Indie Venue Collective Partners Up to Scale Web3 Credentialing Across Live Music

Ad.Ventures, the collective of over 120 independent venues and festivals across the U.S., has announced a new program with Web3 credentialing platform Dentity, bringing the company’s identity verification tech to the events industry. Throughout the week, Ad.ventures and Dentity will unveil new features of the platform at SXSW and showcase new opportunities for fans, venues and artists.

Ad.Ventures was formed by organizers of the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), who launched the “Save our Stages” advocacy movement in 2020 in response to the pandemic shutdown, successfully securing a $16.2 billion relief program to benefit independent venues, artists and professionals. In an announcement, it said it “remains dedicated to preserving the ecosystem of independent venues, promoters, and festivals throughout the United States. This includes providing them access to the best partners and providers so they can continue scaling, enhancing, and improving their operations and offerings.”

Dentity enables consumers to securely store the most sensitive elements of their identities and public personas — from government IDs and memberships to digital event credentials — securely in one Web3 digital wallet.

“Our growing network of independent venues handles a volume of more than $100 million in ticket sales each year and services more than 10 million customers across thousands of events,” said Ian Fine, vp of partnerships for Ad.Ventures. “Dentity’s Web3 credentialing platform provides venue operators with new technology to improve how they produce their events, whether through the lens of consumer data privacy or by implementing sophisticated, sponsored digital loyalty passes, VIP experiences on-site, exclusive offerings, and content. Our goal is to redefine what a ticket provides before, during, and after an event.”

Jeffrey Schwartz, founder and chief executive of Dentity says the company’s unveiling at SXSW is the “first of many we plan to make which impact the event experience and redefine access management.  Thousands of ticket holders have already downloaded their Web3 credentials alongside their Apple and Google wallet passes and are experiencing the benefits of Dentity’s platform in Austin today.”

Ad.Ventures is hosting the 11th Annual Music Tech Mashup showcase powered by Dentity today (March 13) at the Empire Control Room & Garage in Austin, as well as an official SXSW panel called “The Power of Connection With Emerging Technologies.” Dentity collaborated with Ad.Ventures to power a number of other SXSW events as well, including BrooklynVegan: Lost Weekend, FloodFest, Brooklyn Bowl Family Reunion and Stereogum, among others.  

To enhance the fan experience during and after SXSW, credential holders will be provided with unique offerings on-site and will get access to exclusive discounts and experiences at locally owned and culturally diverse businesses throughout Austin.