"“These kinds of immature and frankly borderline discriminatory events risk alienating exactly the communities the industry needs in order to continue growing,” OKX's global head of corporate affairs Elliott Suthers told the FT. “We believe the industry should be moving towards greater professionalism, inclusivity and credibility, not away from it.”"
"Meanwhile, another big crypto firm called Consensys (which is a distinct and unrelated business from Consensus) said it “had no role” in the event and was reviewing its “partner selection and brand usage processes” after its logo appeared at the party."
"The event, for which attendees paid up to $6,000 and reportedly included a VIP networking area, was held at E11EVEN, a Miami night club sometimes frequented by celebrities. It's also known as a strip club, and one picture taken by an attendee shows scantily clad women onstage in front of a screen bearing the logo of crypto news outlet CoinDesk, which is the organizer of the Consensus conference."
"The critics of the event said the decision by Consensus to host an official after-party at E11EVEN will make it harder for the crypto industry to shake its “crypto bro” reputation and be taken seriously by the mainstream of finance."
A Miami after-party held on May 6 at E11EVEN coincided with the end of the Consensus conference. The venue featured female dancers performing pole routines and lap dances, and reports described a raunchy atmosphere. OKX said it would reconsider its sponsorship after the event, warning that immature and borderline discriminatory events risk alienating communities needed for industry growth. Consensys said it had no role in the event and began reviewing partner selection and brand usage after its logo appeared. Attendees paid up to $6,000 and the event included a VIP networking area. E11EVEN is known as a strip club and has hosted celebrities, and a photo showed scantily clad performers in front of a CoinDesk-branded screen. Critics said hosting an official after-party at the venue makes it harder for crypto to shed its “crypto bro” reputation and gain mainstream finance credibility.
#crypto-industry #corporate-sponsorship #reputation-and-branding #inclusivity-and-professionalism #miami-events
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