Official SXSW immersive creative technology event in collaboration with Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce, Republic of Gamers, The Sandbox, Unstoppable Domains and Clay Nation

AUSTIN, Texas, March 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Smobler, a leading metaverse architect headquartered in Singapore, proudly announces the much-anticipated launch of NOVA 2024: Austin Edition. Following the resounding success of its inaugural edition in Singapore last year, NOVA 2024 will dazzle attendees at the Austin Central Public Library on March 12th as part of the Asia x Austin International Market Summit and as an official SXSW event.

NOVA is a celebration of the communities that are created by and connected with the Smobler ecosystem. It is an in-real-life (IRL) invitation to the global community to converge, interact, and forge collaborations within the burgeoning open metaverse. This edition is presented by Smobler in collaboration with the Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce (GAACC), the leading advocate for economic growth and opportunity for Asian businesses in the Greater Austin area.

Mark Duval, GAACC President and CEO says, “The magic of the metaverse happens when communities flourish and people truly connect. Smobler gets this and so do we. Community is everything to GAACC and we are proud to partner with this incredible team as they build communities and open new portals to the future right here in Austin.”

NOVA 2024: Austin Edition boasts a stellar lineup of partners. This includes The Sandbox, a leading decentralized gaming virtual world and subsidiary of Animoca Brands; Republic of Gamers, a popular gaming hardware brand of ASUS; Unstoppable Domains, the largest web3 domain provider and Clay Nation, a clay animation digital collectible project.

Loretta Chen, Co-Founder and CEO of Smobler underscores that significance of these partnerships, “We envision NOVA as a platform to foster interdisciplinary play, discovery and celebration of public private partnerships (PPP), artists and innovators who push margins as a frontier. We offer unique perspectives, products and projects in the merging of art, technology, education and the public sector. Smobler’s collaboration with GAACC, globally recognized brands such as Republic of Gamers and web3 native heavyweights such as The Sandbox and Unstoppable Domains illustrates the progress we have made, our commitment to drive mass adoption of creative technologies and to unite diverse brands, IPs and communities in a Metaverse for Good. There can be no better location than Austin, the original frontier town since 1837 and a thriving global tech and arts hub today. Together, let’s all keep Austin wild, wow and weird!”

The event kicks off with a captivating performance by promqueen, a Vietnamese American artist fearlessly embracing her Vietnamese heritage and queer identity through music. Attendees can groove to curated beats by local DJs while immersing in interactive games crafted for the Apple Vision Pro by BEYOND studio and a digital art exhibition by Jessica Wild Child. 

Co-Founder Lenna Onto of Clay Nation, the first interoperable blockchain project between Cardano and Polygon in The Sandbox will be there to conduct a meet and greet alongside Sandy Carter, COO of Unstoppable Domains, Founder of Unstoppable Women of Web3 and AI, “Unstoppable Domains is elated to join forces with GAACC and Smobler. In the evolving web3 landscape and the Metaverse, the essence of creating value for users lies in the strength of partnerships. The announcement of .Austin at this event, set against the vibrant backdrop of SXSW, stands as a significant milestone for us. It’s an honor to be a part of such an innovative gathering that promises to be a cornerstone moment for all attendees.”

A highlight of the evening is the launch of Cobbleland: Austin, a metaverse experience created by Smobler within The Sandbox, showcasing local businesses and serving as a web3 directory and portal to Austin’s vibrant culture and landmarks. Attendees can also participate in a fireside chat with Sebastien Borget, Co-Founder and COO of The Sandbox, “I first met Loretta and the Smobler team two years ago at SXSW and witnessed their successful engagement into the Creators Economy through publishing on The Sandbox’s decentralized virtual world with multiple experiences that connect people through art, cultural heritage, social impact, immersive technology and web3. The inaugural launch of Cobbleland: Austin multiplayer social hub on The Sandbox, during NOVA in SXSW 2024, marks another major milestone for Smobler who has emerged as a leader in creating cultural activations in both IRL events and the Metaverse and we are glad to be part of this.”

The festivities will be complemented by exciting giveaways and a closing performance by The Foxtones delivering a fusion of jazz, funk, R&B along with Smobler’s signature theatrical flair.

NOVA 2024: Austin Edition promises an unforgettable evening in innovation, collaboration, and celebration. Join us for this exclusive event on March 12th from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

To reserve your spot, visit here.

About Smobler

Smobler is a turnkey metaverse architect headquartered in Singapore with a strong emphasis on blockchain based gaming, event production, outreach and education. Smobler has created a suite of world’s first such as a metaverse wedding, Tools of Rock concert venue and a disability park with SG Enable. Working with legacy brands such as Airbus, Mahindra, Meta, DBS, GoPro and BMW, Smobler creates innovative projects such as Metaverse for Good and has been featured by Forbes, Vogue, Channel News Asia and more. Smobler initiated the inaugural cross chain project with Clay Nation, Cardano and Polygon. In addition, Smobler is curating a series of proprietary IPs such as 3VEREST, Cobbleland and Aloha Surfer. Smobler is backed by the world’s biggest open metaverse, The Sandbox and Brinc. For more, log on to www.smobler.io.

About the Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce

Since its formation in 2012, the Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce has focused on improving the business climate in Austin, conducting job fairs, industry forums, educational seminars, and business networking functions. Our mission is to promote the Central Texas Asian Pacific American community and community at large as a catalyst for local and global economic growth through programs focused on Advocacy, Connection, and Education. Learn more at www.austinasianchamber.org.

About Republic of Gamers (ROG)

ROG is a globally recognised brand of desktop and laptop hardware from ASUS that is geared toward the gamer. It was founded with the goal of creating the world’s most powerful and versatile gaming laptops in the industry and its premium devices elevate gaming. ROG makes the best hardware for PC gaming, eSports, and overclocking. ROG’s innovations deliver top performance and premium experiences for everyone.

About The Sandbox

The Sandbox, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, is one of the decentralized virtual worlds that has been fueling the recent growth of virtual real estate demand, having partnered with major brands including Warner Music Group, Ubisoft, The Rabbids, Cut the Rope, Gucci Vault, The Walking Dead, Invincible, Snoop Dogg, Adidas, Deadmau5, Steve Aoki, SM Entertainment, The Smurfs, Care Bears, and Atari. Building on the existing The Sandbox IP that has more than 40 million global installs on mobile, The Sandbox metaverse offers players and creators a decentralized and intuitive platform to create immersive 3D worlds and game experiences and to safely store, trade, and monetize their creations. For more information, please visit www.sandbox.game and follow the regular updates on Twitter, Medium, and Discord.

About Unstoppable Domains

Unstoppable Domains launches domains secured by blockchains and builds uncensorable websites. The company offers NFT domains that give people control of their digital identity and its usernames can be used to log into more than 150 web3 applications, shorten crypto wallet addresses, and build a decentralized web3 identity.

About Clay Nation

In 2021, Clay Nation emerged as an NFT pioneer by introducing handmade, generative digital collectibles to Cardano. Today, Clay Nation is a tech-centric, arts and culture collective that is actively moulding the metaverse and leveraging the potential of web3 to harness creativity and human connection. The vision of Clay Nation is to create dynamic virtual spaces where individuals and businesses are empowered with the tools of web3.

About BEYOND

Jessica and Anton co-founded Beyond in 2018 with a vision for producing inclusive virtual experiences that go beyond the ordinary. The duo captured New Zealand’s founding documents using photogrammetry and developed it into a VR experience. Other highlights include developing the groundbreaking location based, multiplayer, free-roam VR game Oddball in 2019 and subsequently launching Oddball in Los Angeles at Two Bit Circus to 5 star reviews in 2020. They later expanded beyond traditional gaming mediums to collaborate with successful web3 collection, Fluf Burrows which was showcased at SXSW 2022. In addition, the team has also worked on Harry Potter, Battlefield 1942, the Lord of the RIngs Trilogy, Batman Begins, Harry Potter 5, Sweeney Todd, Prometheus and Guardian of the Galaxy Vol.2.

About Jessica Wild Child

Jessica Wild Child is a multidisciplinary artist, bringing her inner world to life through analogue and digital mediums. Originally a painter, Jessica’s practice evolved as her traditional art background merged with the world of Crypto Art, exploring Virtual Reality, Digital Animation, and AI. Through the archetype of the Wild Child, in a signature vibrant and expressive style, Jessica seeks to inspire a reconnection to the inner child and higher self, promoting freedom of expression and from inhibition. Her semi-abstract and dynamic creations reflect the transience of reality, inspired by psychedelia and Eastern spirituality. Jessica is known in the crypto space for her paintings of Bored Ape Yacht Club and other top NFT collections, and has painted over 60 custom canvases.

SOURCE Smobler Global Pte. Ltd.