SIP-10: 2024 Budget for Blockchain Events in Asia & LATAM

[Geraldine]

Budget Targeted: SAND INITIATIVES

TL;DR

What	This proposal requests a budget of 94,500 USD in the SAND Initiatives budget for The Sandbox’s activation at major blockchain events in SEA and LATAM in Q4 2024. (See event list below in Event Description)
Why	Regional teams want to represent and activate TSB within those IRL events. Attending these events will boost brand visibility, foster new partnerships, and expand The Sandbox ecosystem.
How	The funds will be allocated to event hosting, sponsorships, and participation.
When	Q4 2024, from mid-September to December
Who	TSB Regions led by Greg Lee.

Vote now

SIP Details

The Sandbox’s presence in key regional markets like Asia and LATAM is essential for expanding our ecosystem and engaging with new users and partners.

This SIP aims to have The Sandbox and The Sandbox DAO presence at these events.

Events Description

Singapore

During Token2049, gathering >30k participants, The Sandbox will sponsor:

#1 Nova, Smobler, a TSB Trusted Partners x Ordinals, 17 September 2024 - 1000 Participants expected.
This unique event promises an immersive blend of technology, culture, and innovation, bringing together industry leaders and visionaries from around the world. Event include:

• Speaker slot to share and create awareness on DAO
• Alpha Season 4 announcement
• ROG handheld devices and Asus AI laptops for attendees to have intuitive interaction with the experiences from TSB and AS4
• Airdrops and mini e-sport tournament for the 3v3 or 4v4 FPS game of Ichorium on TSB, attendees can play and rank on the leaderboard and win the prize pool.
• Exposure to the best web2 and web 3 leads, partnership with Ordinals Summit Republic of Gamers, AWS and all the other sponsors/partners
• Access to the Singapore/Asian market KOL and community in Web2, Web3, Crypto, and Gaming scenes.

Budget requested: 8k USD for sponsorship.

#2 The Sandbox Official Side Event (Name TBC), 18 September 2024 - 150-300

In conjunction with Token2049, The Sandbox will be hosting a 1-day side event especially for community engagement. We expect to reach about 150-500 participants, spread across all sessions to provide a comprehensive outlook on The Sandbox as well as engage the community directly with The Sandbox Team. Our proposed venue will be at an engaging partner-owned venue to allow our community to connect better with the various brands and IPs that we work with.

A full day event broken into 3 parts:

• Community Session - Announcement of the latest TSB Ambassadors to the community as well as an opportunity to introduce various pilot initiatives for community during this session
• LAND Owner VIP Dinner - A private session with the TSB team to talk about the latest updates on The Sandbox as well as the DAO
• Habitat Art Collective - A special showcase of regional up-and-coming artists in Happitat, hosted on The Sandbox. A gallery & auction is also planned to introduce not only the community but artists to the potential of art in the metaverse

Budget requested: 12k USD for hosting.

Hong Kong

#3 BLOCKTOBER HONG KONG, 1 November 2024 - 1000 Participants
Backed by Web3 Harbour and InvestHK, BLOCKTOBER HK is an initiative to bring together global Web3 projects and industry leaders to HK, sailing along the previous success of HK Fintech Week.
The Sandbox is invited by Animoca Brands to participate in its B2C event showcasing its flagship projects and portfolios, also inviting prominent Blockchain infras and Web3 use cases to the showcase. The show will have free admissions to welcome industry as well as the mass public to unveil and explore the technology and latest development of various projects.

Budget requested: Animoca sponsored the raw space but an additional cost in booth build of 20K USD needed.

Thailand

This November, Bangkok is set to become the epicenter of blockchain innovation, hosting premier events such as Thailand Blockchain Week 2024.

#4 Thailand Blockchain Week 2024: November 9-10 at Emsphere

Thailand’s growing interest in blockchain makes it an ideal market for community-driven events. By engaging local audiences through exclusive ticket claims and merchandise, we solidify a loyal user base and foster community spirit.

• Attendees can claim exclusive tickets at the Main Event enhancing community engagement and participation.

Budget requested: 9,500 USD (37,000 SAND) - Holder ticket claim: 2,000 USD, Premium Merch and perk distributions (for the first 200 check-in at Booth): 5,500 USD, Staff and logistics management: 2,000 USD

#5 MEMEFest x Digital DreamLand 2024: November 11-12 at Emsphere

Hosting an interactive booth in Thailand facilitates direct engagement with local audiences, demonstrating The Sandbox’s commitment to the region and fostering real-time interaction with potential users.

It will showcase The Sandbox’s latest innovations and DAO initiatives.

• Expected Outcome: Attract 1,000 booth visitors, collect 1,000 new SAND holders.

Budget requested: 6.5k USD (~ 20,622 SAND) including Sponsorship: 3,500 USD, Booth production and set-up: 3,000 USD.

Brazil

During Brazil Game Show 2024 (BGS), São Paulo, 9-13 October 2024 where 330,000 participants attended (328.503 in 2023), Visitors will find The Sandbox Booth at Hermit Crab Studio (Sandbox Trusted Partners) a Brazilian gaming studio specialized in Sports Games.
The Sandbox booth and activation space of 20m2 include print branding of The Sandbox choosing along with furniture, a table with 6 computers for showcasing experiences and an LED Screen.

Budget requested: 35K USD for hosting on the main event, including TSB booth - Infrastructure, computers, electricity, and internet, PR & MKT (team dedicated to bringing TV Channels, press, and influencers to the booth, expanding TSB exposure beyond BGS), Gifts

Benefit to The Sandbox Ecosystem

• Brand Awareness: Increased visibility through high-profile events.
• Networking and Partnership Building: Establish new partnerships by networking with global blockchain experts and companies. Over 350+ exhibitors and 1,000+ Web3 companies attended.
• Ecosystem Expansion: Attract more users and developers to The Sandbox ecosystem.

Budget requested

The total requested amount from the SAND Initiative budget is 94,500 USD (8% of the Sand Initiative Budget)

• #1 Nova 8k USD for sponsorship.
• #2 The Sandbox Official Side Event: 12k USD for hosting
• #3 Blocktober HONG KONG: 20k USD for booth build.
• #4 Thailand Blockchain Week: 9,5k USD
• #5 MEMEFest x Digital DreamLand 2024: 6,5k USD
• #6 Brazil Game Show: 35k USD for hosting

Implementation Plan

Event	KPI to Follow/ Report	Payment
#1 Singapore, Nova	Attendance Numbers, Reach / Media Coverage, Reach max capacity	8K USD
#2 The Sandbox Official Side Event	Attendance Numbers, Reach / Media Coverage, Reach max capacity	12K USD
#3 Blocktober HK: Promote Beta Season 4	Boost # of players, New account sign-up, # of new partnership leads, # of Media coverage	20K USD
#4 Thailand Blockchain Week	TSB Thailand Social Media Growth	9,5K USD
#5 MEMEFest x Digital DreamLand 2024	TSB Thailand Social Media Growth	6,5K USD
#6 BGS24: Brazil Activation	Activation of 6% of BGS (20,000 players, PR coverage (with influencers & international TV Channel), Growth on TSB Social Media, TSB LATAM Ambassadors	35K USD

Team Attending

Singapore

• Loretta Chen, Co-Founder at Smobler and The Sandbox DAO Advisor. X/Twitter
  

Thailand

• The Sandbox Thailand
• CryptoMind Group (Thailand Blockchain Week Host)
• BitArcade (Digital DreamLand Host)
• 9cat digital (Digital DreamLand M Co-host )

Hong Kong

• The Sandbox Greater China
• Animoca Brands

Brazil

• Matheus Vivian - Co-Founder & CEO @Hermit Crab Studio, a Sandbox Trusted Partners. Advisor at The Sandbox DAO. x.com
• Rodrigo Chips, Business Manager at Hermit Crab Studio - x.com

Voting Options

• Yes, No, Abstain
• Voting period: 14 Days

APPENDIX

Additional Resources

• https://www.asia.token2049.com/
• https://www.blocktober.xyz/
• https://www.thailandblockchainweek.com/
• https://hermitcrabstudio.com/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F08BBM8UBxA

[Lanzer]

Hmmm. This one has me a bit confused. So is this only funding travel and booth fees to acquire new Sandbox gamers?

[MonkeyDLuffy]

I don’t think the budget will be used for travel, since the events are being hosted by the Local team. But yeah, seems like the funding will go to Booth fees, Media coverage, Merch, Networking, Partnerships & Sponsorship.

[Lanzer]

It’s unclear to me what the money is going to. Other than access to new players, what is the DAO getting back?

[iGreg]

Hello Lanzer, thanks for the question.

As for SEA events, requested budget will be used only to set up booths and expand the TSB ecosystem including DAO (networking, media, brand awareness). No pennies will be spent for funding the travel.

Here is what DAO can take in return:

1. We have launched DAO, however still not many people realize that we run DAO to make the TSB operations transparent and decentralized. So it’s not just for new, but for old users as well.
2. Consequently, more DAO voting powers will be gathered upon TSB DAO presence at these events. DAO Advisors will be at the events. More power = more decentralization for the future.
3. We would like to spread out that TSB DAO is here and it can become a role model for upcoming Web 3 gaming projects as it shows the true decentralization.

I believe, TSB overall and TSB DAO are not two separate entities, but rather we share the same goal - to make this project more appealing to everyone who does not know about us. DAO is taking baby steps now. More to grow and more to learn - therefore we need more voters and more recognition.

[dawhat]

Hi Lanzer, just to provide you more context, this SIP is proposed by TSB internal team and is managed or overseen by local team members. It consist of only execution cost and sponsorship if we are leveraging on the events of others.

The goals may vary by event but will include engaging new Web3 communities, expanding social media reach, increasing account sign-ups, branding exposure by leveraging these key events & PR and more.

Through this, we hope to grow the community and value of The Sandbox in the eyes of the community while educating our existing community to participate in The Sandbox DAO. Some events will also take the opportunity to experiment on new engagement mechanics for the community, further enriching the community experience while keeping in view the business goals of TSB.

[Lanzer]

Hey dawhat! That does help me understand this a bit more, thank you.

What about the Brazil activation makes it more expensive than the others?

[dawhat]

I’m not directly involved in the Brazil activation but what I can gather is that the scale is much bigger. Having a booth plus all the infrastructure etc necessary to make an impactful showcase would cost a lot more. If you look at the other events, they’re either sponsorships or smaller venues which requires a lot less setup. From my experience doing larger venues like that, USD35k is considered pretty efficient spending if you also factor that there are fees to also pay to the organiser for such an event.

[HermitCrab]

Hello @Lanzer , thank you for your questions and interest.

The Brazilian activation will happen at Brazil Game Show, the world’s second-largest B2C (Business to Consumer) game event, with over 320.000 visitors. To build a structure like that, with computers, booth, and press coverage. Since TSB is mainly a game, it’s important to showcase it, so people can create new accounts and increase the DAO’s transaction rate.
Last, but not least, there’s not a penny going to travel or hospitalities, this is a 100% budget focused on infrastructure and brand awareness.
If anything else is still unclear, please, let us know!

[Lanzer]

I’m not opposed to funds going to travel, I’m just trying to wrap my head around how the DAO benefits from this increased exposure at these events that is different from TSB. I can’t tell if this expense is something that is normally a TSB expense that the TSB team is requesting be paid through the DAO, or if this is a DAO-specific pursuit with a DAO-specific benefit.

[Lanzer]

Hey! I just finished SANDDAO podcast with Arthemort… Are you all available this coming week to do a podcast episode on your SIP?

edit: at $0.28/SAND as of 4-Aug-24 trading rate, the cost of this SIP is 337,500 SAND from the Sand Initiatives category.

[HermitCrab]

Hello @Lanzer , I’m from Hermit Crab Studio, you can count us in for the podcast! It will be a pleasure! Just let us know, when and how!

[Lanzer]

Awesome! I just sent you a DM on Twitter to secure a time. Looking forward to it!

[Lanzer]

@HermitCrab I sent it to x.com

[Lanzer]

Hey all! I have a podcast interview with this SIP team coming up August 12th via Twitch where I’ll ask them all the questions about this SIP, etc. Updates come from x.com

[Krampus]

There is also, the EVA in Argentina. https://expoeva.com/

last year 18000 atendees, mostly industry. Probably a good place to showcase Sandbox GM and expand creators ecosystem with pro people. btw, Argentina is the biggest crypto invested country in the continent.

[HermitCrab]

Hello @Krampus , that is absolutely true! Thank you for pointing it out! Although, if I’m not mistaken, isn’t EVA something more B2B? Something like Gamescom Latam? We’ve been to both places and usually, we meet a lot of Argentinians in Gamescom Latam (former BIG Festival) but they are traditionally developers. On the other hand, we see a few actual players at BGS from Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile (those are the ones I remember seeing in the last few years), that said, it is important to map these events, so we can look for pushing the DAO forward in LATAM and expand it’s usage.
Hopefully, we’ll be able to discuss this in-depth on @Lanzer 's podcast on Monday.

[Lanzer]

Looking forward to the podcast! I sent you the google slides with all the questions on it.

[Lanzer]

My interview with SIP-8 is posted here: https://youtu.be/YB-SnfWKnl8?si=uR7e78GLw4z5Ll1E

Chips answered the below questions for Hermit Crab Studio in my podcast with him, these are for Smobler and the other studios.

• How much is your attendance at these events centered around the DAO versus TSB or your Studio?
• Smobler is going to Singapore and Hermit Crab is going to BSG, who is going to the other 4 events?
• @iGreg , @dawhat , @MonkeyDLuffy , how do you three play into this SIP?
• Would the other event attendees be willing to print a few banners to solicit DAO conversation from those who visit your booth? Such as the “How it Works” graphic on SandboxDAO.com homepage, Budget & Allocation graphic, and “It’s your time to Govern” graphic, or the Advisory Board/Special Council graphic?

[dawhat]

Hi Lanzer, regarding some of your questions, allow me to elaborate where I can:

1. They way TSB works with its ecosystem partners and the DAO, we really don’t create a distinction when it comes to public facing. Essentially we try to focus attention on all 3 parties during a particular big event. For example, during an event we will have a section with a showcase for builders, a keynote on the DAO and perhaps a space to discuss business for TSB all in the same event. Sometimes we will break it down to different sessions to provide a clearer focus to a respective audience for each. So I wouldn’t say that attendance focus is weighted more one way or the other
2. It wasn’t indicated but for every one of these events, the local TSB teams will be on site. For example, in Southeast Asia, all the TSB country managers from Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand plus its relevant team members as well as Sebastien will be on site. At every one of these events, there will be clear representation from TSB teams. Even the Smobler studio event, Sebastien and the local team will be on site
3. Greg is one of our Global Operations Manager who helped coordinate and put together this SIP as it involved various countries. MonkeyDLuffy is one of our community managers and is helping with providing responses and clarity to some queries here. Myself, I’m the Country Manager for Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines and I’m also supporting Southeast Asian partnerships and will be directly involved or participating in all the Southeast Asian events.
4. For events directly managed by TSB team (which is the majority of events in this SIP), there will definitely be DAO communications. For partners, it does depend but it will mostly be TSB representatives doing a keynote or panel that talks or covers the DAO

I hope these responses answers your questions. Feel free to ask more if you require further elaboration