Attending the first DCL Summit in Buenos Aires was an unforgettable experience. Despite my initial anxiety, being surrounded by so many talented and inspiring individuals quickly put me at ease. Meeting face-to-face with people I had only known through screens brought a new depth to our bonds and made the event truly special.
Journey To Buenos Aires
Traveling with my teammate Fran (FGR3D) made the journey more manageable and enjoyable. Upon arrival we were greeted by a friendly older man in a long elegant coat. holding a sign saying "DCL Summit". He immediately grabbed my suitcase (in a kind way not a scary way) and walked us outside while he brought the car around. For a moment we wondered if we had fallen for an elaborate scam, but the gentleman quickly returned with the car, and he and Fran chatted about Argentinian football most of the way to the hotel. Or first impression was the sheer size of Buenos Aires; we were driving along a road with at least five lanes of heavy traffic, perhaps more. The driver explained it was the regular morning work traffic backed up, as usual, almost an hour outside of the city centre. It made Europe feel like a pea in a garden.
Day 0: Tourbik
Meeting friends at the hotel was exhilarating; finally putting faces to the names I'd known online was surreal. Breakfast was being served on the top floor, and we found some of our friends up there.
While I beelined it to the coffee station, a guy came out smiling at me, and my jet-lagged brain was confused, so I ignored him. Five minutes later, and after a few gulps of coffee, I found out it was the awesome Saus, and I nearly fell over myself for not immediately recognizing him and acting so antisocial at first. Yep, he's just as cool and smart in person, if not more. Oh, and everyone in Decentraland is really beautiful in an inside and out kind of way.
We embarked on a guided tour of El Caminito, led by the enthusiastic Tobik, whom we affectionately began to call "Tourbik". The vibrant street art, live tango performances and colorful buildings were captivating. We got split up along the way (probably distracted by the cute dogs in jackets) and reconvened in a restaurant dedicated to, you guessed it, Messi. The ceiling was like Messi meets the Sistine chapel, but according to Tobik, it was a fast food restaurant so it would be wrong to eat there for our first meal together.
We all headed back to El Caminito to an amazing Asado restaurant where we had empanadas and huge platters of different cuts of meat to share. When we paid, the money looked like a stack of bricks because of the Pesos. The restaurant asked us to wait while they laid it our and counted it on the long table behind us; it took around ten minutes. We were starting to experience firsthand why crypto is so popular in Argentina.
Day 1: Summit Opening
The day began with a hearty breakfast at the Dazzler hotel, where we got to meet more of the amazing people there and friends like Fancy and Canessa started giving gifts to everyone. The excitement heightened with the arrival of 1Existence, who had one of the longest journeys to get there and who gives really great hugs.
The first summit venue, Area Tres, was impressive, with modern desks and ample coffee to keep us energized. The meet and greet session was lively, filled with hugs, new swag and shared excitement.
The opening talks delved into the origins of Decentraland and the evolution of its community. After a hearty steak lunch, the unveiling of the new alpha client was a significant highlight, sparking ohhs, ahhs and enthusiastic discussions about it's potential.
Witnessing the community's reactions and the excitement in the room was inspiring. We then got to try out the new alpha client and it was great, more fluid than expected. Everyone starts independently asking how to use the new forbidden developer camera that goes far up into the sky giving you a bird's eye view of Genesis City. Álvaro puts his head in his hands as the short-key quickly became common knowledge.
(We later learned this camera view skipped the optimization processes the dev team had been working on so hard for the past few months, which is why the devs wanted to keep it quiet for the time being).
Day 2: Workshops and Talks
Starting the day with a strong sense of community bonding over coffee and bleary eyes, we headed to a great program of workshops put together by the community and Foundation. It was really tricky to choose which talks to go to as they were happening in concurrent blocks of time but all the ones we went to were fascinating.
Digital Identity: Are we our avatars... or are our avatars us? by Canessa
Canessa held a moving talk on digital identity which I think a lot of us could relate to in our own ways. She spoke of how we can see ourselves as two separate entities, one digital and one physical, however in separating the two identities we can be doing ourselves a disservice.
Core Game Mechanics for Decentraland by Yemel
Yemel's talk was interesting and referenced the book Game Designer Toolbox, which includes different approaches to game design, essential elements, interaction layers between different features, and ways to tie everything together seamlessly and engagingly.
New User Brainstorming: Onboarding Explorers by Murphjestic
Murph spoke of different ways to onboard players and foster collaborations with new and existing partners. It was insightful and pretty sweet as he brought Hershey's chocolates for us to munch on whilst he presented.
Maryana and HP hosted an open conversation on DAO etiquette and ways in which we can work together to better advance as a platform and as people. It was an interesting discussion and the main take aways we all seemed to agree on were to try and keep DAO related conversations in the forum, for better searching and historical preservation. As well as remembering that we're talking to other human beings when we're in keyboard warrior mode.
SDK Workshop, Optimization of Scenes by Bence
Bence's workshop was a handy breakdown of the performance and optimization pages of the Decentraland documentation. It was great to see the topics covered in depth and it sparked many questions in the room.
Education Brainstorming by Kim and Canessa
This workshop, co-hosted by Kim and Canessa, opened up a discussion about different ways Decentraland could be used to enhance learning and curriculums. It was an interesting conversation that I can see leading to a whole new sector within virtual world building.
In the afternoon, I felt overwhelmed and upset, realizing that amidst our joy and excitement to reunite, we weren't addressing the significant suffering many of us are enduring despite our hard work, leaving much of our pain unspoken.
In the evening, it was time to party, and we were treated to an unforgettable experience with the best live music I've ever witnessed. CJ Trax performed two incredible live sets and showcased his amazing dance moves, while Zino played a fantastic melodic techno set. On the stage there was a music visualizer video featuring various Decentraland Wearables and Emotes dancing to the beat. There was also a live Tango show with piano, cello, violin, and accordion, culminating in a breathtaking performance by Fifi, whose powerful rendition of a traditional tango song left us all with goosebumps, We felt comfortable enough to dance as much as we would in Decentraland, if not more, enjoying great vibes all around.
Day 3: Buildathon
On day three, we participated in the Buildathon, where teams of four to six had three hours to create a 3 x 3 scene in Decentraland with the theme "Cultural Odyssey". Although I initially worried about the time constraint, all teams produced impressive scenes, highlighting the collaborative spirit and diverse skillsets of the participants. Working with new people turned out to be a highlight, as everyone, whether on computers or not, played an instrumental role in the process and it was so fun.
Our team, Los Alfajores (Canessa, Fancy, James, Mati, Fran, Unknower and I), designed a giant alfajor cookie building with neon signs, flags and an interactive panel with cookie recipes from different continents. Other notable projects included an interactive clocktower, a Shiba Inu memorial, a climbable Italian restaurant, a maze with different levels, a parkour scene with Argentinian Pesos, and a cool globe scene with animated flags. The atmosphere was filled with creativity and camaraderie, as we brainstormed and built together without any sense of competition.
Throughout the Buildathon, we were well taken care of with food and kindness, creating an innovative, fun and soul-warming environment. After demoing our scenes, we returned to the hotel to rest before heading out for dinner and drinks. The evening was filled with deep conversations, as we felt safe to let our guards down, knowing our time together was coming to an end. The night was a mix of exhaustion and energy from the intense and emotional experience, leaving us torn between staying up all night together or getting some much-needed sleep.
Day 4: Tattoo
During the Summit, Fancy decided to get a Decentraland tattoo at a parlor next to our hotel. After a preliminary visit revealed a fancy, welcoming place with walk-ins accepted, Fancy made an appointment. On the final morning, we had breakfast together, feeling bittersweet about our imminent departures. After packing and checking out, we stored our luggage at the hotel and a group of us - 1Existence, Fancy, Cheddar, Unknower, Ile, Fran and I - headed to the tattoo parlor for Fancy's appointment.
Upon arrival, we found the parlor closed. Despite some initial concerns , we decided to visit Voltaire House, the birthplace of Decentraland, while we waited. Thanks to some timely encounters with Yemel, we located the house, took pictures, and admired the mural by Dilucious. When we called the parlor again, they were open and ready for Fancy, so we returned.
The tattoo shop had a vintage charm with leather sofas, a chandelier, framed tattoo art, and a surprising stuffed pheasant. The tattoo artist, very sweet, prepared some design demos for Fancy to choose from. While waiting, we grabbed some Starbucks. The artist, very accommodating, allowed us to film the process. Unknower recorded with a professional camera, and I took some phone clips. The tattoo came out beautifully. and the artist provided thorough aftercare instructions. Fancy generously tipped the artist, and we celebrated with a delicious wine called La Mosquita Muerta at a nearby restaurant. Later, Fran and I headed to the airport in a car thoughtfully arranged by the Foundation.
Journey Back
The journey back was smooth and easy despite the distance. The long flight was well worth it for such a memorable experience.
I am extremely grateful for the scholarship that covered my travel expenses, while Fran bought his own flights, which were quite expensive. The Foundation kindly paid for everyone's full board and accommodation. We both wanted to be there and we hope that LowPolyModels will eventually reimburse Fran for his flight costs.
Now that I'm home writing this, I feel more mentally energized than I have in a long time. The Summit provided deep, interesting conversations, funny stories, and countless laughs. It has inspired me to keep learning and developing content more than ever.
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