When attending a significant occasion, individuals often desire a memento to serve as a reminder. This can take various forms, such as a concert ticket stub for a beloved band, a refrigerator magnet acquired from a souvenir store, or a badge obtained from a noteworthy conference attended. The Proof Of Attendance Protocol (POAP) offers a digitized rendition of these keepsakes, known as POAP NFTs. This article aims to provide in-depth information on the POAP and its functionalities.

What is the Proof of Attendance Protocol (POAP)?

The Proof of Attendance Protocol (POAP) offers a business solution that leverages the ERC-721 NFT protocol on the Ethereum blockchain. It enables the assignment of unique and non-fungible blockchain-based identifiers to individuals, granting them exclusive access. Unlike focusing solely on transactions or value, POAP addresses the challenge of identifying individuals and utilizes the underlying blockchain infrastructure that supports digital assets and non-fungible tokens.

POAP facilitates event participants in verifying their presence by collecting on-chain digital badges. These badges possess individual uniqueness, ensuring they can only be obtained by physically attending the respective event. Each badge is visually distinctive and non-reproducible, functioning both as an NFT and as a tradable asset on various exchanges. One of the notable benefits of POAP is its ability to provide undeniable evidence of an individual’s attendance at an event or affiliation with a specific institution. This proof can be instrumental in establishing educational credentials from prestigious institutions like Harvard or demonstrating a track record of exceptional professional achievements, thereby enhancing trust and valuing one’s expertise within their field.

POAP encompasses two primary user categories: event organizers and collectors. Event organizers possess the ability to create and distribute POAP badges to attendees, facilitating seamless event management. Simultaneously, collectors can commemorate significant moments in their lives or exhibit their attendance to others through personalized and unique NFT badges, allowing for a personalized and meaningful digital collection.

Working of POAP

When participating in an event or accomplishing a noteworthy milestone that offers POAP badges, you will receive one as a recognition of your involvement. This badge can grant you access to significant gatherings or exclusive online communities, enhancing your event experience or fostering community engagement.

POAPs operate similarly to other NFTs, possessing a unique identity within the Proof of Attendance Protocol. Initially established on the Ethereum blockchain through official POAP smart contracts, they have later migrated to the Gnosis chain (formerly xDai) to optimize transaction costs and enhance transaction speed on an Ethereum side chain.

Creating a POAP to commemorate a special moment is open to virtually anyone, subject to three specific conditions for the POAP NFT:

Condition 1: It must be minted using the official POAP smart contract.

Condition 2: It should include metadata associated with a particular date or time, which can extend up to a year.

Condition 3: It must incorporate an image that represents the specific event.

It is important to note that only one POAP can be minted per event on a single wallet. This restriction is in place to maintain the integrity of attendance records, as each POAP signifies unique participation in the event that cannot be replicated. An exceptional aspect of POAPs, distinguishing them from other NFTs, is that creators and collectors can obtain them without incurring gas fees, ensuring a cost-free experience.

POAP badges are not constrained by predefined criteria regarding eligible events or their scale. Regardless of its size, any event can have POAP badges, and major events might even feature multiple POAPs. As long as one can create and obtain approval for them, POAP NFTs can be tailored to virtual or in-person events, thereby enabling the distribution of these badges and the potential to offer incentives or prizes to individuals who mint them.

What are POAP NFTs used for?

The primary objective of a POAP is to provide tangible proof of attendance. Below are various examples illustrating the diverse applications of POAP NFTs:

• Demonstrating attendance at events.
• Granting access to private events, such as exclusive opportunities to contribute to a digital art piece or participate in regular community gatherings.
• Serving as a form of security clearance for private groups.
• Acting as collectibles to showcase one’s affinity for a particular individual or subject.
• Serving as gifts or rewards for achieving specific milestones, such as being among the first 100 listeners of a podcast.
• Functioning as souvenirs, such as a game shirt worn by a professional athlete.
• Providing invitations to vote on protocols, attend in-person meetups, or join private chat rooms.

While many potential use cases exist for POAP NFTs, their current adoption primarily revolves around several online crypto communities. Event organizers within these communities leverage POAP to create badges for participants attending podcasts, on-site conferences, virtual events, and in-person seminars.

Nevertheless, certain off-chain businesses, including Warner Music Group, US Open, and Lollapalooza, are embracing the POAP ecosystem. Notably, rapper Kevin Gates recently distributed POAPs to attendees of his show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, exemplifying the expanding reach of POAP adoption beyond online communities.

Big brands that have used POAP

Numerous prominent brands and companies have embraced the Proof of Attendance Protocol (POAP), enabling them to orchestrate events and foster engagement within their respective communities. Below are examples of brands that have effectively utilized POAPs:

Estée Lauder:

Esteemed beauty brand Estée Lauder showcased a distinctive NFT wearable called “Advanced Night Repair” during the Metaverse Fashion Week held from March 23-27, 2022. They distributed 10,000 complimentary Advanced Night Repair NFTs for the event, allowing users to claim an NFT wearable that bestowed their avatars with a unique luminous aura. Additionally, participants virtually entered the Advanced Night Repair “Little Brown Bottle” to receive a Proof of Attendance Protocol (POAP) badge, further enhancing their immersive experience.

Adidas:

In November 2021, Adidas introduced CONFIRMED, an application catering to exclusive content and product drops. The brand leveraged POAP as a means to recognize and appreciate its most loyal supporters—users of the CONFIRMED app. Rather than commemorating a specific event, Adidas’ POAP implementation acknowledges its community members’ dedication.

Lottie London:

Lottie London organized the inaugural Metaverse prom party on Decentraland, targeting the celebration of prom season and interaction with its Gen Z audience. This event commenced on May 25, 2022. By utilizing the Proof of Attendance Protocol, prom party participants were able to immerse themselves in the occasion fully. The POAP facilitated users in navigating to the Lottie London Walmart shopping website, creating a seamless integration between the virtual experience and tangible engagement. It’s worth noting that this opportunity was limited to the first 2,000 attendees, ensuring exclusivity and encouraging prompt participation.

Benefits of POAP

Utilizing the Proof of Attendance Protocol (POAP) in business operations offers numerous advantages. Here are some important benefits:

• Incentivizing event participation: POAP serves as a compelling incentive for individuals to actively engage in events actively, fostering higher attendance rates and increasing overall engagement.
• Facilitating networking and community connection: By implementing POAP, like-minded individuals can connect and network within a specific event or community, enhancing collaboration and exchanging ideas.
• Creating verifiable attendance records: POAP enables organizers to maintain a verifiable record of event attendees, providing accurate data for reporting purposes. This helps eliminate false claims of attendance and ensures the reliability of attendance records.
• No special software requirement: Attendees can conveniently store their POAP NFTs in digital wallets, eliminating the need for specialized software or complex technical setups.
• Customizability for enhanced collectability: POAP badges can be customized, making them more visually appealing and unique, thus increasing their collectability and desirability.

Additional notable benefits include:

• Enhanced privacy: POAP’s decentralized network and cryptographic nature provide individuals with increased privacy, safeguarding their personal information. This is particularly valuable in contrast to the public nature of social media platforms, offering users the opportunity to collect and store significant life moments without compromising their privacy.
• Elimination of cumbersome mailing lists: POAPs offer event organizers a more efficient way to manage subscriptions and maintain direct communication with their audience and attendees. This streamlines engagement and eliminates the inefficiencies associated with low-engagement email lists.
• Ownership of limited edition assets: POAPs, akin to prized physical memorabilia, can hold significant value as they become associated with historical events and cultural milestones. POAPs tied to early foundational technologies like Ethereum can gain high demand due to their nostalgic and meaningful connections to core contributors.

Conclusion: The future of POAP

The future of POAPs is promising as prominent brands like Adidas and Garyvee venture into launching their own POAP collections, generating increased interest in the collection and trading of these NFTs. For event organizers, POAPs present an excellent opportunity to deliver a personalized experience to attendees, enhancing the overall appeal of their events.

What sets POAPs apart is their ability to bridge the decentralized network with the physical world, connecting actions in the physical realm to decentralized identities. Unlike other NFTs that exist solely in the digital realm, POAPs uniquely combine the tangible and digital aspects, making them a distinct type of NFT.

Many of us have experienced the disappointment of losing autographed pictures or lacking concrete proof of our participation in specific events. POAPs address this challenge by providing individuals with a unique and enduring token that verifies their attendance.

While POAP NFTs have already begun gaining traction, their full potential is yet to be realized. Now is an opportune time to explore the possibilities and benefits offered by POAPs, allowing individuals to engage with this innovative technology and its transformative impact.

Frequently Asked Questions