At a RiNo dance club, VIPs use chicken-themed NFTs to skip the line

Beacon owners Robert Champion and Mario Nocifera with the Wednesday chicken, which inspired the NFT program at dance club RiNo. (Photos courtesy of Beacon)

Mario Nocifera wants to put the VIP into NFTs.

With the growing popularity of NFTs, or non-replicable digital assets that represent real-world objects such as art, music, in-game items and videos, many people have questioned why a picture of monkeys is selling for tens of millions of dollars combined with headlines about the million-dollar hack of NFT projects.

But Nocifera, the owner of local dance club Beacon at 2854 Larimer St. in RiNo, told BusinessDen that his new NFT program has some real-world value.

“I’m interested in crypto and a big believer in the technology. I wanted to let others get into it without having to invest in crypto or buy Bitcoin and without the ‘Oh my God’ factor, as people get overwhelmed if they’re not used to to work with crypto, Nocifera said.

In June, Nocifera launched a Beacon VIP membership program using NFTs. He is selling 50 NFTs, which are different images of a chicken with a disco ball, for $500 each. Nocifera began promoting the VIP NFT program through word of mouth in June. He said he has sold 16 out of 50 so far.

“We want to keep that number low to keep the integrity of the value,” Nocifera said. “Everyone who owns one comes all the time because that’s why they bought it. A guy who lives in Florida, who spends a quarter of his time here and is big into crypto, even bought one.”

Beacon NFT holders get a couple of benefits.

When you come on a Friday night, you can skip the line with a friend. Is your favorite famous DJ playing at the club? You don’t have to pay the coverage fee, which usually ranges from $5 to $100.

“We don’t want people to be afraid of our NFT because at the end (of the day), the chicken is not worth the money, that’s what it represents,” Nocifera said. “That’s why our platform is a tangible resource.”

Beacon, which Nocifera opened with her business partner Robert Champion in December, is a dance club and bar decorated with immersive art installations. The idea for an NFT was presented to the owner by one of the club’s local artists and performers, Brandon Theis.

Nocifera, 47, started buying crypto in 2019, but he didn’t own any NFTs, so Theis guided him through the process.

Beacon’s NFT for VIP members is a picture of one of Nocifera’s chicks with a disco ball.

“We consider ourselves a hub for artists to network in their communities and draw inspiration from all mediums, which now includes digital art,” Nocifera said.

Before Nocifera opened Beacon, he built his own chicken coop and bought seven chickens, naming each one after a day of the week. He did a promotional photo shoot for Beacon with Wednesday the chicken with a disco ball, which later became the inspiration for NFT.

Austin Foster, a local resident who works in the cannabis industry, frequents Beacon and purchased a VIP NFT in June to access Nocifera.

“I bought into Mario because I feel like we can create a lot of great things together, and now he’s interested after spending $500 on an NFT,” Foster said. “I wanted to get involved in the dance club scene and this was a good stepping stone because once you’re part of the community, Mario introduces you to everyone.”

Foster, 29, said he has used his NFT about seven times since he bought it and convinced a friend to buy one as well. His favorite perk is being able to skip the line, which is usually around 20 minutes long.

But he’s also proposed some extra perks to Nocifera, including members-only events, free drink tickets and a discounted VIP section.

“Not just anyone is going to spend $500 to skip the line,” Foster said. “People in that network can be significant to each other for business. If you sell them with more incentives, they will sell out very quickly, because right now people are fine with waiting 20 minutes.”

To get free entry, Beacon NFT holders must unlock their phone and show the doorman the photo of the chicken in their mobile wallet. A screenshot does not work. However, like other NFTs, owners can sell them and the club benefits will be transferred to the buyer.

“It’s been so cool to see this little ecosystem of NFT holders come together at Beacon,” Nocifera said. “Of the handful I’ve sold, I’ve really been able to get to know the buyers and even introduce them to each other.”

For those still skeptical, Nocifera said he is getting ready to create a VIP section on the Beacon’s dance floor that will host a more traditional bottle service and reservation model.

“We don’t want to scare away any paying customers who still want the VIP experience but may not be ready to explore the NFT world yet,” Nocifera said.