Organiser of ApeFest NFT event opens probe after attendees report vision issues

Yuga Labs, organiser of the ApeFest non-fungible token (NFT) event, has initiated an investigation after participants reported eye pain and vision issues after attending the event.  

A spokesperson from Yuga Labs told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that it was aware that some attendees were reporting eye pain, vision issues or skin irritation after attending ApeFest.  

“We are distressed by these reports, as nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of our community, many of whom we spent significant facetime with over the weekend. We suggest that anyone experiencing symptoms seek medical attention,” the spokesperson said. 

The spokesperson said Yuga Labs is continuing investigating alongside its ApeFest vendors and contractors to identify the potential sources of these issues.  

“At this point we’re looking into fluorescent paint in one of our setup areas, and most definitely looking at UV light. We will provide updates as we can,” the spokesperson added.  

On the other hand, a spokesperson from the Hospital Authority told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that it had treated six patients related to the ApeFest event over the weekend as of 7 November. “The Hospital Authority has provided appropriate treatment and the condition of the related patients is stable.” 

This comes after multiple attendees reported vision issues and eye-related symptoms after attending the event, which were believed to be caused by overexposure to UV lights. 

The incident has garnered significant attention across social platforms globally. Prior to the incident, ApeFest had enjoyed a sentiment of 52.6% positive and 5.6% negative, according to media intelligence firm CARMA. However, following the incident, its sentiment dropped significantly to 24.4% positive and 51.4% negative. 

Among the 600 mentions in Hong Kong, 39% of them conveyed a negative sentiment. The majority of these mentions were observed on X (formerly Twitter). 

Social media platforms have been inundated with sarcastic comments, such as references to "The Bored Ape Blind Club." Some individuals have raised concerns about the authorities' approval of the lighting arrangements, said Charles Cheung, CARMA’s HK GM.  

 “It is worth noting that many people expressed anger and disappointment with the way BAYC announced on their official X page, stating that they believed ‘much less than 1% of those attending and working at the event had these symptoms.’ Netizens found this response to be irresponsible and insensitive,” he added. 

On the other hand, social monitoring firm Meltwater saw 14.3% negative, 7.1% positive and 78.6% neutral sentiments regarding the incident (pictured right). Prior to the incident, Yuga Labs saw 10.7% positive, 89.3% neutral and no negative sentiment(pictured left).

A check by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE saw on X that a number of attendees of the ApeFest event shared their symptoms. While some said they got diagnosed with “photokeratitis over both eyes, accident-related”, some said they woke up at midnight with extreme eye pain and went to the emergency room.

On a similar note, some partygoers who attended a pop-up event organised by Hypebeast and Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama in 2017, reported that they had been suffered from “sunburn” and light sensitivity in their eyes after apparently being exposed to ultraviolet light, according to HKFP. 

Related articles:

Tsingtao Brewery initiates probe regarding viral video showing staff urinating into tank 
DBS' digital banking disruption caused by 'human error', according to preliminary investigations 
SPH Media files police report following investigations into inflated circulation numbers