Table of contents
Mintology’s partnership with Mastercard boosted event engagement through an NFT Scavenger Hunt, exceeding expectations and improving attendance, networking, brand promotion, and post-event data collection for future planning
In today’s digital age, innovation is crucial in capturing and retaining audience attention. Mastercard, a renowned global payment technology company, faced a decline in visitor engagement at its corporate events, impacting networking opportunities and footfall. To overcome this challenge and introduce the excitement of NFTs to their events, Mastercard partnered with Mintology. This case study highlights Mintology’s successful partnership with Mastercard, showcasing how their cutting-edge NFT solutions transformed attendee engagement and achieved strategic business goals.
Transform Your Event With NFTs
The Customer
Mastercard, founded in 1966, is a leading global payment technology company. With a presence in over 200 countries, Mastercard enables secure electronic transactions for consumers, businesses, and governments worldwide. The brand’s reputation for trust, convenience, and cutting-edge payment solutions has made it a trusted name in the industry. Mastercard’s mission is to empower individuals, businesses, and economies by driving the digital transformation of the global payments landscape.
The Challenge
Mastercard experienced a significant decline in visitor engagement at its corporate events, reducing footfall and limiting networking opportunities for attendees. Recognizing the need for innovative approaches to rejuvenate attendee interest, Mastercard also sought to introduce NFTs to provide a “wow” factor to their events and impress visitors with a unique implementation of NFT technology.
The Solution – Enhancing Event Engagement
Mintology proposed a solution to improve Mastercard’s event engagement. The centrepiece was an NFT Scavenger Hunt for the Mastercard Latin America and Caribbean 2022 Innovation Forum. Mintology strategically placed scannable QR codes across various zones at the event location. Each QR code, when scanned, would grant attendees a unique NFT. By completing a collection of NFTs, participants became eligible to win an exclusive prize. This gamified approach, coupled with the allure of NFTs, effectively revitalized visitor engagement, meeting Mastercard’s business objectives.
Proof of Attendance Made Memorable
To provide an innovative proof of attendance experience, Mintology integrated NFTs into two other major Mastercard events: the Mastercard Customer Forum 2022 in Malaysia/Indonesia and the Mastercard Payment Summit 2022 in India. Visitors received a link to claim their NFTs before the event or could scan a QR code at the event instead. Upon arrival, attendees presented their NFTs on their smartphones at the welcome counter to receive a special gift, elevating the event experience and leaving a lasting impression.
Mastercard approached Mintology with its business requirements and event engagement goals, and Mintology provided comprehensive support throughout each project. This included technical assistance, API integration, designing the NFTs used, and the landing page design for claiming NFTs. Mintology completed each project within a remarkable 6-8 weeks lead time from inception to launch.
How much did the NFTs improve event engagement?
Initial projections estimated a modest 10-20% NFT claim rate among event attendees. However, Mintology’s NFT solutions far surpassed expectations, with over 50-60% of all NFTs claimed across the events, a 300% increase. This unprecedented boost in engagement allowed Mastercard to achieve several critical business objectives:
- Boosted Visitor Engagement and Attendance: The incentives and utility of adopting NFTs generated a buzz, attracting increased visitor engagement and attendance at Mastercard events.
- Enhanced Networking Opportunities: Mintology’s NFT activations incentivised more interaction and meetings with industry peers, fostering valuable networking opportunities for attendees.
- Extended Brand Promotion and Awareness: NFT campaigns effectively promoted the Mastercard brand and enhanced its positioning as an innovator, extending the event’s impact beyond its physical boundaries.
- Valuable Insights and Future Planning: The data collected from NFT interactions provided valuable post-event analysis and could provide actionable insights for targeted marketing efforts and personalized experiences in future events.
Related Article: NFTs for Ticketing: Event and Experiences Transformed
Boost Audience Engagement With Mintology
Mintology’s partnership with Mastercard exemplifies the transformative power of NFTs in redefining attendee engagement at corporate events. By infusing a gamified element and leveraging the appeal of NFTs, Mastercard successfully reignited visitor interest, achieved strategic business goals, and left a lasting impression on event attendees. Mintology’s innovative NFT solutions offer a glimpse into the future of event experiences, providing corporate brands unique opportunities to captivate and connect with their audiences in the digital era.
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions on NFTs for Event Engagement
The NFT Scavenger Hunt was a gamified activation where Mastercard attendees scanned strategically placed QR codes throughout the event venue. Each scan granted a unique NFT, and collecting a full set made participants eligible for an exclusive prize—driving exploration and sustained engagement.
Proof-of-attendance NFTs served as digital mementos that attendees could claim before or during the event via a link or QR code. Presenting their NFT at check-in unlocked a special gift, creating a memorable, tech-forward greeting that reinforced brand innovation.
While initial projections forecast a 10–20% NFT claim rate, Mintology’s implementation saw over 50–60% of attendees claim their NFTs—a 300% increase over expectations—demonstrating the strong appeal and ease of the experience.
The promise of collecting exclusive digital assets transformed passive attendees into active participants. The hunt’s competitive edge and tangible rewards spurred more foot traffic to different zones and kept visitors engaged for longer periods.
By incentivizing attendees to move between zones and interact with peers, the NFT hunt facilitated natural conversation starters. Participants often teamed up to complete collections, fostering new connections and strengthening professional relationships.
Mintology handled end-to-end integration, including API setup, QR code generation, NFT design, and landing page creation. The entire technical implementation was completed within a 6–8-week lead time from kickoff to launch.
Attendees shared their newly minted NFTs across social media, generating organic buzz and positioning Mastercard as an innovator. The digital collectibles lived on post-event, continuing to promote the brand and its forward-thinking reputation.
Mintology’s dashboard tracked claim data, wallet behavior, and secondary engagement. This post-event analytics empowered Mastercard to segment audiences, tailor follow-up campaigns, and optimize future event planning based on real user behavior.
Yes. Mintology’s platform leverages Ethereum’s proven security and incorporates strict compliance measures. Every minting and claim transaction is recorded on-chain, ensuring transparency, immutability, and data integrity for enterprise events.
Absolutely. Any organization seeking to elevate event engagement can adopt similar NFT activations—from scavenger hunts to proof-of-attendance drops. With Mintology’s gasless, plug-and-play solution, brands of all sizes can implement high-impact digital experiences.