The North American Bitcoin Car Giveaway Tour 2014, a digital currency-themed roadshow aimed at promoting the use of bitcoin among everyday consumers, is set to hit the highways of North America in July.
The tour is being co-run by Kryptoz Inc., a bitcoin business media company, and BitPages.co, a bitcoin advertising platform, and will make stops throughout Canada and the US starting the first week of July at the West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Alberta.
The marquee event of the tour is the Las Vegas Money 20/20 conference, where a drawing will be held for the grand prize: a special edition 2014 KIA Soul that will serve as the heart and soul of the roadshow.
CoinDesk spoke with Kryptoz Inc. co-founder and CEO Robbie Davidson, who said that the tour is tapping into the nascent interest in bitcoin among consumers, with the overarching goal of bringing more information to people who might otherwise remain uninformed about the nature of digital currencies.
Davidson said:
“The big initiative is raising awareness for bitcoin. It’s so exciting — there’s so many people who don’t know about it [but] they’re interested in it. And, even if they’re not interested, you give away some and they start to get interested.”
Big prizes at stake
The vehicle up for grabs is the same one that will be driven around the continent during the tour. According to Davidson, the contest is designed to be the “big draw” for people.
After that, he hopes they’ll have a chance to learn more about digital currencies. He added that he expects there to be an even mix of seasoned cryptocurrency enthusiasts and people who have only heard about bitcoin in the news.
“I’m expecting a really hardcore bitcoin community, but I expect a lot of people who are simply intrigued.”
Notably, winners have the option of choosing the KIA Soul or $10,000 worth of bitcoins. Davidson suggested that because of the continental nature of the contest, some might not want to go through the expense of shipping a vehicle across state and national boundaries.
The tour is offering attendees a number of ways to enter the contest. In addition to signing up on-site, Davidson said that people can take pictures of the event and share them online which will enable them to receive additional entries.
Additionally, participants will receive bitcoin gift cards and other types of promotional swag. Davidson said that in some locations, bitcoin ATMs and other hardware will be on display for those who want to check them out.
Future tours in the works
Davidson envisions the tour as a yearly event, with a new car giveaway headlining the roadshow during its pan-continental trek.
He added:
“Everything is moving ahead. We’re ready, but we’re definitely planning on making this a yearly thing. And each year, the big mystery is: what car are they going to give away this year?”
Ultimately, he said, the success of this year’s tour will determine the nature of future events. Yet given the growing interest in bitcoin in general, he foresees more than a few people wanting to come out, learn about digital currencies and take their chance at winning a free car.
Images via Kryptoz Inc