General Musings with Kevin Powell Conferences & Community: A Chat with Henri Helvetica
Oct 10, 2025
Henri Helvetica, a performance engineer and an active web community organizer, joins to share his insights on event organizing and community-building. He discusses the impact of COVID-19 on in-person gatherings and proposes a new event model blending meetups with polished single-day conferences. Henri compares curating event lineups to music tours, emphasizing venue quality and accessibility. He also shares tips for finding local tech meetups and the importance of creating sustainable, accessible educational opportunities for all.
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Why He Chose A Speaker Name
- Henri adopted the stage name "Henri Helvetica" to separate his speaker identity from his legal identity and create a memorable brand.
- He wanted to avoid passport complications and make his name easy to remember on the conference circuit.
Attend Events With Multiple Hats
- Henri attends events wearing multiple hats: learner, community rep, and organizer scout.
- He constantly scouts venues, presentations, and speakers to learn and recruit talent for future events.
Bring Your Organizer Skills From Other Fields
- If you want to organize meetups, translate skills from other industries like music or apparel into event planning.
- Curate venues, speakers, and small production twists to make meetups feel distinct and valuable.