metaweek dubai defines the future of metaverse, web 3.0 & more

metaweek dubai: delving into the future of digital innovation

MetaWeek returned to Dubai for its second edition, bringing together global experts from the tech, business, art, and investor communities to discuss the future of digital innovation. Delivering exclusive insights, the event defined the most ground-breaking trends and challenges for the aspiring industry of Web 3.0 and Metaverse development.

On September 12 and 13, 2022, the culminating two-day MetaWeek Summit convened NFT creators, AI forerunners, gaming tycoons, blockchain masterminds, and Metaverse visionaries from across the world to delve into the boundless possibilities of the future of the virtual realm. An insightful series of keynote speeches, fireside chats, and moderated panels brought to attention aspects of NFT applications and utility, GameFi and play-to-earn strategies, architecture and digital real estate in the Metaverse, and SDG fulfillment.

image above: Social Galaxy © Kenzo Digital | header: Virtual World by Pico Velasquez

envisioning the revolutionary future of the metaverse

Kicking off the Summit, keynote speeches by Jason Luo (BitForex) and Frank Fitzgerald (Pax.world) envisioned how the Metaverse would progressively nurture the business environment. They outlined how Web 3.0 is set to revolutionize commercialization and how companies trade, function, and evolve while becoming a launchpad for AI and VR.

Discussing the intersection of design and technology, Pico Velasquez (VIIRA) explained the critical integration of physical and virtual worlds through gamification, architecture, VR activations, and NFTs. Her talk touched upon notions of digital identities and how virtual worlds will transform design, culture, education, and most other aspects of our economy and daily lives. Meanwhile, Grey Jabesi (Crypto University, Mamba Gaming Guild) explored fitness, gamification, and opportunities to earn in the virtual realm, considering the Metaverse as an extension of the human experience.

an industrial city for Virtual World by Pico Velasquez

NFTs for brands & artists: utility, collectibles & marketing

Two panels discussing NFT functionality, specific use cases, and marketing for brands and artists invited to the stage multidisciplinary experts and creatives from across the sphere of the NFT space. At the first session, Alan Vey (VereNFT), Pico Velasquez, Gregor Maric (Parallel Office) and Olska Green (Ecoolska) gave insight into the biggest trends and challenges of the market. With backgrounds in Metaverse building, architecture, and NFT collectibles and marketing, the discussion raised points about the types, purposes, and evolution of NFT use. Pico Velasquez and Olska Green consider the use of NFTs as digital assets that can become defining parts of our identities through customizable fashion, avatars, and architectural spaces.

The second session saw guests VESA, Arvin Khamseh (NFT marketer), Ipshita Kumar (Lemonade), and Susan Oh (Daoverse Capital) debate the value of NFTs as both holistic art collectibles and mere financial assets as utilities. Digital artist VESA discussed the emerging adoption of artificial intelligence in the design realm, the potential of Midjourney to liberate a whole new class of creators, and the question of ownership of design.

Royal Blood-Phylloxera NFT by Pico Velasquez and Brian Aronowitz

virtual architecture & world building in the metaverse

The insightful panel session on architecture in the Metaverse delved into improved user experience, security and accessibility, interoperability of different verses and portals, and tech infrastructure. Frank Fitzgerald and Megha Shrestha talked about their respective Pax.world and Metabloqs metaverses — including their world-building, architectural design, and revolutionizing of the way businesses and educational institutions operate and thrive. Meanwhile, Joel Dietz introduced MetaMetaverse — a platform for creating metaverses with fully functioning virtual societies equipped with their own leisure and interactive experiences, institutions, economies, and governances.

Metaverse gallery by VESA