“We believe that the Metaverse is going to profoundly change the way people work, live and entertain themselves,” says Kamel Amroune, CEO of The Dots. He tells us about MetaverseMonth, an event focusing on the impact of this concept on the business world. Interview.
How would you define Metaverse?
Imagine a world where you could sit on the same couch as a friend who lives thousands of kilometers away or conjure up a virtual version of your workplace while at the beach! Welcome to the Metaverse: A vision of the future that sounds fantastical, but on which tech titans like Facebook and Microsoft are betting is the next great leap in the evolution of the Internet. After web pages, mobile applications and social networks, the Metaverse is taking shape as the next breakthrough in e-commerce. The expectation is that brands will be able to sell both physical and virtual goods – such as a pair of digital sneakers for a user's avatar – or services – online sports lessons, for instance. Already fashion and sportswear brands, including Nike, Gucci, Adidas and Balenciaga, have rushed into it. The Dots think that 20 years after the first steps of Second Life, the age of the Metaverse is upon us.
"The expectation is that brands will be able to sell both physical and virtual goods through the Metaverse"
Can you describe the MetaverseMonth in a few words?
We believe that the Metaverse is going to profoundly change the way people work, live, and entertain themselves. But what exactly is it? How might it impact you and the organizations you are working with? And where does a company have to position itself today to be capable of being part of that next growth phase? These questions will be addressed during MetaverseMonth, a new initiative by The Dots. Never seen before in Luxembourg or abroad it consists of a series of events taking place throughout May. MetaverseMonth's program will cover such topics as cryptoassets, e-commerce, gaming, customer behavior, blockchain, NFTs, cybersecurity, ethics, Web 3.0, personal data protection, regulation issues, to name a few. The project aims at involving the market’s key movers and shakers as well as the newbies. MetaverseMonth is for everyone interested in tech, innovation and digital. Anyone can have fun and learn by joining a nearby event. Businesses and organizations can take part in MetaverseMonth by organizing their own happening. All they need to do is pick a topic or a target audience and add their event to the program.
How is the financial industry impacted by these trends?
Chris Skinner, a sought-after commentator on the financial markets and FinTech, defines the Finverse as a concept "where the Metaverse and crypto come together." This is why MetaverseMonth's agenda will culminate on May 18th with the Finverse Forum, one of the highlights of the tech, innovation and digital scene in 2022. The event invites the public to discover the world of augmented and virtual realities applied to finance through the interventions of entrepreneurs, investors, collectors, artists, lawyers and regulatory representatives. It will help attendees, on one hand, to better understand what’s behind the Finverse and, on the other hand, to deal in depth with this new financial universe. The Finverse Forum includes a keynote conference, a showroom, a networking lunch as well as a seated dinner for 120 people. On this occasion, The Dots will produce, in partnership with the French painter and sculptor Raphaël Laventure, an NFT artwork that will be offered for sale in April.