Cardano's Premiere Virtual Conference

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Steven Yang

[GENERAL] Are you delivering this project as an individual or as an entity (whether formally incorporated or not)

Entity (Incorporated)

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

5

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language.

No

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

We will create an inclusive, feature-rich virtual conference to showcase Cardano and its global community.

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.”

No dependencies

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

No

[GENERAL] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

This project will not be open source, because the existing codebase is closed source and the majority of the work is world building and marketing. The plans, milestones and updates will be made transparent.

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution.

The Cardano community, with flagship events like the Cardano Summit, NFTxLV and Rare Evo, excels in in-person gatherings but faces accessibility challenges due to location and cost. Utilizing the platform we've developed for Future Fest, we aim to create a virtual conference that not only mirrors the spirit of these physical events but also brings its own unique charm. It's not enough to just make a virtual event. We don't want this to be treated as a lesser version of an in real life event, but something that can stand on it's own; that people familiar with the format will love.

People often look to an event like the Cardano Summit 2021 as a model for what a virtual conference could be. We want to take it a step further and offer capabilities that go beyond that. We've spent the last few years developing mechanics that promote more social communication so people can form more meaningful connections. We will create a custom virtual world using our engine to maximize audience engagement and retention.

Our focus will be on showcasing Cardano projects and speakers, with curated content primarily highlighting teams working within the Cardano ecosystem. While centered on Cardano, the event will also be designed to attract external audiences, in order to broaden the reach and impact. We will make the event free for attendees, but we plan to monetize the event through featured booths, sponsorships and premium features for sustainability in order to make this a yearly event.

We plan to make this a multi-day event that doesn't conflict with existing flagship Cardano conferences.

[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community.

Value to the Cardano Community:

• Our virtual conference will increase global accessibility to Cardano's developments, enhancing community participation and diversity.
• Showcasing the ecosystem's projects and innovations will foster collaboration.

Measuring Impact:

• Attendance numbers, geographic diversity of attendees, and engagement metrics.
• Qualitative measures include feedback surveys from participants and speakers, social media engagement analysis, and community sentiment.

Sharing Outputs and Opportunities:

• Regularly sharing outcomes and insights with the Cardano community through forums, social media, and blogs.
• Comprehensive post-event reports and active promotion of identified opportunities will ensure ongoing engagement and development within Cardano.

[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

Our main company, Future Fest, has been an active participant in the Cardano community since the beginning of 2022. Our focus is on producing digital events leveraging tools and services built on Cardano. We have collaborated with a number of projects in the space and others outside of it.

Some highlights:

• Booking a high profile DJ for a token gated event
• Unity article featuring us
• Hosting the 2022 Official Unity Unite Afterparty
• Being the face of "live entertainment" for Unity
• Hosted Catalyst Fund 9 Virtual Pre-party
• Halloween Farmer's Market featuring 40+ Cardano projects
• Collaborations with CardanoWomen
• E-sports arena with PlayerMint
• Yummi Island

[Project Milestones] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Initial Planning and Marketing Strategy

• Description: Develop a comprehensive plan for the virtual conference, including timelines and themes. Formulate an initial marketing strategy to promote the event within and beyond the Cardano community.
• Outputs: A detailed project plan and a marketing strategy document.
• Acceptance Criteria: Approval of the project plan and marketing strategy by the project team and key stakeholders.

Marketing Campaign Execution and Participant Outreach

• Description: Launch and execute a comprehensive marketing campaign. Begin outreach to potential speakers, sponsors, and attendees, emphasizing the unique aspects of the conference.
• Outputs: Marketing materials, social media campaigns, outreach communications, and confirmed list of speakers and sponsors.
• Acceptance Criteria: Achieving predetermined targets for marketing reach, speaker/sponsor confirmations, and pre-registrations by attendees.

Virtual World Building

• Description: Design and develop the virtual world for the conference, ensuring it is engaging, immersive, and aligns with the conference's themes.
• Outputs: A fully realized and functional virtual conference world.
• Acceptance Criteria: Showcase a preview of the virtual world built for the conference.

Event Organization and Final Preparations

• Description: Finalize all organizational aspects of the event, including speaker schedules, attendee engagement plans, and technical rehearsals.
• Outputs: Complete event schedule, finalized engagement activities, and successful technical rehearsal.
• Acceptance Criteria: World, schedule and infrastructure for event is ready to deploy.

[RESOURCES] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Steven Yang

Steven comes from a software development background working at Fortune 50 media companies. He also has led several technical teams in creating projects in emerging technologies.

[Responsibility: Software Engineer]

Kevin Mowers

Kevin has virtual reality experience specializing in interactive user immersion and system design. His work ranges in industries from media experiences to eCommerce.

[Responsibility: Software Engineer]

Jimmy Sambuo

Jimmy has spent the last decade building and maintaining systems for Fortune 500 companies. He has experience in various systems including web, mobile, cloud, and gaming.

[Responsibility: Software Engineer]

Matthew Sears

Matthew has led the product for multiple creative platforms. He also has extensive experience in ideation, storytelling, design, development and implementation of virtual experiences.

[Responsibility: Product Management]

[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

Marketing and Promotion (40,000 ADA):

• This budget will be primarily focused on developing and executing a comprehensive marketing strategy. It includes expenses for digital marketing, social media campaigns, content creation, and promotional materials.

Virtual World Building and Assets (30,000 ADA):

• Allocation for designing and developing the virtual conference environment and creating captivating visual assets. This includes graphic design and the development of a unique and immersive virtual event space.

Event Planning and Management (10,000 ADA):

• Costs for planning and coordinating the event, including project management, scheduling, and liaising with speakers and participants. This ensures the event is meticulously organized and executed.

[VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

Marketing and Promotion:

We want to ensure the event's visibility and engagement within and beyond the Cardano community, which is why this is the highest cost. This is aligned with standard rates for comprehensive digital marketing campaigns, which include social media promotion, content creation, and engagement strategies.

Virtual World Building and Assets:

This cost covers the design and development of a unique virtual space, which is key to making the virtual conference stand out. We will be building this in-house and use part of the funds to purchase assets and create new custom ones.

[IMPORTANT NOTE] The Applicant agrees to Fund Rules and also that data in the submission form and other data provided by the project team during the course of the project will be publicly available.

I Accept