What an ETH Event Taught Us About Coffee, Community, and Energy

Last year, we supported a coffee cart activation for Uniswap during ETH Denver, and it reshaped the way we think about coffee at tech events. They rented out an entire climbing gym for the day—not for a party, not for a keynote, but for work. People coded on laptops spread across padded floors, took breaks to boulder for a few minutes, then dropped back down to keep building. The goal wasn’t employee appreciation in the traditional sense. It was about energy, flow, and signaling that they understood the community they were a part of.

This event wasn’t trying to say “thank you.” It was trying to say “we get you.” In the ETH and web3 world, that distinction matters. These communities value autonomy, curiosity, and momentum more than polish or programming. The space itself communicated that ethos, and our role as the coffee cart was to support that rhythm rather than interrupt it.

Unlike many corporate activations, this wasn’t a short pop-up. We ran coffee, matcha, and pastries for seven to eight hours straight, supporting the entire activation from start to finish. That long duration completely changed how people interacted with the cart. Some grabbed a drink and disappeared for hours. Others came back multiple times throughout the day. There was no rush and no “right moment” to attend. Coffee wasn’t the centerpiece of the event. It was infrastructure that made the space more livable and sustainable.

One moment from the day still stands out. A small group of people stood in line completely absorbed as our barista hand-whisked matcha. No phones, no side conversations—just genuine attention. In a room full of engineers, founders, and builders, the care and intention landed. It wasn’t flashy, but it aligned perfectly with a community that obsesses over craft, systems, and doing things well. That quiet ritual communicated more than signage ever could.

At this event, coffee didn’t function as a perk. It functioned as a cultural signal. It said you could stay here as long as you wanted. You didn’t need to leave to refuel. This space respected how you worked. Hospitality wasn’t used to manufacture a vibe—it reinforced one that already existed.

For tech and tech-adjacent event planners, that’s the real takeaway. Coffee carts work best when they support the way people actually gather and work. In this case, that meant a long-running cart instead of a short pop-up, high-quality coffee and matcha instead of novelty drinks, and calm, consistent service that blended into the environment rather than dominating it. When done well, coffee doesn’t steal attention. It sustains it. And at ETH events, that’s often exactly what the room needs.