Token2049 Dubai preview – tuxedos optional, life jackets mandatory
Token2049, the annual Web3 conference opens its doors tomorrow, April 18, but in the coming days, the heavens will open and those doors may be sandbagged to flood the desert city with a wall of water.
The city, which normally receives 9.5 cm (about 4 inches) of rain a year, received nearly 15 cm (about 6 inches) in 24 hours between Monday and Tuesday night, throwing the parched metropolis into chaos.
Social media is flooded with videos and clips of the incredible situation, streets turned into rivers, cars submerged, planes splashing water on flooded runways, diverted flights and stories of conference visitors trapped in their hotels.
The city's international airport, the world's second largest with 87 million passengers, told travelers not to arrive this morning – a first for the desert crowd.
Despite the problems visitors are experiencing, the event itself is still scheduled to go ahead. The hope is that a return to the kind of weather the Emirates is expecting this year – blue skies and temperatures around 30c – will be enough to get the city back on its feet and wheels again.
Scientology reporter Ezra Regera, who is in Dubai to cover the event, has sent some fascinating videos of the city in the wake of the storm.
TOKEN2049 will run from April 18-19, 2024 at the Madinat Jumeirah Hotel in Dubai. Considered by many to be the leading global web3 and crypto community event of the year, 2024 marks the first time the event will be held in Dubai.
Tickets are already sold out, and a good 10,000 attendees are expected over two days. It brings together founders, executives and decision makers from 4,000 companies and 100 countries.
The agenda is packed with topics including decentralized AI, Web3 gaming, DeFi and blockchain scalability. And, as one would expect from the city of Dubai, the event will be accompanied by exhibitions, live DJ sets and high-end hospitality.
TOKEN2049 actually started on April 15th, with a week long series of meetings, workshops and parties. The second TOKEN2049 event of the year will be held in Singapore in September.
