details
event name: Veecon
created by: emc3 and VeeFriends
event date: 19th-22nd of May 2022
type of event: Live
event location: US Bank Stadium, Minneapolis
The team at VeeFriends wanted to create an event, unlike anything that had ever been seen before. A brand new, one-of-a-kind, event dedicated to pop culture, NFTs and the next evolution of the internet: web3. The event would need to span multiple days, and feature an incredible line-up of relevant content—and people would only be able to attend if they were Veecon NFT ticket holders.
Because of the size of the event and what the VeeFriends team wanted to achieve, there were numerous challenges to address, such as production, venue sourcing, hotel blocking, food and beverage, welcome parties, registration, talent, security and VIP management.
With the sharp rise in popularity of NFTs, Gary and his team knew that now was the time to create this one-of-a-kind event. He conceived the idea, minted the NFTs and then brought the emc3 team onboard to help bring the vision to life.
Due to the size, scale and nature of this event, there were numerous logistical aspects that needed to be taken care of—such as finding a venue for a sold-out event, creating a system for using the NFTs as tickets and sourcing talent.
The VeeFriends team found and contracted the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis and we worked collaboratively with the team to get the venue ready. However, working in a stadium (that wasn’t designed for content!) provided its unique challenges.
Over the course of the event, there were 154 speakers (which included Snoop Dogg, Steve Aoki, Pharrell, Mila Kunis, and Randi Zuckerberg!) and 9 entertainers (Wyclef Jean, Miguel, Lulu, Fresco Trey, Garzi, Lian Faz, Immasoul, Lil Polo Tee and Millie Go Lightly) providing an extraordinary lineup of content which included iconic keynote speeches; innovative and educational talks, panels and Q&A sessions; and many live demonstrations and collaborative experiences. Because of this we needed to ensure that the audio travelled well, so that attendees had the best possible experience.
The event was only open to those who held an NFT and was a roaring success, with incredible engagement from the community, the attendees and the creators—and the VeeFriends team have already confirmed two more annual events, with the possibility of more being added.
There were a few challenges, such as having to rearrange talent just 24 hours before due to some performers getting Covid-19 and having to cancel—and the flippant apocalyptic weather that cancelled 100+ flights… But it all came together to create a memorable event… Especially for one couple, who had their marriage proposal on stage during the event!
The event sold-out for 10,000, and in the end, the total number of guests for the event was 6,950. This included 5,000 US residents, with 500 of them being local, and 1,950 international visitors from over 70 countries. 83% of attendees reported that it was their first time in Minneapolis, and the event brought a huge boost to tourism in the area, with people staying 5-days on average, with over 5,270 hotel rooms/guests per night and an economic impact of $21,084,567 as a result of the event.
“We were excited to bring emc3 on to this project, because to do what we knew we needed to do for this, we couldn’t just work with anyone. We wanted to work with the best, we wanted to work with people that we knew would be true partners in an experience like this. The feedback we have been getting, not just from the attendees, but from our sponsors and from our speakers, saying how great this is and how different it is from every other event that’s like it, is really special. We don’t get that very often.
There are a lot of logistical and physical issues with working an event like this in a building of this size. We were bringing 10,000 people into a venue for 75,000—that sounds easy but it’s not. And to build what they built, how quickly they built it, and have it look as dynamic and fascinating as it is, it has added elements and visual perspective that we would not have been able to do. It takes a special group to really know how to institute these kinds of ideas, especially for a digital crowd like this, and it’s been phenomenal from the start.”
—Zach Nadler, CEO, VaynerSpeakers.
