On 9 May, our first official members’ event took place with over 40 participants at Square, the state-of-the-art building of the University of St. Gallen. The event was an outstanding success and further ignited our shared enthusiasm for the world of Metaverse.

Amidst this remarkable environment, we were immersed in a world of innovative metaverse projects and stimulating discussions that inspired us and made us want to explore the limitless possibilities of this evolving digital landscape.

Our host, Dr Thomas Rudolph from the renowned Institute of Retail Management at the University of St Gallen, opened the event. With his expertise, he illuminated the immense potential that the metaverse holds for us all. His inspiring opening laid the foundation for an exciting and transformative experience.

Afterwards, we received an internal update from the board and the office. This update provided a valuable opportunity for a fruitful exchange of ideas, discussion of various working groups and highlighting notable events and speaker activities. In addition, concrete use cases around the Metaverse were presented.

Roman Eugster presented the vision and approach of Wordline. Their goal is to provide retailers with easy and secure access to the Metaverse and to create a unique Metaverse presence with innovative features such as Metaverse Payments, Target Advertising, Augmented Reality and Phygital Experiences. Wordline has built a shopping mall in the Metaverse (Decentraland) where merchants can easily set up shop and offer products. Products can be purchased with either cryptocurrencies or regular credit cards, eliminating the need for a wallet.

In the area of e-sports, Yonghan Lee presented AEX-1’s virtual fan zone and various approaches to brand activation in gaming. Here, too, it was shown that the Metaverse offers many possibilities and great potential in the consumer sector. In AEX-1’s fanzone, not only can merchandise or trading cards of the e-sportsmen be bought, but there are also various Easter Eggs in the form of riddles that can be solved. Those who solve the puzzles receive a discount or even a free product.

David Geisser, CEO and co-founder of collect ID, a startup that uses blockchain, NFC and NFT technology to give products a digital ID and thus uniqueness, presented his project with Hugo Boss. The collect ID team has digitised the physical products of Hugo Boss. The project shows how important it is to use the convergence between the physical and digital worlds to improve the customer experience. By offering immersive experiences, product passes and digital wearables based on physical products, this collaboration sets a new standard for user engagement and paves the way for future innovation in this area.

The event was a dynamic platform where knowledge was shared, connections fostered and innovative ideas exchanged. We would like to thank Dr Thomas Rudolph, our esteemed Board of Directors and the speakers for their valuable contributions, as well as all participants who helped make this event a resounding success. We are already looking forward to our next meeting!

Some impressions: