Introducing Polybius: Uncovering The Metaverse In Hospitality

"I started thinking of a new name for a new metaverse series the exact same day we finished moderating the HN meta meetup." Simone Puorto said. "I came up with probably 100 different monickers, but nothing seemed right until I remembered an urban myth from my childhood. The legend is about a mysterious arcade machine (Polybius), which is said to have psychoactive and addictive effects on the players. Polybius is also the name of a Greek historian, famous for inventing a cryptography tool. I thought: Bingo! Cryptography, gaming, mystery... All in one single word."

"HN meta meetup was an unexpected success," added Henri Roelings, founder of Hospitality Net. "We went live for ten straight hours, with 30 C-level speakers from all around the World, and thousands of participants, both in 2D and as avatars. We had five people moderating the event, plus a whole crew of metaverse tech people making sure everything was working fine. Up until the end, I kept thinking: something will break, something will break, something will break. But nothing did. We had a few glitches here and there, and one speaker got lost in the metaverse... But we were able to pull it off. When I removed my headset, I felt ten years older but excited. No one had ever organized anything like that before, at least not in the Hospitality space. I really felt like a pioneer. It was like setting up my first website in the mid-90s."

Polybius: Uncovering The Metaverse In Hospitality

Polybius will be launched on October 19th at 5:00 PM CET.

Every month, three innovators from the travel and metaverse world will join Simone for a virtual roundtable about topics such as Web3, NFT, crypto, blockchain, DAO, XR, and their current and future applications in our industry. Polybius' panelists are the very same people reshaping the metaverse economy: academics, researchers, entrepreneurs, and scientists from all over the World united to create the ultimate meta-all-stars-group.

Episode 1: October 19, 5:00 PM CET
Introduction to the Metaverse: from sci-fi to a 5-trillion-dollar industry

• A recent report by McKinsey indicates that the metaverse's economic potential could be up to five trillion dollars by 2030. However, while most people think the metaverse concept only started with Zuckerberg's rebrand, innovators and visionaries have been flirting with the idea since the '80s, first in the minds of cyberpunk novelists (such as Gibson, Vinge, or Stephenson), then in the ones of scientists and philosophers (Gelernter, Chalmers), and, eventually, technocapitalists. However, outside of the inner circle of the "usual suspects," metaverse was a pretty esoteric term before 2021 (as this Google Trends proves). So how has a dystopian novel turned into a trillion-dollar industry almost overnight?

Episode 2: November 16, 5:00 PM CET
An open metaverse for an open, decentralized industry

• According to the World Economic Forum, a working metaverse has three key components: presence, interoperability, and standardization. While virtual and augmented experiences get more immersive by the day, interoperability and standardization should be wired into the metaverse's DNA from day one, to avoid silos and walled gardens. So how can we construct the foundation of an open, utopic metaverse in which the travel and hospitality industries can flourish without being paralyzed by the same Web 2.0 paradigms?

Episode 3: December 21, 5:00 PM CET
From "Avatar" to "Wallet": the definitive metaverse glossary for dummies

• If companies want to get into the metaverse business, they first must master the "metaverse lingo." It's easy to get lost in translation, with dozens of brand new mysterious acronyms (NFT, DAO, DeFi...) and business neologisms (mining, minting, dropping, burning...). We'll go over all the main terms entrepreneurs need to understand to separate the hype from the business reality of the metaverse.

Episode 4: January 18, 5:00 PM CET
Business applications of the metaverse: what you need to know

• In this episode, now that you know a little more about the metaverse, we'll go over some authentic business applications. From i(immersive) Commerce, to B2A (Business-to-Avatar) marketing, from the "datafication of everything" to the "Infinity Marketing Loop." Real case studies from the industry.

Episode 5: February 15, 5:00 PM CET
Marketing for Generation Alpha: how to position your brand in the metaverse?

• Generation Alpha is the first to be born entirely in a digital world. Unfortunately, our current advertising paradigms won't likely work with this demographic cohort. When, to paraphrase David Chalmers, the simulation is so good that it will be "indistinguishable" from physical reality, companies will have to adapt their strategies to target the traveler and consumer of tomorrow. Will hospitality be the "metaverse innovator" or the "metaverse laggard?"

Polybius: Uncovering The Metaverse In Hospitality

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Confirmed Speakers & Panelists:

• Dr Mark van Rijmenam -International keynote speaker, 4x author, and entrepreneur.
• Zoltan Istvan - Public Figure in Transhumanism
• Arul Prakash - CEO, Buk.Technology
• Gualtiero Carraro - Owner & Founder at Carraro LAB
• Roberto Garavaglia - Innovative Payments and blockchain Strategic Advisor
• Tibor Mérey - Managing Director & Partner at Boston Consulting Group
• Riadi Piacentini - CEO & Founder ThinkLegal | TL Metaverse Accelerator
• Hasan Algarhy - Founder at Duverse
• Edoardo Maria Bisignani - Chief Operating Officer at Vision
• Lior Nitzan - Co-Founder & CTO of GetSound.Ai & Soundscape.City
• Andrea Brogni - VR/AR Project Manager at Alkedo
• Mattia Papa - Web3 Island Makers DAO Co-Founder & Community Lead | New Governance Systems Pioneer
• Luca De Giglio - Founder of Trips Community and Web3 Consultant
• Eli Strzelecka - Co-Founder at Conspicuis
• Pulidevan Prabakaran - Marketing Manager at Whoa Mama
• Salman Halawi - Founder at Metadesignerz
• Brian Vertone - Project Manager at Walcon Virtual
• Julius Yls - CCO and Co-Founder at Spongelli
• Sergio Schemeil - Metaverse creator specialized in Meta Horizon Worlds platform
• Justyn Czekański - Strategic Innovation Lead at Si Consulting
• Ludovic Baron - Digital Artist & Director
• Michael Cohen - Managing Partner at GAIN Advisors
• Celia Guimaraes - Journalist
• Massimiliano Nicolini - Director of the Olimaint Research and Development Department and member of the Metaverse Standard Forum
• Tracy Cosgrove - Hospitality Consultant
• Ulrike Gretzel - Senior Research Fellow, Center for Public Relations, University of Southern California & Director of Research, Netnografica
• Simone Puorto - Founder at Travel Singularity
• Henri Roelings - Founder at Hospitality Net

About Travel Singularity

Travel Singularity is a consultancy firm for hotels and travel technology providers whose vision is to solve the growing need for connecting the dots between digital disruption and existing technology. Founded in 2017 as a partnership of educational consultants, the firm actively supports cooperation between biological and artificial staff and advocates for an open, collaborative, hyper-connected industry where humans can flourish and innovate, free from the repetitive tasks they are now obliged to perform daily. Its founder, Simone Puorto, is a journalist specializing in tech, keynote speaker, podcaster, consultant, published author of four best sellers on marketing, writer for the main industry blogs, Metaverse Ambassador, co-organizer of the first-ever travel and hospitality event in the metaverse (#HNmetameetup), crypto evangelist, MBA lecturer and CMO for TelltheHotel and E23 Delivery. He often refers to himself as a "Renaissance Futurist," supporting post-human, anti-speciesists, and transhumanist values. Over his career, spanning over 20 years, he consulted for hundreds of international hotel groups, travel tech vendors, and startups. More information at www.travelsingularity.com.