Thanks to the creative contributions of Pi’s community members from all around the world, with over 25,000 submissions, PiFest has been selected as the official moniker for the upcoming Pi-Powered Commerce Event. This event will feature local businesses and merchants that integrate Pi from around the globe, and marks a significant step in demonstrating the utility and strength of Pi Network.
PiFest’s Core Objective:
The primary purpose of PiFest is to boost the utility of Pi and demonstrate the power of the Pi community through local commerce. First, this program aims to empower local businesses and merchants who have integrated Pi into their operations, enabling them to connect with the vast community of Pioneers––all while encouraging further adoption with a strong and practical showcase of the technology. Second, this program can help Pioneers to discover and engage with local businesses in their regions that accept or incorporate Pi, thereby highlighting the practical applications of Pi in everyday commerce.
This event has also been designed with your feedback in mind. Over 80,000 Pioneers submitted feedback within a 24-hour window to our Pi Commerce Survey. Among other insights, Pioneers expressed a desire to make direct peer-to-peer transactions, and voiced requests for new features to assist in those transactions. With the introduction of the Pi QR code feature, Pioneers and Merchants can make simple and safe peer-to-peer transactions. The community also reported that discoverability of local businesses that accept Pi was a challenge. This event is a first step at improving local discoverability, and connecting Pioneers in their local communities.
Taken together, this event is designed to kickstart Pi Commerce and create an iterative blueprint for the future of Pi and the intersection of Web3 and commerce.
Utility building is a key goal of the Enclosed Mainnet phase of the network, and Pioneers and Merchants alike will come together during this event to contribute to this effort.
PiFest Summary and Highlights:
- What: Local businesses that have integrated Pi or want to integrate Pi will display a special PiFest “Pay with Pi” flier in their store and across their social channels, and Pioneers are invited to visit and shop at these stores during PiFest.
- When: December 6-11, 2023.
- Who: All Pioneers are invited to participate. Even if you aren’t shopping, there will be a poll where you can submit pictures of all of the Pay with Pi fliers you found, and Pioneers can compete to see what country or region has the most Pi commerce in the world!
- More Details:
- On December 4th, a special PiFest “Pay with Pi” flier will be released via a home screen announcement on the main app for merchants to display in their shops.
- Download the flier here
- Merchants who accept or otherwise integrate Pi in their operations are encouraged to post photos of these fliers in their storefronts to the #PiCommerce channel on Fireside Forum, which will go live on December 5th, and on their own social media channels to amplify their reach.
- From December 6th to 11th, Pioneers worldwide are invited to visit these stores. This period is not just about shopping; it’s an opportunity to interact with fellow Pioneers, snap photos with the PiFest Flier, and share these moments online.
- A Quest for the Most Pi-Powered Region: An intriguing aspect of the event is a poll to determine which global region showcases the highest Pi commerce integration and engagement.
- On December 4th, a special PiFest “Pay with Pi” flier will be released via a home screen announcement on the main app for merchants to display in their shops.
Guidelines for Participation:
For Pioneers:
Before PiFest
- Event Flier: On December 4, watch out for a home screen announcement that will include a link to the official Pay with Pi event flier.
- Download flier here
- Find local Stores: Look out for stores that accept Pi posting the above flier in your local community. You can also look for businesses that are posting this flier online.
- Fireside Forum Tip: look for businesses that post on Fireside Forum in the #PiCommerce channel, which will be available starting on December 5th, or those that post a Fireside Forum link through PiNet to their other social channels.
- Avoid Scams: Once you find businesses that are accepting Pi, be sure to research them to make sure you trust that they are a real business and have a previous online presence. Additionally, the focus of this event is on in-person, local businesses and merchants, so be extremely cautious with online-only retailers; these can be scams.
- QR Codes: Familiarize yourself with how the Pi QR code feature works in Pi Wallet, this is how you can easily transact with merchants in Pi!
- Plan Ahead: Plan out which stores you are excited to go to, and bring a friend!
During PiFest
- Shop Around: Go to as many Pi-Powered Commerce stores in your community as possible!
- More than Shopping: You can explore these local businesses, make great purchases, or even just go to check out a new store and take a picture of the store with the Pi commerce flier.
- Post your Pics: Be sure to post each store you locate on social media; there will be a poll in the home screen that will invite Pioneers to post links to their social posts of all the stores they attended.
- Submit your Posts for your Region: The region with the most posts will be the most Pi-powered region of the world. Where will it be?!
For Merchants:
Before PiFest
- Event Flier: On December 4, watch out for a home screen announcement that will include a link to the official PiFest “Pay with Pi” flier.
- Share the Flier: Download this flier, print it out and post it in your store front if you have a physical store. This will allow Pioneers to identify your store as one that integrates Pi!
- Fireside Forum: Take a picture of the flier in your storefront, and post it on the #PiCommerce channel in Fireside Forum! This channel will go live on December 5th. You can even share a link to this post via PiNet across other social channels; this will help Pioneers know that you are a verified Pioneer who has a Mainnet wallet.
- Promote your own store: You can also post the flier across your other social media channels to spread the word.
- Get Pi QR Code Ready: Familiarize yourself with how the Pi QR code feature works, so that you can do quick and seamless Pi transactions in-store. When you access your Pi QR code in your Pi wallet, you can simply take a screenshot of this and print it out for your customers to easily scan.
During PiFest
- Shopping Time: From December 6-11, Pioneers will be encouraged to come to your store and make purchases using Pi, plus take fun photos to help promote your store and spread awareness.
- Safe Transactions: Be ready to transact in Pi if you do so, using your Pi QR code inside the Pi Wallet (instructions here). Make sure you receive real Pi on the Pi Mainnet for any goods or services sold, not the Test-Pi for testing purpose.
- Avoid Scams: To avoid any type of scam, make sure that any Pi transactions you make are completed before completing an exchange.
- Keep the Fliers Up: Make sure your fliers are visible, and encourage all the Pioneers you know to participate!
PiFest is a movement putting Pi cryptocurrency for use in local commerce, and showcasing utility and communal strength of Pi. Get ready to be part of this groundbreaking event!
Disclaimer: Only individuals that reside in countries where the exchange of Pi, or any other cryptocurrency, would be permissible are permitted to participate. All Pioneers should follow their applicable local laws, rules and regulations.