VAIM Conference: Building, Learning, and Pushing Boundaries

What started as a crazy idea in 2021 has become an annual tradition that brings together builders, investors, and thinkers from around the world. Here's the story of VAIM (V as in Metaverse/Victory) - my conference that's been running for four years straight.

VAIM 2021: "V as in Metaverse" - The Beginning

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The first conference happened in Athens, Greece during the summer of 2021. I organized it in 30 days while vacationing in Greece (yes, I destroyed my vacation).

What Made It Special:

• NFTs as Tickets: Front-running Gary Vee, I built my own NFT ticketing system. Every attendee had to buy an NFT and use a crypto wallet - practicing what we preach.
• Fireside Chats: No boring podiums. All presentations were "firechats" - conversational interviews that kept the audience engaged for 6 hours straight. On a Saturday. In Greece. During summer.
• Hackathon: Gave away €2,500 (~$3,000) to participants. Some teams traveled 6 hours by train from Thessaloniki.
• COVID-19 Compliant: Strict testing requirements, masks, max 50 people per space.
• 3,200+ Subscribers in 2 weeks through authentic content and non-stop posting.

The Reality:

Not easy at all. Crazy stressed. Skipped eating during the conference. But incredibly gratifying. The 29 days before were brutal, but the event itself was worth it.

Key Lesson: Don't overthink it. Built to fail has never failed me.

VAIM 2022: "V as in Metaverse" - Year Two

Conference Site →

The second year in Athens brought even more energy and ambition.

Highlights:

• Oscar Winner Speaker: Rick Carter (Back To The Future, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Avatar, Forrest Gump) flew in to speak.
• 1,000+ MetaHats Sold: Released conference merchandise that sold out, then sold out again.
• World-Class Speakers: People flew from LA, NY, Monaco, and London just to participate.
• Professional Documentation: Team from LA flew to Athens to document everything.

The conference kept growing, and the community kept showing up.

VAIM 2023: "The Year of the Startups"

Conference Site →

The third year shifted focus to builders and entrepreneurs.

What Happened:

• 60+ Startups Competing: Startups pitched in front of investors in an EPIC mansion.
• Mountain Olympus Run: Because my co-organizer Anni said "Why don't we run Mountain Olympus because it sounds like fun?"
• Community Growth: The number of people wanting to build cool stuff kept blowing my mind.

This year proved that the conference wasn't just about talks - it was about creating opportunities for builders to connect with capital and each other.

VAIM 2025: The Return

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After taking 2024 off, VAIM is back for its fourth year!

The Hackathon:

VAIM 2025 was a hackathon event bringing together builders to create the future.

Sponsors: - OpenAI - Powering the next generation of AI applications - Lovable - Building the future of development tools - GammaAI - Transforming how we create presentations and content

The conference continues to evolve, bringing together the community of builders, investors, and thinkers who want to create the future.

Why I Keep Doing This

Every year, I'm reminded why this conference matters:

1. Community: The people who show up want to build cool stuff and help each other succeed.
2. Learning: Each conference teaches me something new about organizing, community building, and what matters.
3. Impact: Creating opportunities for startups, connecting builders with investors, and bringing world-class knowledge to Athens.
4. Fun: Despite the stress, it's incredibly gratifying to be around friends and intelligent people in my favorite place in the world.

Join the next VAIM

The next one is going to be WAY. MORE. FUN.

Links to All Conferences: - VAIM 2021 (V as in Metaverse) - VAIM 2022 (V as in Metaverse) - VAIM 2023 - VAIM 2025 - Register Now

Related Posts: - How I Organized My Own Conference Like Gary Vee in 30 Days - How NFTs Will Change Events - Create 1000 NFT Tickets for Free in Less Than 1 Minute

- Jon V (as in Victory) 🚀

- Wed 14 January 2026