The rewards system
Unlike with a traditional event ticket that simply gains you entrance to an event, we focused a set of on-the-ground rewards to enhance an attendee’s experience. Beyond access, all users get our DESK token airdropped to them. The token can be used at the event for food, drink, merchandise or experiences. Based on an algorithm, additional people will receive special rewards like a speaking slot at Consensus, a booth on the show floor, a comped hotel stay or meetings with key venture capitalists who are investing in Web3. If recipients have no use for a reward, they can sell it on the open market to someone who could make use of it. We have more than 350 special rewards to distribute to the 1,000 people who may mint this pass.
This mechanism of rewards will continue each year for the next three years and all IRL (in-real-life) rewards received are airdropped as additional NFTs for the holder to redeem or sell.
See a full list of 2023’s rewards below:
Since 2021, NFT projects have been figuring out new ways of giving back value to a community of fans and collectors. By holding a Bored Ape Yacht Club token in 2021, for example, holders were able to see a private show featuring Beck, The Strokes, Chris Rock and Da Baby. In 2022 VeeFriends holders were given access to a multiday Gary Vaynerchuk event that featured personalities like Eva Longoria, Pharrell Williams, Snoop Dogg and Mila Kunis. We also have started to see traditional events like the Tribeca Film Festival and Coachella dabble in on-chain access passes.
It is still early to determine whether experiments like Microcosms will dramatically shift the experience industry toward decentralized systems. But the premise of adding value instead of purely extracting value from consumers is one that aligns with the ethos of many who work in the blockchain industry. This model opens up new paradigms for general consumers and live event fans all around the world.