FutureShape360 is a first of its kind, fully NFT-gated, 3-day all-inclusive event converging 360 of the most influential people in the crypto and NFT space to network, socialize and form the core group of leaders to help shape the future of Web3.
Held in multiple different venues in Colorado, the FS360 will have the opportunity to experience amazing curated events, historic landmarks, incredible musicians and artists, and guest speakers.
The value, connections, and love felt in Denver Colorado for FutureShape360 is truly difficult to put into words, but I can say it was one of the most powerful web3 conferences I’ve ever attended. The intimate setting between the most influential names in web3 created a family vibe where it felt as though everyone knew each other for years, while it was many of our first times meeting each other.
One common sentiment that was shared is that there was no pressure to rush around doing a ton of “networking” - rather, this weekend was more about creating authentic friendships and partnerships that transcended any sort of connections formed at a traditional networking event. Simply put, this one was different. It was a thinktank of the most brilliant and creative minds in the space.
Let’s dive in.
Day 1
kicked off at the Source Hotel, where we checked in to our first welcome beer. As we prepared for the weekend with some rooftop mimosas, I came to the unfortunate revelation that I didn’t bring my bathing suit to a hotel that had a pool. Rookie mistake - so the first order of business was to snag some Lime scooters, explore the beautiful city of Denver and find myself a bathing suit for the weekend.
After I obtained a newfound sense of comfort from procuring some swimwear, we made our way to the Grant Humphrey’s mansion to kick off an epic weekend of festivities.
The mansion party was an incredible way to break the ice and give everyone the opportunity to connect and learn about one another before formal events kicked into gear.
Complete with an IV drip station, performances from Leftover Salmon and Scott Page from Pink Floyd, an open bar and full dinner served, it created the perfect vibe for everyone to chill and prepare for the weekend. There was also a super inspiring and beautiful speech from their charity beneficiary, Teen Cancer America, about how doners from this space have had a huge impact on the life of a cancer survivor. This is where we had the chance to meet the Gorillae Gang team and learn about how they’re leveraging NFT to make the world more sustainable and healthier for future generations to come.
The speakers from the weekend - some of the top innovators and artists in the space, were hanging out with the attendees, with a real sense of oneness between everyone there. The environment created an even playing field where everyone looked to each other as peers and potential collaborators.
After the mansion party, I had a failed attempt of creating a pool party at the hotel (does a party of 3 still count?) before getting ready for an incredible intimate performance by deadmau5 over at Meow Wolf.
Everyone was already warmed up from the mansion and ready to party! Before the musical performances, attendees had the chance to explore the world of Meow Wolf, which is hard to express in words but was referred to me as “Disneyland on acid”. It was basically a multiple floor immersive psychedelic experiences with artsy displays, huge interactive trees and colorful castles, and insane art that makes you feel like you’re in a different dimension.
After the deadmau5 show, we made our way back to the hotel to call it an early night and get some sleep for the first day of panels. There was different staff at the hotel, so I got a fresh welcome-beer after saying I hadn’t received mine yet. Let’s see how many of these I could get away with over the course of the weekend…
Day 2
We woke up ready to go for the first day of panels, art and more! With Lime scooters being the preferred mode of transportation for the weekend, we grabbed a few and shredded our way to Reelworks, where the main conference portion of the event were to take place. The event kicked off with an absolutely delicious breakfast, which would be the first of many amazing meals that were provided over the course of the weekend - shoutout to the catering company Choice Market Catering and coffee companies who not only provided us with sustenance but rocked the whole weekend with smiles on their face and great vibes that added to the family feeling of the event.
After breakfast, Dylan Berry, the host/MC for the weekend and founder of Smash Haus and Th3 Syndicate (shhhh), kicked us off with some opening remarks and a chat with legendary Scott Page who spoke on the future of NFTs and how they’re bringing freedom back to the people.
The panels for the day included powerful women in web3 discussion, the future of the music industry and web3, unique NFT use cases and utility in the real world, and an epic fireside chat between Dylan and a literal astronaut, Ron Garan, who travelled the solar system and dropped some profound and powerful insights on the human experience and his NFT collection.
It was also a beautiful thing to hear from the women in web3 about how they’re motivated and determined to being pioneers in the space and are working extra hard to ensure they are not pushed to the side in an industry pre-dominantly taken over by men. We need more women in this space to combat the overpopulation of crypto bros, and they certainly held down a strong presence in Denver over the weekend! It was also nice to see audience members asking panellists what they’re doing specifically to support women in the space; it’s relieving to know that this is now the expectation of creators in the space, and we loved to see the measures taking place to ensure equal opportunity for all in web3!
All of the panellists dropped unique perspectives on how web3 is tying into so many different industries, and how everyone in the room had the opportunity to brainstorm together with the event truly being a powerhouse thinktank. Between panel discussions and networking, live art was being created by some of the top artists in the space including Parin Heidari, Gabe Weis, Warhodl, Wes Henry and more, as well as different art and projects being showcased throughout the venue. It was the perfect mix of creativity and innovation and deals and partnerships were being formed left and right - even on stage! Most of the deals were being made by Dylan, who we nicknamed Dealmaker Dylan by the end of the weekend. At the end of the conference side of the day, we had a chance to turn the mic around and interview Dylan about what he’s building with Smash Haus, what it’s like to MC such a ground-breaking event, and what that Th3 Syndicate teaser was all about… although he didn’t say much on that front ;)
After the day of business, brainstorming and networking, it was time to put on our party shoes and head to the Fillmore for a truly VIP experience at the Cherub and Don Diablo show. Attendees of FutureShape360 had VIP access at the concert and got to hang in a private area upstairs fixed with a fully catered dinner, free drinks and the best view of stage in the house. Throughout the venue, there was a huge collection of NFT art to explore, as well as a truly sensory provoking exhibit and display by Galaktic Gang. It was a special experience that further bonded everyone from the event and beyond. The show ended at midnight, but the night was far from over. Enter, Party Animalz…
The after party, hosted by Party Animalz, was held at Choice Market. No, that’s not the edge name of some nightclub. We literally partied in an actual supermarket, and it was what many described as the greatest night of their lives. From 12am-3am, attendees of FutureShape360 took over the market for a night of dancing, live art, and silly ol fun. The DJ was bumping the tunes as drinks were served, and some of the best artists in the space created insane pieces of work all while a dance party was happening around them; both in and out of the aisles (it become quite clear that Mr. David Bianchi was the MVP dancer of the weekend - my man has moves!). Parin, who created much of the art behind the Timepieces Genesis collection, was dancing while drawing sketches of bystanders with both hands at the same time! My mind was blown as I watched creative expression unlocked to its fullest potential. There were also qr codes for free NFTs to be minted from the Stadius app, with 5 different nfts to be collected throughout the venue. With a dying phone on 1%, I was able to claim 2 out of 5 which ended up being a theme for the next few days. Shoutout Sterling.
After one of the best parties I’ve ever attended, we headed back to the hotel to try and get a few hours’ sleep before the final day. I noticed new staff as we walked in - another welcome-beer for me to wrap up a glorious day.
Day 3
I woke up fuzzy on Day 3, but still ready to take on the day and end the weekend with a bang! By the way, those IV drips at the conference came in clutch - the event organizers knew what they were doing in order to keep attendees on their feet!
The day kicked off with an awesome panel discussion with the top artists in web3 who spoke about both the creative and business sides of their work, followed by insightful and eye-opening discussions around web3 and social impact, legacy brands entering the space, the future of the metaverse, a keynote on Movies in Web3 by David Bianchi, and a powerful discussion around data protection, social impact and more by the Great Hack stars and activists Brittany Kaiser and Lauren Bissell. The diversity of knowledge and topics discussed throughout all these panels were unparalleled and reminded me that there’s a place for everyone and every industry in web3 - it just comes down to finding your lane and thinking outside the box to create solutions that make this world a better place. I know for one I was extremely inspired and grateful to share a room with these brilliant, forward-thinking minds who are all putting in the work to build a brighter future, despite the bear market! I’d also like to give a special shoutout to Dylan, who did an amazing job hosting and moderating all panels over the course of the two days, making sure to include the audience in the experience while bringing the energy - and the humor - to these profound chats!
We also had the chance to have lunch with Scott Page while brainstorming some ideas around a super value-packed, artist driven event we are planning for the future - which I won’t share details on just yet! We later interviewed Scott who mentioned to us that one of his favorite parts of the weekend was that there were so many different, unique minds in the room that are now all connected and can come together to build. Whether we work on something together now or reach out in the future for ideas.. This conference essentially created a thinktank of talent that now share a collective network in the space, all because of this amazing event! Throughout lunch, there was also an amazing VR art performance on stage by the super talented and innovative Creatress, where her VR displays, she created while dancing were projected behind her for all to see.
When it was finally time to wrap up, we were joined by artist MannyLinx and CEO/Tiktok Influencer Caleb Roberts for an epic scooter journey home before the final dinner and performances for the night at Reelworks, featuring some more amazing music, and a live minting of the Nfty Tunes collection sharing moments of the musical performances of the night, featuring our friend Scott and many other talented musicians. We partied for one final night with all of the incredible connections that we shared this truly unforgettable experience with. Not only future collaborators, but lifelong friends would come from this.
I made it back to the hotel and tried to claim one more welcome beer, but realized it was the same guy that gave me one the day before. The gig was up; I’d been caught and cut off from what I thought was an endless supply. I guess we can’t have it all.
Did we overstay our welcome-beers? Perhaps.
But did we leave with a new feeling of family, connectedness, and collaboration amongst some amazing human beings? 100%.
This event did an amazing job of blocking out the noise of huge conferences and just ensuring that the right people were in the room, joining forces to connect and map out the future of an industry that’s moving at the speed of light. It’s better to create this space together than attempting to do so on our own. I was not only inspired by what I learned throughout the weekend, but my expectation of what a web3 event *should* be was raised to an all-time high after seeing how Metanoise gracefully blended art, business, innovation, and authentic connections.
Kudos to everyone who brought this experience to life - we’ll see you next year (maybe in Tulum? ;) FutureShape360.
To hear more about our experience at FutureShape360, check out our latest episode of the Nifty Nomads Podcast where we cover the whole event!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ben Yurcisin - ParlayMe Tech Reporter -
I am a serial entrepreneur with a background in engineering and a passion for creating community through fun and value-packed events. As founder of BeYu Labs - a web3 startup focused on empowering web3 entrepreneurship through connections and events - I aim to explore the unique opportunities and potential presented by the rise of NFT culture and future of the internet as we know it. I spend my free time playing guitar, skateboarding, traveling and researching overpriced JPEGs. Join the Discord: bit.ly/beyulabsdiscord