Sponsoring a Metaverse Event

Sep 23, 2022 Durgesh

Sponsoring an event may not be the typical agenda for many organizations, but in the era of digital age it is a necessary one. From brand exposure, generating sales leads, finding meaningful business connections and attracting niche audience, it is beyond doubt that sponsorships yield profitable outcomes. In the era of digital domination, it is imperative for businesses to look beyond their conventional curated spaces to explore and welcome the evolving age; the age of the metaverse. 

The Metaverse as it Stands 

The new “world wide web” is rising amid its nascent struggle of evolution. Once limited to gaming and other related areas, the metaverse now has expanded to cater to a commendable number of industry diaspora. It is bold, exciting, captivating; and is inviting businesses to put their best foot forward to experience its worth. Whether we like it or not, the metaverse is here to stay and will create new norms, unravel new ways and explore new possibilities in the digital world.  

The likes of Meta, Microsoft, NVIDIA and many others have already taken the mantle to develop their metaverse worlds through Horizon Workrooms, Mesh and the Omniverse respectively. While on one side, big tech corporations are creating their own metaverse environments to take advantage of the evolving metaverse, on the other end there are conferences and summits that are demonstrating product innovation and breakthroughs within the metaverse. 

 Sponsored Metaverse Events 

The Augmented World Expo EU 2022 to be held in October this year will see the likes of PICO, META Materials Inc, TeamViewer, HaptX, Inkron, InterDigital, SQUARS, UneeQ, Wonderland Engine and many others as sponsors. The event will also witness thousands of attendees and hundreds of speakers and exhibitors attending the metaverse event.  

The MetaWeek Summit to be held in Dubai will witness more than 300 professionals and policy makers across the globe and more than 40 metaverse based organizations. More than 20 sponsors have signed up for the MetaWeek comprising of over 2000 attendees.  

Consensus 2022 by CoinDesk, had signed Blockchain of Things Inc, a leading bitcoin blockchain integration technology firm and Walkers, a leading international law firm as sponsors for its metaverse conference held in June earlier this year.  

Siggraph, XR Fair, Augmented Enterprise Summit are all garnering attention for their metaverse based conferences and summits and the list is only growing.  

Why Brands Should Sponsor a Metaverse Event? 

1) An Experience Like No Other – Sponsoring in the metaverse will be an experience like no other. In the metaverse, brands can have targeted walkthroughs, leverage full visibility and curate immersive experiences of their products to attendees and visitors. Because it is more visual, one doesn’t have to worry too much about the pitch and the preparation. If the content is strong, give the best experience that captivates.  

  2) Sponsor Ads – Sponsors can get their brand banners on landing pages or on flamboyant festive like loading screens which provides a great exposure and visible grandeur to event attendees and buyers.      

 3) Sponsored Sessions - The advantage with metaverse events is that sponsors can have their sessions tailored from event planners as part of the pre-event strategy. Timed sessions for sponsors can provide huge lead generation mileage to exhibit & demonstrate their brand and go-to products before an elite list of buyers, technology decision makers and technology investors and enthusiasts. 

 4) Breakout rooms – Sponsors can leverage curated spaces or rooms designed especially for them to discuss and collaborate. Brands can plan, strategize, share experiences within their teams to improvise on various aspects of their sponsorship program.  

 5) Dedicated Booths and Interactive Spaces – The metaverse will provide sponsors with dedicated booth spaces and interactive spaces where audience at their convenience can freely interact, experiment and explore.  

 6) A Diverse Diaspora – Businesses can showcase their brand prowess to a wide range and infinite section of attendees and enthusiasts of the metaverse from different parts of the world. Because the metaverse is still evolving, the sponsors won’t have to worry too much to perfect their demonstration to cater to various audience types. Instead, they should think of it as an opportunity to experiment and explore while also putting their best innovations at work.  

 7) Passive Viewing vs Active Experiences – Events in general may not offer the depth of immersiveness as compared to a metaverse event. Sponsors can leverage the metaverse simply for its ability to captivate attendees not just as onlookers or passive audience but to engage and interact with them throughout.  

 8) Comprehensive & Uninterrupted - Right from pre-event to post event, sponsors will have immediate access to key metrics and analytics in terms of attendee engagement, interest and attendee traction, along with a seamless and uninterrupted process for sponsors to leverage upon.  

 9) Future of the Internet – The metaverse will be the future of the digital world, and of the internet as a whole. For brands looking to future sponsor a metaverse event, it’s a great opportunity to reposition their organizational strategy and work towards sponsoring metaverse events as a new and powerful distribution channel.  

  According to reports from McKinsey & Company, the metaverse will be a trillion-dollar economy by 2030. The metaverse saw an increase in investment by a 110% from last year with investments from VCs and private equity firms. 95% of business leaders expect the metaverse to have a fruitful impact on their industry in the next decade. Sponsors in the metaverse need to look at it as a platform for strengthening their existing network and developing new connections and taking it to the next level. Otherwise, it is also about the coming together of people who are building the next iteration of the internet.