• rAgeX will discuss the metaverse, cryptocurrencies and other Web3.0 technologies.
• The conference will take place on 9th December during the rAge expo.
• Tickets for the event need to be purchased separately from rAge tickets.

While Mark Zuckerberg tries to convince us that connecting our brains to his Metaverse is a good idea, many are still rightfully sceptical of the play.

That includes people in places such as South Africa where internet connectivity, never mind a virtual reality headset, is a luxury for many. Despite this, to flat out ignore the metaverse concept and what it encompasses would be a mistake.

At least that appears to be the thinking that has inspired the creation of rAgeX from the organisers of rAge.

The rAgeX Conference takes place on 9th December at the Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand, Gauteng. Yes, this conference does take place at the same time as rAge itself.

“As well as covering the Metaverse, the conference will also help attendees discover the benefits of VR, AI, big data and machine learning, the algorithms and functionalities of TikTok, Crypto currencies[sic] and the internet of things and much much more,” reads a press release sent to Hypertext.

The conference will host 35 speakers over 7.5 sessions. We don’t understand why one session is being represented as a half.

The keynote will be presented by RJ van Spaandonk.

“Now is the time for SA businesses to start exploring the opportunities of the Metaverse and web3 technologies. The current rout in tech stocks and crypto currencies reminds us of the dot-com boom when the real gems like Amazon and Facebook emerged after the duds went belly up,” van Spaandonk said in a statement.

“At the rAgeX conference we’ll look at the major trends in this space and hopefully help you pick the winners of the next internet iteration,” he adds.

You can find a full list of the speakers and their topics here, but be warned that some speakers are yet to be confirmed. This includes filmmaker Dan Mace and Brandon Topham from the Financial Sector Conduct Authority.

This seems like an interesting event but, it’s not free to attend.

Instead, one has to spend R600 to attend this conference. As far as conferences go that’s not bad, but it still feels like a lot of money. That price does include entrance to rAge on the Friday, but as the conference runs from 09:00 to 18:00 (and is sure to run over time) we aren’t sure who will take advantage of it.

If this has piqued your interest, head on over to Howler for tickets and the rAgeX website for more information.