Riding the success of VeeCon, Boardroom spoke with Gary Vaynerchuk about what’s next, both for him and for the internet at large.
Even though the inaugural VeeCon superconference took about a year to make, Gary Vaynerchuk told Boardroom that he’s had these ideas in his head for 12 to 15 years.
VeeCon wrapped up on Sunday, but the Web3 community is still reeling from the magic that surrounded the event. Vaynerchuk simply said it was “emotional” to see VeeCon come to life, especially with his closest friends and family present. While the conference brought in thousands of guests, VeeCon’s success can’t be measured by how many people were in the room. Vaynerchuk had something more meaningful in mind when he cooked up the NFT-ticketed event.
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“It feels great,” Vaynerchuck told Boardroom at VeeCon. “I always wanted to buy an old intellectual property and refurbish it…and I’ve always wanted to throw a superconference.”
Vaynerchuck said this was the baseline inspiration behind Vayner Media: to build the best marketing company globally that can take things that used to be huge and re-market them. He thought he’d do that with Gumby or Scooby Doo, but instead, Vaynerchuk built the VeeFriends NFT collection. As far as putting on a superconference, Vaynerchuk added that to his to-do list after the third time he attended SXSW.
VeeCon melds Vaynerchuk’s passions into one, and seeing it all come together through the power of NFTs has been rewarding for the internet entrepreneur.
“One of the strengths I have that creates happiness for me is a lack of expectations,” Vaynerchuck said. “VeeCon was already what it needed to be and what I wanted it to be the second I decided to make it.”
So, what’s next for Gary Vee?
Most notably, Vaynerchuk will build content around one specific NFT from VeeFriends Series 1 called Accountable Ant. He told Boardroom that the possibilities are endless with Accountable Ant, and people should expect everything from children’s books and video games to an animated show on Netflix.
“What’s next is what I’ve been waiting for. I get to really teach the world who Accountable Ant is,” he said. “This ambitious angel is going to change people’s lives.”
VeeCon 2023
Vaynerchuk said planning for VeeCon 2023 started on Monday to bring the same kind of thoughtfulness and panels that this year’s event had. Above all, he hopes all attendees can walk away from VeeCon with education and relationships for years to come.
As for other NFT projects, Vaynerchuk hopes more are represented next year, mainly to show how VeeFriends is different and mindfully builds community. At VeeCon 2022, the creator behind Deadfellaz, Betty, doxxed herself and met her community in real life for the first time. Vaynerchuk’s goal is to continue fostering a safe space for memories and connections like that.
“I have other projects here because I want them to siphon some of our audience. I want them to win,” Vaynerchuk said. “I’m a very ‘one plus one equals 11’ guy. I hope they get new people that fall in love with their projects, and I hope they’re like, wait a minute, I want this too.”
Vaynerchuk spent four hours a day visiting selfie stations throughout the VeeCon grounds to connect with his community and capture memories. Much of that IRL interaction with the tycoon can be expected at next year’s event as well.
The Future of the Blockchain
When asked where blockchain will go in the next 20-or-so years, Vaynerchuck didn’t mince words:
“I think every story and creative is going to come to life through the passage of it,” he said.
Vaynerchuk sees VeeFriends as the blueprint for what blockchain technology can do. He predicts that more arts, music, film, and even mortgages will live on and operate through the blockchain. He also thinks event ticketing will change and there will be more NFT-gated events, and he can also see receipts for high-end purchases living on the blockchain.
“The arts are going to be radically different because of it,” Vaynerchuk said. “But I think every industry will be touched by it.”
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