How web3 meets creative industries in Portugal: Interview

Our web3 PR and Advertising and marketing company, EAK Digital, was organizing the primary Istanbul Blockchain Week in 2019, we had an epic speaker lineup and the Hilton Resort booked within the heart of Istanbul. This was the primary occasion we had organized and issues have been going nice, after which covid-19 hit and every little thing fell aside. In fact, we needed to cancel the occasion and refund all sponsors; this was devastating to me as I’d labored extraordinarily arduous on placing this collectively.

When the world shut down in March 2020, we have been all on the lookout for issues to take our minds off of the covid-19 pandemic. I used to be sitting in my childhood bed room at this level (because of the lockdown!), questioning what we must always do. We had this nice speaker lineup however no convention, thus BlockDown was born.

BlockDown allowed me and my workforce to laser concentrate on making a metaverse-inspired digital expertise that has by no means been carried out earlier than in simply 6 weeks. The thrill of bringing the entire blockchain group collectively for 12 hours per day dwell throughout 48 hours, taking within the largest audio system and tasks from Beijing to Los Angeles, was an exhilarating expertise.

I used to be additionally impressed by having Akon with us as a speaker for 5 BlockDown editions. Again within the first version in April 2020, there was quite a lot of media consideration about Akon showing at BlockDown because it was the primary international blockchain occasion he had participated in.

As any individual who spent his college days dancing to Akon on pupil nights late into the evening, I by no means thought we’d find yourself working collectively like this. In order that was a giant thrill.

Lastly, by tying the ‘lockdown into’ our title, we are going to always remember what impressed BlockDown and staying true to our DNA and core values of internet hosting occasions with interactivity, enjoyable, and engagement tied to the center of the occasion.

As you rightly mentioned, BlockDown Pageant focuses on the intersection of web3 and tradition, the crossover of the artistic industries comparable to music, sports activities, arts, vogue, gaming and leisure.

For music, now we have partnered with web3 music platform TokenTraxx, in making a web3 music takeover stage within the secret backyard stage of the pageant. We will likely be inviting 8 web3 musicians which have discovered success within the NFT area to talk and carry out on the pageant. We’ve a pleasant combine of various music genres, and It’s going to give the pageant nice vitality whereas giving everybody an opportunity to find new up-and-coming web3 music artists.

For Style, now we have partnered up with the Metaverse Style Council for our fashion-related content material. First up, on July eleventh, we may have a metaverse-inspired vogue present on the convention’s fundamental stage, catwalk included! In between every vogue talking content material, there will likely be a vogue present for vogue lovers and curious minds alike to benefit from the newest in the way forward for vogue.

As well as, one thing we’re very enthusiastic about is the world’s first vogue AI hackathon occurring at BlockDown Pageant this 12 months. The Metaverse Style Council has simply launched Type AI, a first-of-its-kind vogue AI that can create vogue clothes based mostly in your prompts. In an America’s acquired expertise fashion competitors, rivals will take the stage to battle it out who can take advantage of modern clothes and choose by skilled vogue judges, which will likely be very thrilling.

For Gaming, now we have partnered up with the Blockchain Recreation Alliance to help us in bringing collectively the perfect gaming content material attainable. We may have W3E with us, who may have a gaming zone and expertise internet hosting dwell web3 gaming tournaments all through the pageant.

As web3 goes extra mainstream, increasingly more web3 tasks wish to associate with the world’s largest manufacturers to onboard the following technology of individuals into web3. With that in thoughts, now we have some main manufacturers at BlockDown Pageant this 12 months.

To call just a few, now we have Pär Helgosson, head of web3 and metaverse at PSG, one the world’s largest soccer golf equipment and types,

Preserving on the sports activities entrance, now we have John Wolfe, Web3 Lead at McLaren Racing. He will likely be internet hosting a keynote speech and becoming a member of an skilled panel of manufacturers discussing how Mclaren Racing has efficiently entered web3 and the place they see the long run trajectory of the business.

Lastly, on the model entrance, now we have Julian O’Hayon, co-founder and CEO of BLVCK Paris. This luxurious life-style vogue model has carried out wonderful issues in web3 and is a pioneering instance of different vogue manufacturers integrating web3 into their present enterprise fashions.

We even have the CEO of Animoca Manufacturers, Robby Yung, becoming a member of us for a hearth chat dwell on our fundamental stage alongside some nice VCs like Bankless Ventures.

And the good factor is we nonetheless have a lot extra to announce. Examine again to our audio system’ web page on the BlockDown Pageant to maintain up to date on the most recent speaker bulletins!

Sure, we’re trying ahead to this. As talked about earlier than, that is in collaboration with the Metaverse Style Council, advising us on the perfect designers and vogue homes to associate with for the Metaverse vogue present. The style present will likely be break up into 4 segments, with a fashion-related speech and panels in between every efficiency.

For these on the pageant, We may have a ten ft catwalk for the fashions to take to the stage and showcase the completely different vogue designs, and the present will likely be dwell IRL and, in fact, within the metaverse on July eleventh.

I met the Bored Ape guys in Dubai just lately and attended considered one of their reveals and knew immediately that we needed to carry this to BlockDown Pageant. I had a gathering with them the place we have been aligned with them relating to the content material and manufacturing of the social gathering, and they’re excited to return to Portugal for the primary time. 

They are going to be internet hosting two events, the Bored Ape Yacht Occasion could be very unique, naturally, as it’s on a yacht, the numbers are restricted, and people on that boat may even be handled to journeys via the world-famous Benagil Cave and be with a cease at a personal seashore for a Bored Ape BBQ!

On July Twelfth, on the pageant’s fundamental stage, DJ Ape will carry the Bored Ape expertise to the entire pageant for a 2-hour DJ set that includes distinctive tracks and merchandise. I can’t wait to see it!

We wish to hold our doorways open to collaboration for so long as attainable. Specifically, we’d love to listen to from music artists, NFT artists, Digital Style Designers, and anybody or firm that may enrich the BlockDown Pageant expertise for our friends. The extra artistic the concept, the higher!

For extra info, see BlockDown Pageant: Portugal.