Expensive EU Metaverse Party Attracts No Interest From Its Target Audience

On Dec 8, 2022

An expensive EU metaverse party flopped embarrassingly after its target audience failed to show any interest. The event, dubbed “Global Gateway,” targeted young people to connect and discuss global issues. However, things didn’t go as imagined, as only six individuals cared to attend the 24-hour party.

The EU, on its part, had talked a big game. It billed the event as a “beach party” where attendees would enjoy “music and fun” as the organization launched its Global Gateway strategy. One that sought to raise 300 billion euros in investments by 2027. Funds that would be used to help counter China’s influence and help the world recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

The virtual event cost about 387,000 euros ($407,000) to set up. It aimed to raise awareness among 18- to 35-year-olds. The kind that spends many hours on TikTok and Instagram but lacks political engagement. However, for some reason, the idea didn’t resonate with the target audience. Either the marketing was off or the idea was just terrible.

The organizers should have taken hints from the reaction of fellow EU staff members, who were skeptical of the idea from the start. After the presentation, some termed it “depressing and embarrassing,” while others described it as “digital garbage.”

Still, the organizers went ahead with the metaverse party, and to their surprise, only six individuals bothered to show up. Out of the six, one was a journalist who wanted to find out what the party was all about and report on it. The identity of the other five is not known, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if it was some of the organizers checking how the party was going.

I’m here at the “gala” concert in the EU foreign aid dept’s €387k metaverse (designed to attract non politically engaged 18-35 year olds — see story below). After initial bemused chats with the roughly five other humans who showed up, I am alone. https://t.co/ChIHeXasQP pic.twitter.com/kZWIVlKmhL
— Vince Chadwick (@vchadw) November 29, 2022

The journalist would share his bemusement on Twitter with other partygoers wondering if they got the wrong date. Still, the event was pretty bad, as one attendee told the journalist, “the concert was the same DJ spinning the same music.”

The other attendees would give up on the dull party and leave less than an hour after its advertised start, leaving the journalist alone.