INDIANAPOLIS—Gary Vaynerchuk, more commonly known as Gary Vee, is a social media-savvy serial entrepreneur who found stardom sharing advice on the internet about finding happiness and achieving professional success. His empire has grown to include tens of millions of followers across social platforms, a net worth in the ballpark of $200 million, and a slew of namesake companies—including a communications company, VaynerX; a media company, VaynerMedia; an NFT company, VeeFriends; and a multiday super conference, VeeCon.
VeeCon made headlines in 2022 for its first iteration by being the first-ever NFT-ticketed conference of its kind. In 2023, its impressive lineup is equally headline-worthy, with more than 200 celebrity speakers and famed experts covering topics such as business, pop culture, music, marketing, Web3, and more. Oh, and this year’s tickets also came in the form of non-fungible tokens.
VeeCon 2023 took place May 18-20 at White River State Park and Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Tickets were available “exclusively for VeeFriends Series 1 digital token holders,” explained Andy Krainak, the president of VeeFriends.
True to Gary Vee's identity as a motivational speaker, the conference's programming boasted more than 200 speakers in 65-plus panels.Photo: Courtesy of VeeCon
New this year, “VeeCon introduced a virtual digital concierge service called VeeCon Concierge to assist attendees with all ticketing questions. A dedicated team was available to personally walk people through how to set up their first digital wallets,” Krainak said.
Around 5,000 people attended the three-day event, where programming consisted of more than 65 panels featuring the likes of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton chairman and CEO Anish Melwani; Bobbi Brown of Jones Road Beauty; the CMO of JPMorgan Chase, Carla Hassan; and Gary Vee himself.
Individual panels were part of one out of five tracks: Business, Marketing, Technology, Innovation, and Popular Culture. “There were sessions around how innovation shapes culture and identity, and the evolving relationship between business, technology, and popular culture,” Krainak said—fitting for a conference named after Vaynerchuk, who's known for his speeches.
Drew Barrymore (left), the founder of Barrymore Brands, spoke on a panel about the catalyst for starting her business, plus how she balances being a mother and a boss simultaneously.Photo: Courtesy of VeeCon
Other famous names on the speaker roster: Drew Barrymore, Jessica Alba, Neil Patrick Harris, and Deepak Chopra. Headlining entertainment included a set by comedian Andrew Schulz and singer Jordin Sparks.
Krainak told BizBash that “Gary Vaynerchuk personally curated the lineup of business experts and pop culture icons [so that] the full programming would bring the most value to the audience of future entrepreneurs, creators, and business leaders.”
Offstage, guests were invited to explore the VeeFriends Museum and a signature GaryVee Garage Sale, which Krainak described as “a signature destination for collectibles such as sports cards and sneakers.”
There were also 13 separate NFT-centered activations, an art gallery with 25 artists from the Web3 community, and more than 10 ancillary experiences courtesy of VeeCon’s partners, including Bose, Meta Quest, Visa, and Pepsi, just to name a few.
Keep scrolling to see more from inside the self-proclaimed super conference…
Interactive Entertainment Group was on-site with its Ultimate Sports Arena sponsored by Bud Light. This football simulation, produced with Experience Revere, allowed attendees to step onto a virtual field, test their throwing skills, and engage in friendly competitions.Photo: Courtesy of Interactive Entertainment Group
VeeCon is just one of many namesake companies Gary Vaynerchuk started as a result of his fame. His empire also includes a communications company, VaynerX; a media company, VaynerMedia; and an NFT company, VeeFriends.Photo: Courtesy of VeeCon
Stand-up comedian Andrew Schulz headlined the conference with a set. Jordin Sparks also sang.Photo: Courtesy of VeeCon
Neil Patrick Harris (left) detailed the story of his success during an onstage panel. Other famous names in the lineup: Jessica Alba, Tim Tebow, and Deepak Chopra.Photo: Courtesy of VeeCon
Tickets were exclusively available for for VeeFriends Series 1 digital token holders.Photo: Courtesy of VeeCon
![For the after-party, Event Eleven built three 30-foot pagodas and hung 300 lanterns from the ceiling. They also brought in a 20-foot-tall bonsai tree and a variety of 30-foot red maples, along with other greenery and foliage. '[It all] helped create the organic atmosphere and helped transport guests into a gardenlike room,' said Schubert.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2024/02/Shogun.41_f.65dba8f23433b.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)
