Welcoming approximately 140 contemporary artists to the sands of Miami Beach in the quintessential beachside pavilion, SCOPE is an international contemporary art show that has generated over one billion in sales and attracts a global audience of millions. Given the recent rise of NFTs and SCOPE’s penchant for embracing cutting-edge technology and trends, it’s only fitting that access to the show can be granted via a custom-designed NFT ticket, made possible by Web3 ticketing company YellowHeart for the second year in a row.
YellowHeart is the same company behind the release of the first NFT music album by Kings of Leon and the creators of NFT “golden tickets" with lifetime VIP access to the band’s concerts.
The SCOPE x YellowHeart NFT tickets present exclusive, interactive experiences provided by blockchain technology and are digitally animated by artists Mason Rothschild and Cool Cats, acclaimed creators in the metaverse.
We sit down with YellowHeart founder and CEO Josh Katz to dive into how NFT ticketing works and why NFTs are the perfect match for large-scale live events, specifically in the art realm.
How is YellowHeart bringing NFTs to live events?
YellowHeart is a Web3 marketplace for ticketing events, spanning art fairs, to concerts, to conferences, to sports games. When people think of ticketing today, they often envision a plain piece of paper with a barcode. This is traditional ticketing, and it couldn’t be further from what we’re doing at YellowHeart. Traditional tickets are used as an entry point and when they’re scanned at the door, they die.
When Web3 tickets are scanned, they actually come to life. Our tickets are packaged with streamable audio and visual content, exclusive merchandise, physical redeemables such as a framed art piece and the ability to facilitate two way communication with artists and fans. This means that artists can airdrop benefits and messages to fans before, during and after events, such as food and beverage credits, VIP access and memorabilia.
Essentially, our mission is to bring the “live” back to live events. We want to cut out the middle man so artists and fans can engage more intimately not only during events, but before and after.
Why did you want to target Miami as your next market?
I spend a lot of time in Miami. On a personal level, it’s easily one of my favorite cities. Miami has one of the most culturally rich and eclectic art scenes in the world. This is something I’ve always appreciated and it’s been exciting to watch people around the world catch on to this more and more with every passing year.
A lot of my work in the city has been focused on building nightclubs, restaurants and other venues. I’ve attended Winter Music Conference for upwards of 25 years and Ultra Music Festival close to every year since it started. I realized quickly that people go to Miami for an experience, but when they leave the city, brands and event organizers have no way to continue to communicate with them. Web3 changes this.
When I first started YellowHeart before the pandemic, I saw a massive opportunity to add value to live events in Miami, whether it be an art show or concert, by introducing people to Web3 tickets. There’s also lots of room to amplify platforms for digital artists in the city, especially those who are active in or curious about Web3. This is exactly what we’re doing with SCOPE Art Fair at Art Basel this year. Our Web3 tickets feature artwork from two iconic artists in the Web3 space—Cool Cats and Mason Rothschild.
Tell me more about about your partnership with SCOPE.
This is our second year creating Web3 tickets for Scope's Art Fair at Art Basel. During our first conversation with SCOPE’s founder, Alexis Hubshman, it was clear that he quickly understood all of the benefits that can be packaged into Web3 tickets and why they’re impactful for both attendees of his show, as well as collaborating artists. Our Web3 tickets this year unlock access to 130 international galleries for SCOPE’s exclusive beachside exhibition.
View this post on Instagram
Can you walk me through the design and build of your NFT tickets to SCOPE's Art Show at Art Basel?
Definitely. As I mentioned, this year our Web3 tickets feature exclusive art from the acclaimed artists Cool Cats and Mason Rothschild. Both are world-renowned creators in the Web3 space and have produced work worth millions of dollars. This means that SCOPE Web3 ticket holders will have the opportunity to resell their tickets after the show since they’re programmed with art that significantly ups their value. Both our VIP and Premium Web3 tickets offer additional perks, such as art previews and the option to bring a plus one.
Why did you select Cool Cats and Mason Rothschild as the artists for this project?
As the art experts, I have to give the credit to Alexis and his talented team at SCOPE for choosing Cool Cats and Mason Rothschild for this project. Both artists created immersive, animated custom pieces for our tickets. The feedback from their fans and people attending SCOPE’s Art Fair that are new to their work has truly been incredible.
It will be exciting to see the life of their artwork live on after the event, either with the Web3 ticket holders who first purchased them, or to fans who buy them on the secondary market. A portion of proceeds from Web3 tickets purchased on the secondary market will go directly back to Cool Cats and Mason Rothschild, which means they’ll continue to take in revenue from their work as it moves around on the blockchain.
How are your tickets different from traditional tickets?
Our Web3 tickets completely transform the experience of attending events for fans. We can package tickets with as many benefits as the ticket issuer, whether it be an event organizer or artist, wants. As I mentioned, streamable media, exclusive physical redeemables and food and beverage credits are a few examples. The ticket issuer also has the ability to offer fans perks before and after events, such as first access to future shows and exhibitions. One benefit that I’m incredibly proud of is our ability to continue to compensate artists with revenue from secondary sales, which isn’t possible with traditional tickets.
Do you have any other upcoming NFT activations in Miami?
We do! In fact, right before SCOPE’s Art Fair at Art Basel, we’ll be Web3 ticketing a conference for the largest Web3 events facilitator, DECENTRAL, right in Miami. We have two ticket variations—GA and VIP. Both unlock full access to the conference, keynote and panel sessions, as well as the opportunity to network with 5,000+ attendees sitting at the intersection of art, music and culture.
Photography by: Jeff Greenberg/Getty Images
