Sephora’s iconic Sephoria event proved to be another metaverse success. While the event has been ongoing for years as an in-person extravaganza, last year the brand switched over to hosting it on their own site and they continued with that format this month for the annual experience. The popularity of virtual events is growing astronomically; in 2021 5,000 members participated in Sephoria’s games and live shows, and this year 16,000 joined in. To reel in new members, Sephora added to the number of mini games within the virtual world and also provided free NFTs. Celebs and Influencers like Patrick Star and Gwen Stefani joined in to promote their own brands as well as take part in a master class. YPulse research shows that metaverse events are becoming their own entertainment category and 23% of Gen Z and Millennials have already attended a virtual brand event, but another 46% are interested in doing so. (Glossy)