A unique alternative to the Bitcoin conference is due to get underway next month in New York.
The New York Bitcoin Fair will be held every weekend from 15 June and offer a range of products and services which customers can use Bitcoin to pay for.
Organizers of the fair explain that the main advantage of the event will be the absence of the “prohibitive” ticket prices associated with typical events. The weekly event will focus on retail with increasing education socially, however, rather than drawing on figures from the community.
Costs involved are said to be reduced as the fair will take place as part of the Hester Street Fair in Lower Manhattan. Tickets are available without charge or with an accompanying goodie bag for US$10, but this fee is waived if the event is shared on social media.
Significant interest
Curiously, those choosing to pay for the goody bag ticket option are unable to do so in bitcoins due to the ticket merchant Uniiverse not having the facility to accept such payments. Customers are encouraged to write to Uniiverse to request this option.
Nevertheless, the social Bitcoin fair’s aims are high. A wide range of vendors are on offer, with the hope of appealing to as wide a demographic as possible, while various events and information resources will help “brand Bitcoin in the media as a tangible form of payment that can be used easily and safely in person,” as per the official website.
The fair has already struck a chord, with sponsorship coming from xCubicle, which designed the website, as well as Blockchain.info and Bitpay.
While organizers intend to “use sponsorship funds to grow the Bitcoin community by educating newcomers/vendors and organizing social events to spur innovation,” with support coming from such names as these, it is clear that the event is more than simply an advanced flea market.
Tickets and further information about the fair can be found here.
