Friends With Benefits

Authors: Joshua Phelps, Lia Godoy, Alex Zhang, Greg Bresnitz, Paul Tao

Abstract

Friends With Benefits aims to pioneer a new event series at the renowned Mexico City Art Week, encompassing Zona Maco, Feria Material, and Salón Acme art fairs and much more from nearly every gallery in the city. The Casa FWB initiative will introduce a 1-2 day conference experience focused on the convergence of art, digital culture, and web3. Our vision is to bridge the traditional art world with emerging crypto-native creators and communities through activations like site-specific art installations, digital displays, artist talks, and more.

Motivation

Mexico City Art Week, often referred to as Mexico City’s Art Basel, attracts over 80,000 attendees globally. There’s a growing appetite for understanding how art and digital culture can co-exist and thrive in crypto. With FWB’s track record of curating influential conversations, this event will serve as a platform to redefine digital art beyond digital displays and PFPs and also allow FWB to plant its flag at a relevant moment that is less crowded with competing web3 culture organizations.

Additionally, by creating another flagship event for FWB besides FWB Fest, we introduce an opportunity to create a more well rounded and holistic offering to our global partners.

Impact on Community

1. Offer established LATAM artists, members and adjacent communities a curated space to showcase their art and connect.

2. Establish a new in-person convening point for FWB members in a more geographically diverse region.

3. Create another revenue driving opportunity and brand activation in addition to FWB Fest.

4. Increase FWB’s visibility in traditional art spaces.

Ways to be Involved

1. Exhibition Sponsorship: Partners can co-present and become title sponsors for the digital and physical sculpture exhibition. This includes branding on all digital platforms, signage, and the main entrance.

2. Event Hosting: Organizations can co-host branded cafe and happy hours, expanding their invitation list to engage stakeholders and community members.

3. Co-curating Programs: Engage in co-curating programming inside the venue to exhibit expertise and position in front of a creatively and technologically advanced audience.

Description

Venues are still in early exploration mode, but we have identified a few options in the heart of Mexico City and will be working with local production teams to ensure high production value. FWB members would have a private area only available to members and contributing partners.

Sample Schedule:

All day - coffee and snacks

12:00 – Venue & Exhibition Opens

14:00 – Programming, Talks, Music

17:00 – Cocktail Hour

22:00 – Ticketed Party

• Gallery & Exhibition Potential

• FWB to transform an old-world venue into a new world experience – featuring best in class digital art alongside physical sculpture.

• Our aim is to contextualize digital art in a new capacity, demonstrating that it has more to offer than PFPs on Samsung screens.

• Programming

• Robust programming on where art and technology intersect, and its purported future, will anchor the multi day experience.

• FWB has a history of curating and producing seminal conversations at its annual FWB FEST, and bringing this into a more global context is incredibly exciting.

• Cocktail and Cafe Hours

• Key community moments like cocktail hours and will converge bright minds and creative artists for focused conversation and moments of connection.

• Ticketed Parties

• FWB will partner with established fairs and galleries to include access to the best nightlife during the week.

• We are well positioned to partner their signature, nighttime events and anniversaries as an added benefit to FWB members, contributing artists and attendees of FWB programming/Casa FWB,.

We are also well positioned to partner with established fairs on their signature, nighttime events as an added benefit to FWB members, contributing artists and attendees of FWB programming/Casa FWB

Success Metrics & KPIs

1. Secure at least $30,000 in sponsorship revenue to produce.

2. Collaborate with Mexican and other LATAM artists, partners, and vendors or local communities in programming.

3. Secure a minimum of 500 RSVPs to FWB’s programming at Mexico City Art Week that will run through Gatekeeper

4. Generate new opportunities for contributing artists to expand their network and generate commissioned artworks.

5. Achieve a 25% increase in awareness and engagement on FWB’s digital platforms during and post-event.

Key Considerations

1. Strategic Partnerships: Lock in relevant partnerships before moving forward with any production.

2. Cultural Sensitivity: Ensure the event respects and celebrates Mexico’s rich cultural heritage and legacy.

3. Logistics and Infrastructure: Collaborate closely with local entities to ensure smooth logistics, especially with the transformation of traditional venues into digital realms.

Budget

Revenue (no funds from FWB Treasury)