SeatlabNFT recently appointed former Ticketmaster head of commercial partnerships Paul Kelly as head of global strategy , while Ticketmaster itself has announced that it has partnered with Flow blockchain to enable its clients to issue NFTs .
The operators of independent festival Lakefest are working with Steve Jenner ’ s blockchain and NFT specialist services operation MetaFests to use NFT technology at next year ’ s event .
Lee Martin , the founder and director of the 20,000-capacity festival , said the aim is to streamline operations and harness new revenue streams . Eventgoers will be able to use the NFTs to redeem on-site perks such as VIP upgrades , merchandise , F & B and meet-and-greets .
“ It will allow more effective connections with our audience , offering enhanced value to visitors , partners and artists ,” he said .
NFTs have been used at festivals for some time , most notably by Coachella . It sold NFTs providing holders with lifetime access , as well as exclusive on-site experiences and digital collectables . The event ’ s first NFT release in February generated almost $ 1.5 million in additional sales .
Senbla , the promoter of Cambridgebased Strawberries & Creem ( cap . 10,000 ), claims it was the first UK festival to offer NFT merch and experiences . For the 2021 event it partnered with NFT platform Serenade to allow consumers to buy tickets through NFTs and gain access to experiences during the event . Serenade has since announced a music industry advisory board that includes experienced concert promoter Toby Leighton-Pope .
Services such as MetaFests are hoping that the use of NFTs within the festival industry will snowball , but its founder Steve Jenner admits there is a “ mood of reserved caution around the hype ”.
Exploring the metaverse Since Facebook rebranded as Meta in October last year , the buzz around the Metaverse has remained pretty constant . The metaverse is a virtual world , made up of permanent , shared , 3D virtual spaces involving augmented ( AR ) and / or virtual reality ( VR ) technology .
Promoters and artists are embracing the virtual 3D ecosystem , not as a replacement for live events but rather as value-adds , with benefits including additional revenues and awareness building opportunities .
Recent exploits include the band Bastille partnering with EMI Records , creative agency WPP and Epic Games , to combine virtual production technologies and live performance to enable avatars to react with the band
“ NFTs do away with ‘ Zoom fatigue ’ and provide a place for personal expression and fun .”
– Jonathan Brigden as they performed live .
Among the most widely used metaverses by artists and event organisers are Fortnite , Roblox and The Sandbox . With 80 million users worldwide , it is hardly surprising that Fortnite has been used to host numerous shows by acts including Travis Scott and Marshmello , while London ’ s The O2 was recreated in Fortnite for a show by Easy Life .
Roblox has 20 million users who play a range of games on it created by other users . Unique , tailored , event experience can be created with customisable avatars . Countless acts have staged virtual shows on Roblox . The BRIT Awards hosted a metaverse VIP Party on it this year , and more recently DJ duo The Chainsmokers announced plans to invite Roblox players to create and perform in their own virtual music festival ( pictured on page 24 ).
A virtual world hosted on the Ethereum blockchain , The Sandbox has potential for micro payments and NFT usage . Such is the breadth of its appeal that it has partnered with clients as diverse as adidas , Snoop Dogg and the Care Bears .
Jonathan Brigden , MD at creative agency Studio Giggle , says , “ The experiences you design can become permanent , ever evolving company attractions that inform your live event , and provide an immersive meeting place for people and staff globally . They also do away with ‘ Zoom fatigue ’ and provide a place for personal expression and fun .”
31