Passage Protocol, a software company that provides Web3 solutions for consumer-facing brands, is partnering with D2, a leading retail conference and expo organizer, to launch an interactive digital collectible (NFT) for the attendees of the upcoming Retail Innovation Conference & Expo (RICE).
RICE, which is running from June 13-15, is part of the D2: Retail Edition event that features over 100 sessions and 150+ speakers from some of the most prominent brands and retailers in the industry, such as General Mills, Coach, NBCUniversal, Liquid Death, Puma, Walmart, AT&T, Monster Energy, Walgreens, and more.
The NFT, which was airdropped for free to any registered D2/RICE attendee at the start of the conference, allows users to access exclusive content, join social communities, and participate in a raffle during the event. The NFT will also evolve as the conference progresses, reflecting the user’s engagement and activity.
The NFT is powered by Passage Protocol’s Dynamic NFT API (DNA), a tool that enables brands to create customizable and programmable NFTs that can interact with various Web3 and Web2 platforms. Passage Protocol also offers other enterprise-grade tools such as Tollbooth, a gateway for tokenized access and payments, and Fuze CDP, a customer data platform that leverages blockchain technology.
Much more than a collectable
Meral Arik, co-founder at Passage Protocol, said that the partnership with D2 aims to explore the potential of Web3 concepts for brands and retailers. “As Passage is a sought after expert in helping companies and brands bridge their digital strategies into Web3, it made sense for Passage to also provide Web3 infrastructure support during D2 and across conferences extending beyond 2023,” she said.
Zac Choi, co-founder at Passage Protocol, added that the NFT is more than just a collectible, but rather a unique touchpoint and a reason to engage with the conference and its interactive content. He also said that Passage Protocol’s role extends beyond the one-time drop during this year’s D2: Retail Edition conference, continuing in October at an event to be announced soon, while serving as a membership framework outside of the live events space.
“It’s all about establishing real capabilities around important, emerging technology. For retailers, this means understanding that Web3 should be viewed as a new, digital capability – rather than a single mechanism or use case,” he said.
Passage Protocol has a deep history of consumer LTV strategy and data science, and builds modular, composable, highly extensible software that can directly integrate into existing crypto and token mechanisms, as well as off-chain traditional systems inherent in loyalty & reward programs.
“The days of just slapping an image on an NFT and calling that a ‘membership pass’ are over. Instead, we encourage the communities we work with to think about how they can leverage Web3 to create more value for their customers and members,” Choi said.
You can register for D2: Retail Edition and RICE, at https://d2retail.com/.
