MILWAUKEE – (June 21, 2023) After a record-breaking year in tourism, VISIT Milwaukee unveiled a new way for visitors to explore Milwaukee with Authenticated Experiences (AX), a non-fungible token (NFT) marketing campaign at the organization's Annual Meeting last week.

The tourism industry's only immersive and interactive NFT platform, AX features collectible digital tokens allowing users to unlock exclusive real-life experiences and prizes in a scavenger hunt-like format. This campaign by VISIT Milwaukee is designed to attract visitors from across the region to Milwaukee and encourage them to venture out into the city's 191 neighborhoods.

“This campaign is a unique opportunity to attract new visitors to our city and offer them incredible experiences while helping them explore all that our 191 neighborhoods have to offer,” said Josh Albrecht, VISIT Milwaukee's vice president of marketing and communications, “AX serves as an artist platform and gives us a fresh way to position Milwaukee as a destination for both tech and travel—a win for the arts, tourism and our terrific partners like Summerfest!”

Debuting in partnership with Summerfest and Summerfest Tech, AX spotlights Milwaukee's digital creators, iconic brands, places and people by geolocating free NFT collectibles around the city. AX's first five custom NFT collectibles are inspired by Milwaukee's rich music history through the lens of local artist T9LET. In honor of the 55th anniversary of the world's largest music festival, Summerfest, the first 55 people to collect all five NFTs will receive access to an exclusive VISIT Milwaukee x AX artist experience and the chance to win two tickets to a Summerfest show of their choice in 2023 or 2024.

To collect a non-fungible token in AX, users simply:

1. Visit www.NonFungibleTourism.com and learn where NFTs are positioned around Milwaukee.
2. Go to the physical location where each NFT is plotted on the online map.
3. Click on the piece of digital art to collect your NFT (Note: Collectors only need to enter a name and email address to participate. (Cryptocurrency and crypto wallets are not required.). 

In addition to AX's first five collectibles, AX2 will feature five NFTs geolocated on the Summerfest festival grounds from June 22-July 8, 2023. Curated by Cullah, a Milwaukee native, artist, and musician, AX2's Summerfest-inspired designs will unlock unique VISIT Milwaukee prizes and the chance to win a Summerfest x Visit Milwaukee VIP Experience.

“This is a joint effort between Summerfest, Summerfest Tech and VISIT Milwaukee to lean into new and exciting technologies. It allows us to create a tech-forward touchpoint for our Summerfest attendees and provide awareness around Web3 and NFT at Summerfest Tech this year while strengthening the connection we have with VISIT Milwaukee and tourism,” said Jerrod Woods, senior director of marketing at Milwaukee World Festival, Inc.

As part of Summerfest's efforts to enter into the NFT and collectible space, the music festival will release its own NFT on June 22, 2023, with 1,000 limited editions available for collection. Each user who claims the special Summerfest NFT will also receive one FREE Summerfest general admission ticket. The NFT will be made available with the same technology group that VISIT Milwaukee has partnered with, Vennity. This is the first time that Summerfest has entered this tech-forward space, thanks in part to the efforts of AmpliPhi Digital and Spencer Smith.

In addition to partnering with local artists and brands, VISIT Milwaukee is aligning withVennity as its AX technology partner for online map integration and digital art minting on the Polygon blockchain. A no-code platform for creating and distributing digital collectibles in the real world, Vennity was founded in 2018 by Vlad Avesalon and Navneet Saxena.

“Milwaukee holds a special place in my heart since my wife and I spent seven-plus years here collectively, we got engaged here, I got my dog from the Humane Society here,” says Saxena, co-founder of Vennity. “It's a special place and a hidden gem when it comes to tourism. I'm excited to showcase some of Milwaukee's beauty through the Vennity app as it was intended to be used.”

In the very near future, VISIT Milwaukee plans to work with other iconic Milwaukee brands on its AX campaign in addition to out-of-market partners. Additional program details will be released on www.NonFungibleTourism.org, www.VISITMilwaukee.org and across VISIT Milwaukee social channels. For AX partnership inquiries, contactjalbrecht@milwaukee.org. 

About Vennity: Unlock the power of real-world community building with Vennity! Our platform empowers creators to design unique experiences for their communities using location-based digital collectibles. With Vennity, creating NFTs is frictionless and requires no crypto wallets or understanding of smart contracts. Pin and geo-fence your collectibles to specific locations and bring them to life in augmented reality for a truly immersive 'Pokemon Go'-like experience. Build multi-part quests, exclusive experiences, and engage your community with puzzles and quizzes all through the Vennity app. Monetize your creations with traditional payment methods and foster community engagement with built-in chat. Join the Vennity revolution and take your community building to the next level!

About VISIT Milwaukee: VISIT Milwaukee creates economic impact and supports a stronger, more inclusive community by promoting the Greater Milwaukee area as a premier tourism destination. Strengthened by VISIT Milwaukee's dynamic convention and leisure marketing initiatives, tourism to Milwaukee contributes $6.018 billion to the local economy, supporting over 43,000 hospitality employees. VISIT Milwaukee has over 850 members, including hotels/motels, restaurants, attractions, services, and area businesses. The Wisconsin Center District, which is undergoing a large-scale expansion slated for completion in 2024, the city of Wauwatosa, and Potawatomi Casino | Hotel are strategic partners with VISIT Milwaukee, providing funding support for conventions and tourism programs. For more information call (800) 554-1448 or visit www.visitmilwaukee.org.

Media Contact: Josh Albrecht, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, VISIT Milwaukee, JAlbrecht@Milwaukee.org, (414) 287-4252.

 Promotional assets for the project can be downloaded here.