Queues stretched around the block. Camera crews from across the globe videoed the excitement, influencers streamed the commotion to their on-line communities. When the Bored Ape Yacht Club held its first APE Fest in October 2021, an exclusive club became a global event, the accumulation of the previous years increasing fascination with NFTs writ large across the New York skyline.
APE Fest highlighted the power of a digital community and what is possible when like-minded individuals gather together. The BAYC is the brightest example, yet far from alone. NFT collections with vastly different cultures, values and philosophy are uniting people, allowing strangers to tie their identity to a community and shout, ‘That’s me! That’s where I belong.”
Why the Metaverse is vital to our collective future
The NFTs you collect, the DJs you dance the night away with, the art that sparks your imagination, the movies you watch, the brands you advertise to the world, the language you use, the TV you consume, the sports you play. We are all walking interpretations of the communities we are in. Or aspire to be part of.
For RLTY, at its most compelling and powerful, the Metaverse is about bringing those communities together. It’s about closing the geographical, cultural and financial barriers which separate people from their clans, from the like-minded people who in times gone past you would never have known existed. When that is combined with the endless potential of events, the Metaverse becomes a very exciting prospect.
Events are the foundations of social existence, they accompany us through the highs and the lows, they are the backdrop to our relationships, business and family. Not only are festivals, concerts, galleries and parties where we connect, they are the milestones by which we remember life.
Covid gave us our time back
Perhaps Covid was the catalyst. It gave us a moment to slow down and think about what our purpose is, what is important and how and where to spend our most precious resource: time. Unable to act out our new found wisdom in real life, people turned to the digital. The entertainment and corporate event industry began evolving as a result.
11 million people descended on the centralized Metaverse Fortnite to see Marshmello play. 27 million witnessed Travis Scott break records. 33 million were there for Little Nas, 78 million for Ariana Grande, and 46 million for Twenty One Pilots.
In the corporate world, Zoom registers over 3.3 trillion annual meeting minutes and Microsoft Teams has 145 million daily users.
The RLTY ambition is to take the experiences and events which we enjoy in the real world and make them extraordinary in the decentralized Metaverse. The potential — and the Metaverse has world-changing potential — is the creation of a new format for social connection, a paradigm shift where events, collaboration and culture are expressed and experienced in a new, immersive way.
The RLTY Journey: Building Events To Build Community
We created RLTY around that belief. Now we want to create the tools which give global brands, international events, entrepreneurs and companies the power to build out their imaginations in the Metaverse.
Simply put, RLTY is The Metaverse Event Company. By leveraging the most advanced web3 technologies available, we are reimagining the boundaries of virtual worlds, increasing accessibility and heightening the experience across all Metaverse platforms.
The Experience of Live Events In The Metaverse
Experience is about the lasting impression it leaves, the feeling it invokes long after the moment has passed. What was the first event you really remember? The first concert which took your breath away? The seminal conference which altered the course of your career? The festival which gave you friends for life?
In our experience — and no doubt in yours — those who organise the best events and throw the most memorable parties have spent the most time trying to understand human connections. They know what works and they create it. Their experience shapes your memories.
The same is true in the Metaverse. Or at least it will be. Those who give the tools and help others create their own events should have spent time building, hosting and creating events themselves.
That is why our philosophy is to start by producing events. We want to know what it feels like, what works, and what doesn’t. Then we can shape your experience and memories. The best way to achieve this is by licensing partnerships with festivals, artists, conferences, fashion shows, luxury brands and individuals.
If that sounds like something you would like to be part of, let us share a secret with you. We have been speaking with some global superstars who, like us, believe the future of events is in the Metaverse. Intrigued? To say we are excited to share more details would be an understatement. But we’ll get to that in good time.
In the meantime, our first event will be in Decentraland, hosting NFT Paris Day. Yes, we’re proud to say RLTY is bringing Europe’s largest NFT conference to the Metaverse. (You can read more about that here.)
At RLTY we know events will play as big a role in the adoption of the Metaverse as gaming. Art fairs, gallery openings, conferences, concerts, private events, and music festivals. Virtual events will be where people spend the most time in the Metaverse. We may get some backlash from saying that, seeing as the blockchain and NFT gaming space is seeing such traction, but we really believe it. And we’re not alone.
The RLTY Metaverse Event building Toolkit
So the question becomes, how do we help make that belief a reality? The answer is by making it easy for others to host events. Don’t worry, it won’t take long, but we need to get technical for a moment. At the heart of RLTY is a suite of easy-to-use, no-coding toolkits which allow creators to imagine, plan, create and launch projects. From the smallest meetups to the largest scale international music festivals, these tools will give the freedom to build events on all the major integrated platforms — Sandbox, Decentraland, Alphaverse, Cryptovoxels, Somnium Space.
What you’ll really be getting is the ability to imagine and build the best experience imaginable for your guests, customers, clients and fans. Yes, there will be customized 3D venue and building design solutions, video shoots, and NFT ticketing, but most of all it’s about the experience. And because, as you know, events in the metaverse are so new, we’ll give you the data and analytics to make improvements for the next stages in your web3 event journey.
Swim downstream and you’ll be in possession of a new way of engaging with an existing audience whilst simultaneously reaching a new crypto and gaming audience. Adding additional revenue streams, creating positive PR, and giving your company or event innovative brand building and image.
Finally, because the transition from hosting events and building community in web2 to web3 involves a new way to think, strategize and execute plans, our team will be there to guide you every step of the way.
That’s a lot to take in. You’re probably wondering who we are to make such claims. Here is the bio. RLTY is a Metaverse event company founded by three serial entrepreneurs from the live event business, gaming and mobile app Industry. Between us, we have over 30 years of experience stretching from 3D design and partnership building with large event organisations to NFT creation, the writing of smart contracts, tokenomics, revenue optimization and event marketing.
A Trillion Dollar Metaverse
We will be using that experience and the opportunities of web3 to take monetisation beyond just event-based revenue. NFT drops, avatars, NFT tickets, replay and on-demand fees, and sponsorship are all part of the RLTY service.
For this last part, let’s talk about banking apps. Riveting, but don’t leave just yet. The point is, nobody has ever said they were inspired to get a mobile phone and sign up to the internet to check out the latest offering from HSBC or Societe Generale. Fun is the driving factor of adoption. Regardless of status, good times, entertainment and connection with friends will drive real growth.
Secondary NFT drops, advertising revenue and multi-year sponsorship deals are important, but they are the support network to the fan subscription services and in-event gamification options which will run alongside your events in the Metaverse.
Final Thoughts
We all agree the Metaverse is the future of the internet, the entertainment and social layer of digital experience. A welcoming world of music and dancing, celebration and learning. A Metaverse of concerts and festivals, conferences, art shows, exhibitions, fashion shows and the joining together of like-minded people with a common interest, philosophy, passion or curiosity.
RLTY will be there, organizing, building and giving others the tools to do the same.
We can’t wait…
Raph, Zack & Jerome
