How web3 meets inventive industries in Portugal: Interview

Our web3 PR and Advertising 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 the whole lot fell aside. After all, 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 searching 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 (as a result of 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 staff to laser deal with making a metaverse-inspired digital expertise that has by no means been executed 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 greatest audio system and initiatives 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 a number of media consideration about Akon showing at BlockDown because it was the primary international blockchain occasion he had participated in.

As anyone who spent his college days dancing to Akon on pupil nights late into the night time, 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 identify, we’ll 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 stated, BlockDown Pageant focuses on the intersection of web3 and tradition, the crossover of the inventive industries equivalent 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 probably be inviting 8 web3 musicians which have discovered success within the NFT house to talk and carry out on the pageant. We’ve got a pleasant combine of various music genres, and It should give the pageant nice power whereas giving everybody an opportunity to find new up-and-coming web3 music artists.

For Vogue, now we have partnered up with the Metaverse Vogue Council for our fashion-related content material. First up, on July eleventh, we may have a metaverse-inspired vogue present on the convention’s foremost stage, catwalk included! In between every vogue talking content material, there will probably 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 Vogue Council has simply launched Model AI, a first-of-its-kind vogue AI that can create vogue clothes primarily based in your prompts. In an America’s obtained expertise type competitors, opponents will take the stage to battle it out who can take advantage of trendy clothes and decide by skilled vogue judges, which will probably be very thrilling.

For Gaming, now we have partnered up with the Blockchain Sport Alliance to assist us in bringing collectively one of the best gaming content material potential. 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 initiatives wish to accomplice with the world’s greatest 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 a number of, 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 probably 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 executed superb 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 foremost 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 newest speaker bulletins!

Sure, we’re trying ahead to this. As talked about earlier than, that is in collaboration with the Metaverse Vogue Council, advising us on one of the best designers and vogue homes to accomplice with for the Metaverse vogue present. The style present will probably 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 probably be dwell IRL and, in fact, within the metaverse on July eleventh.

I met the Bored Ape guys in Dubai not too long ago and attended one in every of their exhibits 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 come back 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 also be handled to journeys by way of the world-famous Benagil Cave and be with a cease at a personal seaside for a Bored Ape BBQ!

On July Twelfth, on the pageant’s foremost 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 maintain our doorways open to collaboration for so long as potential. Particularly, we’d love to listen to from music artists, NFT artists, Digital Vogue Designers, and anybody or firm that may enrich the BlockDown Pageant expertise for our company. The extra inventive the thought, the higher!

For extra data, see BlockDown Pageant: Portugal.