Cardano Ecosystem Representative in Dubai

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

David Talbot

[GENERAL] Are you delivering this project as an individual or as an entity (whether formally incorporated or not)

Entity (Incorporated)

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

6

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language

No

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

To provide a representation service to projects on cardano at key events in Dubai and furthed afield.

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.”

No dependencies

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

No

[GENERAL] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

Not applicable

[METADATA] Horizons

Marketing

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

We already have a business set up in Dubai and can employ a Dubai based member of staff to be ever present in Dubai to be able to go to any events taking place to represent the ecosystem projects. This will be alot more efficient than projects sending their own staff, paying for flights and hotels etc... This proposal really aims to have a 12mth trial period to prove to projects in the ecosystem that this service has an ROI. The plan is to have an average of 2 events per week attended (Will fluctuate with the seasons as some times are busier than others). The member of staff will be spending the rest of their time, planning for the event, liaising iwth Cardano projects and then writing reports frmo the events and maintaining logs.After the 12mths, the aim is to then charge companies for this service. If successful, we will be contacting projects and asking them what events they would like representation in and whether they would like us to either introduce the company to potential connections or just take the contacts details of potential contacts and pass them on. The proposal includes the costs of employing the person for 12mths as well as Estimated Travel costs (Minimal due to Taxi fees being fairly cheap in Dubai) Alot of the events are free to attend, but if there is a particular event that has a charge that a project wants us to attend, and we havent got a budget for it, we may have to ask them to pay the entry fee. 

[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

Projects on Cardano will get more connections to people in other ecosystems, be exposed to funding oppportunities and generally, more people outside of Cardano will get a deeper knowledge of what is actually being built here. Changing the narrative that currently exists

[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

We have the company set up already in Dubai, as well as 15 years experience in networking and events as well as managing motivating and employing staff. Previously we have a track record of connecting key people within corporations and investment firms with Cardano projects and represented cardano ecosystem at events as well as holding our own events at places like DIFC in Dubai last November.

[PROJECT MILESTONES] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

month 1 - Employ the Member of staff, also Provide first 3 months plan of events being attended

Month 4 - Provide list of planned events for months 4-12 as well as a quantative summary of achievements from first 3 months. (No of contacts generated and no. of Cardano projects passed on to.)

Month 12 - Provide complete summary of no. of contacts created and Cardano projects receiving the contacts list. Will also provide any feedback from Cardano projects of their experience. We cannot force them to say exactly what they benefitted from, but we can ask if they have found the service useful.

[RESOURCES] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

David Talbot plus the employed member of staff

[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

£6,000 Salary, £2,500 Visa and other associated Employment costs, £25 per event in travel costs. (£1,250 for the year) minmum of 6 Exhibitions throughout the 6mths entrance fees (£2,500)

[VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

The savings in terms of employing someone locally can only be realised as we already have a company set up in Dubai, so the saving to the ecosystem on that alone is around $25,000 per project. Plus we aim to be able to represent and gain good contacts for at least 20 blockchain projects throughout the year to helo accelerate their goals.