What Happened at NFT Paris 2023?
From February 24-25, the biggest NFT event in Europe returned to Paris for the second year in a row – but did it live up to the hype?
MARCH 13, 2023. NEWS. WRITTEN BY JOHN NICHOLS.
Paris; the city of lights, love, and now… NFTs?
NFT Paris, the largest NFT event in Europe, took place from February 24-25 at the Grand Palais Éphémère, a stones-throw from the Eiffel Tower. Attendees from around the world descended on the French capital in a global gathering of the web3 community, with esteemed speakers, exciting side-events and surprising guests.
With brands in attendance including LVMH and Salesforce, speakers including Greg Solano and Julian Holguin, and representatives from the French government such as Jean-Noël Barrot and Brigitte Macron, hype reached fever pitch – but did it live up to expectations?
Pro: Attendance
With 500 attendees in 2022, a prediction of 8,000 attendees seemed ambitious. That wasn’t even close.
18,000 visitors descended upon the axis of the Champs de Mars in Paris’ 7th arrondissement, and despite the Grand Palais Éphémère being a temporary replacement for the Grand Palais (undergoing renovations ahead of the 2024 Olympics), NFT Paris did well to manage the crowds.
Yes, the long queues and limited refreshments had an impact, but the sheer level of attendance was truly a sight to behold.
The lineup for @nft_paris outside the Grand Palais Ephémère is very #web2 this morning. Clearly this crowd thinks the death of #NFTs has been greatly exaggerated. pic.twitter.com/wr4neVGp9R
— Jeffrey Haas (@TatsuTweets) February 24, 2023
Con: Focus
For an event attended by all walks of the web3 industry, fashion and fine art were the focus – for better or worse.
NFT Paris featured, and was supported by, a whole range of art & fashion focus events, such as the Future Fashion Summit on Feb 22, two live mints and multiple on-the-ground exhibitions.
To be clear, we’re big supporters of NFT art in all of its guises, but for the gaming or collectibles-focused attendees, the main event provided little to write home about.
Pro: Side Events
Anyone who’s attended a big NFT conference will tell you; it’s the side events that make it all worthwhile – and boy, did NFT Paris deliver.
From Web3FC’s inaugural event and the DeGods x Pudgy Penguins boat party, to Rug Radio Vibes in Paris and the DeadFellaz afterparty, the who’s who of NFT Twitter were out in force to make their time in Paris one to remember.
When the web3 community comes together, good vibes are guaranteed – and the home-grown gatherings at NFT Paris certainly did not disappoint.
The importance of KnownOrigin Creator Contracts! 👀🔥📝
We spoke with @betty_nft & KnownOrigin creators during @nft_paris about the amazing new features and benefits included in our new creator-owned contracts, and the @deadfellaz collection, 'Draw The Undead' Season 2! pic.twitter.com/CnDNN6yuMM— KnownOrigin.io (@KnownOrigin_io) March 10, 2023
Con: Program
The strength of any event lives and dies by who is on stage and how long they’re given. NFT Paris did an okay job, but it could’ve been better.
In a trend that’s becoming commonplace at large-scale NFT events, too many sponsors were given too much time to shill, whilst the headline panels that everyone gathered for were pushed for time, robbing the audience of crucial soundbites.
With many of the strongest discussions happening at the Side Events mentioned, better coordination could have made the main event less corporate, more community.
Conclusion
Compared to the inaugural 2022 event, it’s hard to say that NFT Paris was anything other than an unmitigated success.
Amidst shaky market conditions, to gather that many enthusiasts, brands and figures in the City of Love was a triumph. The focus and program issues were a blip on the radar of an otherwise fantastic event, and we’re sure there’s already some counting down the days to the 2024 edition.
With similarly positive reception to ETH Denver a few weeks back, all signs are looking up as we roll towards the king of NFT events, NFT.NYC.
To learn more about NFT Paris, head to their website.
