Finding a real market need and building a community around your event is the goal of many organizers. So take some inspiration from Mangue.bit’s example.
The event, which brings together startups, innovation, and technology every year, held its 7th edition with a very different outlook from where it started back in 2016.
In 2022 alone, the event drew more than 1,000 registrations through the Even3 platform, expanded its reach from a local audience to the entire Northeast region of Brazil, and much more.
Want to know how they went from a small gathering of 300 people in its first edition to becoming a reference point for the entire region?
Here’s what you’ll learn:
- What is Mangue.bit?
- Community: an attraction for sponsors
- The role of a professional team among volunteers
What is Mangue.bit?
“One step forward and you’re no longer in the same place.”
Those are lyrics sung by Chico Science, lead singer of Nação Zumbi, a musician from Recife who made his mark on the world by creating the Manguebeat movement.
Inspired by that movement and by local culture, Mangue.bit’s organizers have certainly moved forward and reshaped the place they came from.
The event, which started in 2016, brings the flavor of Northeastern Brazilian culture into the tech world and cements the city of Recife, in the state of Pernambuco, as a major tech hub in the country.
In fact, it emerged directly from the growth of tech solutions being developed in the city.
After all, even as local innovations were being exported and recognized abroad, the Northeast still lacked the support and unity local startups needed.
Against that backdrop, some entrepreneurs in Recife felt the need to learn, exchange experiences, and gain visibility.
That’s how Mangue.bit came about, with the goal of energizing and strengthening Recife’s startup ecosystem.
“We saw that big startup events were happening in other parts of the country, and we wanted to create something focused on our region […] Back in 2016, it was basically an event with panels and talks, mostly for people already in the community. By 2019, we’d grown a bit, and this year we put in an enormous effort to bring in outside players — both exhibiting startups and sponsors.” — Ana Uriarte, Mangue.bit organizer
They faced the challenge of a market still taking shape, moved from in-person to online during the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2022, in its 7th edition, established themselves as the leading startup conference in Brazil’s Northeast.
All told: 52 cities across the country, 24 states, and startups from the entire Northeast took part in the first in-person Mangue.bit since the pandemic.
Along this journey, Even3 has supported four editions of the event, consistently strengthening the community around it and cementing its status as a landmark event in the region.
How do you build a community around your event?
Great events usually tell a story. In this case, Mangue.bit tells the story of a community.
The event is known for bringing together people from startups across the Northeast.
That’s why it’s always highly anticipated and generates strong engagement, both in person and on social media.
To understand this milestone and draw inspiration from it, you need to understand who’s behind organizing the event: the Manguezal community.
What is Manguezal?
In 2012, following the natural growth of the global tech market, startups began to take off in Recife.
However, despite steady growth, the city didn’t have the same level of investment and opportunity as other Brazilian cities, like São Paulo.
Because of that, local entrepreneurs felt the need to share knowledge and generate more visibility with investors.
“Back in 2012, people didn’t talk much about startups. We already had an innovation scene in Recife, but it was heavily focused on IT [information technology]. So entrepreneurs felt somewhat lost, especially since acceleration programs weren’t common back then, the way they are today.” — Ana Uriarte, Mangue.bit organizer
That’s how a community is born.
Out of a gap in the market, Manguezal emerged, embracing the mission of meeting needs and creating a collaborative environment among startups.
Because of that, it has been easy for entrepreneurs to join, and it’s well recognized by investors, sponsors, students, and the public at large.
The community also drives engagement among its members, fosters networking, and puts on events.
This example teaches us a few important lessons about communities:
What makes a community work?
- It fills a gap in the market
- It shares common goals and purpose
- It has goals and challenges to achieve collectively
- It has a space for exchange and connection, whether in person or online
Strategies for strengthening your event’s community
- Host discussion groups with active people in the field
- Offer perks that attract and bring participants together
- Showcase your community’s value — make clear what sets it apart
- Have ambassadors who champion, actively engage with, and promote your community
- Reinforce your goals whenever possible
- Create open spaces for dialogue and for welcoming new people
- Propose challenges that can be tackled as a group
- Encourage connections and networking
- Create spaces for interaction, like coworking spaces, public events, and — most importantly — social media channels
Community: an attraction for sponsors
Naturally, as the community grew, the way sponsors were approached changed too.
Initially, Mangue.bit was sponsored by startups from within its own ecosystem, which brought them even closer together.
Until that shift became the natural next step.
That’s because the community became so well known and so tightly connected through networking that major sponsors became a real possibility for the event.
But to make that happen, the event venue’s layout needed to change.
So the organizers decided to focus on what drives the entire Mangue.bit experience: people and learning.
They went through a structural shift: instead of booths shared among several sponsors, they started offering dedicated spaces.
As a result, the booths became more interactive and delivered more value than simply showcasing a brand.
“This year, sponsors wanted to create real experiences with participants. In 2019, sponsor booths were shared […] back then, they got a lot more brand visibility than actual interaction with the audience. This year was different! It might sound like a small thing, but it changes the whole structure of the event. So we built a dedicated booth for each sponsor, with a better setup, a lounge for each one, interaction areas for participants […] we actually created spaces for sponsors to run activities, because we understood that’s far more valuable for the audience too.” — Ana Uriarte
As a result, the outcomes were remarkable.
Even3: the role of a professional team among volunteers
“We had one more person than expected supporting us from Even3 on event day — you’d already brought the printed badges, which sped things up a lot so we didn’t have huge lines. We actually timed it, and our longest line was just 6 minutes.” — Ana Uriarte, Mangue.bit organizer
The 2022 event cemented a partnership that had already been running for four editions: Even3.
Also part of Recife’s startup ecosystem, Even3 has grown right alongside Mangue.bit.
“It’s great watching Even3 grow over the years, because Mangue.bit grew right along with it. We grew together.” — Ana Uriarte
Over this journey, the event went through several transformations, including adapting to an online format during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Together, Even3 and Mangue.bit rebuilt a lot to deliver high-quality online events, but Mangue.bit couldn’t wait to return to an in-person format.
That’s how, in 2022, they returned to an in-person gathering with Even3’s support in organizing the venue and, above all, check-in.
For Ana Uriarte, one of the event’s organizers, the team’s professional expertise complemented a team made up mostly of volunteers.
It turned out to be the perfect combination — after all, both sides shared the same purpose and passion for the event.
Even3’s team also brought many practical strategies and tips that only a team with real event experience could offer.
And the outcome couldn’t have been anything but a success: every part of the event, from participants to sponsors, praised Mangue.bit.
“Experiencing Mangue.bit 2022 went far beyond business opportunities for Itaú Empresas, the event’s lead sponsor. It was an immersion into the startup world that brought not just relevant insights and food for thought, but also a genuine opportunity to build and strengthen connections.” — Luciano André Ribeiro, Superintendent at Itaú Empresas
Now, the organizers are getting ready for next year and are already picturing an edition for the entire Northeast region — together with Even3.
Until then, we’ll be sharing plenty of ideas to make the next Mangue.bit even more successful, and we can help your event with our expertise too.
