venues with capacity for 10–20k attendees?
Flint is best positioned for:
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Devconnect
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Or Devcon designed around 6–10k attendance
A 20k single-venue format would be challenging. However, a distributed node model (arena + university + downtown satellites) is realistic and aligned with Devconnect philosophy.
Scale ceiling is manageable with intentional design.
4. Attractions in or around the city
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Flint Riverwalk (walkable outdoor decompression space)
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Sloan Museum of Discovery (innovation storytelling)
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Flint Institute of Arts (evening programming)
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Proximity to Detroit (1 hour for satellite events or cultural extensions)
Flint’s strength is not tourism density — it is narrative cohesion around rebuilding infrastructure and industry.
Ethereum’s Community and Impact
1. How does the Ethereum community look in this region?
Flint itself is not currently a major Ethereum hub.
However, it sits within a broader Midwest corridor including Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Chicago — all of which have active crypto and developer communities.
This is an opportunity to create a new Ethereum node rather than compete with an established mega-hub.
2. What is the potential impact of Ethereum in this region?
Flint is where Ethereum becomes non-theoretical:
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Public infrastructure transparency
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Environmental reporting and attestations
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Supply chain traceability
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Manufacturing and mobility verification systems
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Workforce and university onboarding pipelines
This is a city where trust systems and accountability matter in tangible ways.
Ethereum aligns directly with that narrative.
3. Which event would be ideal here?
Best fit:
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Devconnect
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Or Devcon (6–10k scale)
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“Infrastructure & Accountability Edition”
Flint’s advantages map well to:
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Multi-node programming
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Scholarship-heavy attendance
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Real-economy storytelling
How would hosting in Flint benefit the Ethereum ecosystem?
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Expands Ethereum beyond predictable global capitals
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Aligns Ethereum with real-world infrastructure narratives
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Unlocks lower-cost access for students and underrepresented communities
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Demonstrates commitment to regional economic ecosystems
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Creates strong media framing: Ethereum builders gather in America’s infrastructure comeback city
Concerns and Downsides
Possible risks
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Perception risk due to historical media coverage
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Limited direct international flights (DTW dependency)
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Scale ceiling below 10k unless distributed
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Winter weather operational risk
Potential downsides
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Fewer tourist landmarks compared to major metros
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Requires intentional storytelling to shape attendee expectations
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More shuttle coordination than ultra-dense cities
Additional Information
Recommended “Downtown Rebuild Campus” layout:
Primary Node:
- UM–Flint Riverfront Conference Center
Arena / Large Programming Node:
- Dort Financial Center
HQ Hotels:
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Hilton Garden Inn Downtown
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Courtyard by Marriott Downtown
Satellite Nodes:
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University facilities
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Cultural institutions
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Downtown coworking spaces
Programming concepts unique to Flint:
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“Rebuild Week” Track — infrastructure, attestations, public goods
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“From Assembly Lines to Smart Contracts”
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Public systems transparency sessions grounded in real municipal case studies
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University scholar pipeline track
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Community dinners as nightly ritual programming
Flint is not a glamour capital.
It is a signal city.
Hosting here would say clearly:
Ethereum is not just for digital economies.
It is for rebuilding real ones.