May 17, 2023 - Things to Do

VeeCon brings social media influencers to Indy

James Briggs

Gary Vaynerchuk, Eva Longoria, Maha Abouelenein and Huda Kattan pose together at the first VeeCon in Minneapolis. — Gary Vaynerchuk, Eva Longoria, Maha Abouelenein and Huda Kattan at the first VeeCon last year in Minneapolis. Photo: Daniel Zuchnik/Getty Images for Huda Kattan

It's time for VeeCon, a one-of-a-kind conference you've likely never heard of and might have trouble getting into.

Driving the news: Internet-famous Gary Vaynerchuk, a self-described "serial entrepreneur," is holding his tech, marketing, pop culture and thought leadership mashup in Indianapolis.

He's advertising A-list celebrity guests, including Drew Barrymore, Jessica Alba and Neil Patrick Harris.

Why it matters: Vaynerchuk, known as Gary Vee, has a large following in digital media and tech circles, and VeeCon could introduce a broad mix of influencers to Indianapolis.

More than 175 speakers with a combined social media following of more than 125 million are scheduled to appear, per the IBJ.

Details: VeeCon is estimating 7,500 attendees at Lucas Oil Stadium Thursday through Saturday.

Attendees need crypto wallets to buy non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, which serve as tickets.

Flashback: Last year's VeeCon — the first one, held in Minneapolis — was a faddist crypto fest held at almost the precise moment when digital currency started tanking, The Verge reported at the time.

Attendees included "celebrities, influencers, and a new class of tech oligarchs" swooning for Vaynerchuk's cult of personality, per The Verge.

The intrigue: Crypto was in freefall in late 2022 as faith in digital assets suffered amid the FTX scandal and the collapse of other notable crypto companies, but it has bounced back lately, Axios' Nathan Bomey writes.

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VeeCon brings social media influencers to Indy

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