Apecoin DAO First IRL Event on New Year’s Eve 2022
Proposal Category: Ecosystem Fund Allocation
Abstract:
An event to bring the Apecoin community together for the first time IRL in an inclusive, innovative and collaborative way. This event builds the infrastructure for an annual Apecoin DAO meetup and showcases various use cases of Apecoin as a Utility Token for Community Building (Social Token), Decentalized Governance and Philanthropy. The event is designed for 1000 guests, on New Year’s Eve (31 Dec 2022), at the TWA Hotel, JFK Airport, New York. Anyone holding at least 1 $ape has a chance to attend. There is also an in-built year-long philanthropy component where we collectively equip and send 100 kids to school (85% > girls) in Africa who would otherwise not get an education. This is a long-term community-building project aiming to develop more value and utility for Apecoin DAO membership. The proposal costs 180k $Ape (0.038% of the DAO treasury), equivalent of $748k for the event and $60k for the philanthropy component + 10% contingency funds.
IRL features include 6 hours of luxury brands open-bar plus passed wine and prosecco, a round-the-world culinary experience incl. butler passed hors d’oeuvre and chef attended dinner stations, Apecoin swag, live music and entertainment, at a grand and spectacularly unique location boasting 50,000 square feet (4600 m2) of mid-century modern architecture that you may remember from an iconic shot in the movie Catch Me if You Can! The venue also features a heated infinity pool with a covered bar overlooking JFK bustling runway, a vintage airplane bar on the tarmac and the world’s largest sunken lounge. On-site accommodation in ultra-quiet and stylish rooms overlooking the runway or terminal can be booked by guests at a special rate. Helicopter transfer available on demand to/from Manhattan operated by Blade. Virtual features include a token-gated discord server for Apecoin DAO community and event attendees, visual storytelling and memorialization via sharable videos, token-gated live streaming of event’s highlights, subsidized travel expenses via a share of tickets royalties. For a full list of Features and Benefits see Table 1.
About Me:
Motivation or why the APE Community should implement the proposal?
Apefest 2021 provided the space and IRL infrastructure for the BAYC/MAYC community to come to life in unparalleled ways that are still echoing in the ecosystem and beyond. This AIP aims to bring the Apecoin Community together IRL for the first time and benefit the $ape ecosystem in an inclusive, tangible and meaningful way. The event’s “utility” extends beyond the IRL event itself. This is reflected in the ticketing mechanism, the visual content creation component, IRL and online space/opportunity for networking and socializing between DAO members, and a year-long program of philanthropy with regular updates and potential for a feature-length documentary film.
There is a strong focus in this proposal on transparency and making sure the community is informed, involved and benefits from the event. This is achieved via regular Twitter Spaces in collaboration with other community members to raise awareness for promotional and educational purposes as well as a dedicated discord server for networking and sharing updates and announcements. There are also opportunities for community members within the ape ecosystem to get involved in the event planning, production and delivery with their own products, services and ideas together building the foundation for an annual Apecoin DAO meetup. My role as the non-profit executive event’s producer is to coordinate and streamline the efforts of different departments with the help of a professional local event’s production team to ensure continuity and risk management throughout the process while building a powerful narrative of inclusivity, utility and philanthropy. All these components are geared towards fulfilling and showcasing the DAO’s guiding values in a meaningful and actionable way:
“Boldness: We don’t shy away from the weird, the hard, or the new.
Equality: One APE equals one APE.
Transparency: Processes and decisions are shared openly with the community.
Collective Responsibility: We leave everything better than we found it.
Persistence: Success is an ouroboros, not a straight line.”
Specifications and Unique Features:
The Event has a range of state-of-the-art IRL and virtual features that benefit 1000 attendees, the wider ape community and beyond.
Here is a video tour of the venue to give you some idea of how cool, unique and grand the space is: Inside The Best Luxury Airport Hotel In The US - YouTube
You can also have a sneak peek through this clip from Louis Vuitton’s Cruise 2020 Fashion Show Louis Vuitton Cruise 2020 Fashion Show Highlights | LOUIS VUITTON - YouTube
Or review the potential of the entire Event’s Centre in the TWA Hotel Events’ Kit: https://www.twahotel.com/sites/default/files/2021-04/TWA_Hotel_%20Events.pdf
TABLE 1.
Invite Mechanism and ticketing:
Anyone holding at least 1 $Ape can have a chance to receive an invite for up to 2 guests. This is the first step towards removing the financial barrier to entry and making the event accessible and inclusive. 400 wallet addresses are chosen randomly from this group. They can mint up to 2 tickets per wallet for 100 $Ape each which will be refunded to the wallet holding the ticket upon attendance. This mechanism will significantly reduce the risk of no-shows while keeping the event free for attending raffle winners.
To increase everyone’s chance to attend the party, tickets can be listed or transferred. This mechanism enables the raffle winner to still benefit even if they are unable to attend. Others not lucky to win a ticket can potentially acquire one on the secondary market.
To further appreciate participation and make tickets more affordable for guests who did not win the raffle, 50% of any royalties from the sale of tickets on the secondary market will be refunded to the wallets attending the event.
70 tickets are reserved for […] to further acknowledge and reward early participation in DAO governance. Details not disclosed to the public at this stage.
30 tickets are reserved for the media and community leaders with the aim of promoting and raising awareness about Apecoin DAO in the wider web3 community as well as in mainstream media.
Continuity and Sustainability Plans:
This project aims to establish the foundation and infrastructure for an annual Apecoin DAO meetup. If this event is successful, future events will not be dependent on the DAO for funding and can self-fund via ticket sales and sponsorships. This is also the case for the philanthropy component of the project which has the potential to (at least partly) self-fund to continue to send these 100 kids and other children to school for more years.
Steps to Implement and costs:
Steps already completed (cost $0 to the DAO):
• Researching potential venues that can accommodate +1000 people with a unique and stylish atmosphere offering a high-quality culinary experience.
• Over 30 days of calls, meetings and negotiations with the venue to secure it exclusively for a 1000 people party on New Year’s Eve and making relevant arrangements for various areas of service provided directly by the venue.
• Fair and inclusive design of guest-list and ticketing mechanism.
• Securing live performance by OG musician xxx; Name(s) to remain a surprise to the public at this stage.
• Preparing this AIP from idea conception to Idea stage including more than 7 days of interactive discussions by the community, to AIP draft, review and finally getting it on Snapshot for a vote.
Remaining steps to implement and costs (cost 180k $Ape)
• Token-gated Discord server. (0XSword, 250 $ape + 2 tickets, due 20 Oct 2022)
• Art department: NFT ticket and commemorative coin design (Due 20 Oct 2022, 400 $ape + 2 tickets)
• Website design (Due last week of Oct 2022)
• Spaces throughout the voting week to raise awareness, answer questions and invite collaborations and sponsorships. (Last week of Oct 2022 and bi-weekly until the day of the event)
• Website and mint page live (Due 48 hours after the vote, first week of Nov 2022; Minting and primary sale to end by 04 Nov; courtesy of Manifold, $0 cost to DAO)
• LLC registration, Bank accounts and venue deposit (Finalized and paid by 07 Nov 2022, $200k)
• Second half of payment to the venue (by 18th Nov 2022, $200k)
• Token-Proof package: $5 per ticket ($5000)
• Event production: Multiple trips to the venue, meetings with the events’ centre staff and third-party suppliers, musicians, lighting, entertainment, AV support, florist, helicopter transport for guests, and other event planning details and logistics including production of any branded Apecoin promotional material or decorations, IRL ticketing items such as wristbands, admission and security staff until the day of the event. (Week 2 of Nov to week 4 Dec, Novocrypto executive event’s producer cost only expenses estimated at 3k $Ape, Local Event production and management partner, cost 15% of the overall production cost, not including any costs directly charged by the venue at $45k)
• Finalizing Live music arrangements including musicians, staffing, AV, lights, stage, etc: (Week 2 of Nov to event’s date, $160k)
• Entertainment crew: $15k
• Apecoin branded decorations and swag including a commemorative coin and any sponsored ape branded goodies: $55k
• Admission Staff and items for 1000 guests: $20k
• Professional photographer, photo boot and polaroid cameras for guests: $15k
• Videography team including 360/VR livestreaming of some of the event’s highlights: $18k
Steps to implement: Philanthropy
Steps already taken (all costs paid so far by @novocrypto):
• Eligible children identified in Abuja, Nigeria.
• Written consent acquired from parents and guardians.
• Details recorded for each of the 100 children including current educational status, any special needs and other details such as age and gender.
• Private schools identified. Agreements reached and admission confirmation letters granted.
• Suppliers identified and wholesale price agreed for school items such as books, bags, stationary, shoes, uniforms, etc.
• Logistical arrangements made such as transport to and from school.
• 12 kids already fully equipped and sent to school with my personal funds @novocrypto and the whole process documented by documentary photographer and local philanthropist @RetakeFilm on the ground in Abuja, Nigeria.
Steps to implement after receiving the funds for the 100 kids
• Creation of a website for the project to go live in Q1 2023.
• Minting documentary photography of the Genesis 100 for on chain documentation purposes and to raise awareness about the project.
• Deployment of funds over instalments (quarterly) to local team member @retakefilm for hiring an assistant, setting up a small home office, procuring supplies and paying school tuitions and logistics for the 100 kids’ education for one year. All of these payments will be accompanied with official receipts and invoices and recorded in a section of the website for transparency reasons. Identifiable details will be blacked out for security and privacy reasons.
• Regular updates (quarterly) on the kid’s education and progress status via school’s official channels as well as other creative ways of allowing the kids to express their own assessment of the education via art initially and later in writing once they have advanced to reading and writing level.
• Potential travel to Nigeria and production of a full-length documentary film at the end of the school year (September 2023) showcasing an example of Apecoin powered philanthropy. (@novocrypto, not costed at this stage)
Overall Cost for this AIP:
$748k NYE’s party + 10% contingency fund (currently 180k $Ape)
$60k philanthropy + 10% contingency fund (currently 14.6k $Ape)
Let’s discuss more offline! As I mentioned before, I’d love for this to be a collective effort by active members and other builders in the ape ecosystem as much as possible. 
Thanks a lot for reading the proposal and joining the discussion! Appreciate your engagement! I follow forever apes on Twitter but am not fully familiar with their work. Thanks for suggesting. Are you part of their team?
