Consensus has been a singular event each year for the cryptocurrency and blockchain community to gather – physically or virtually – to exchange big ideas. Now, for the first time since 2019, Consensus is live and in person, taking its Big Tent to Austin, Texas, home to a thriving artist community and known for its breakfast tacos, BBQ, music and film festivals, and for being a startup hub. What better place to dive into creative entrepreneurship than Consensus 2022 at Austin?

This guide is part of CoinDesk's Road to Consensus series.

Non-fungible tokens (NFT), the metaverse and decentralization have all exploded in possibility and adoption in recent years, accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic that drove us all behind closed doors and open laptops, promising to create an opportunity for artists and creators to bypass brokers, agents and other middlemen, find an audience and be financially rewarded. If you are a creator, here’s what to attend at Consensus 2022 to learn about the latest ideas and innovations in creative entrepreneurship.

The can’t-miss Creator Summit at the Main Stage of the Hilton Austin is a chockablock half-day of a dozen conversations bringing creators and business people together. It kicks off at 1 p.m. local time with a welcome address by Sterling Proffer, founder of Creative Executive Officers, invited by CoinDesk to program and host the Creator Summit with the goal of showing creators, artists, musicians, platforms and fans how to utilize the benefits of blockchain technology.

The Summit kicks off right away at 1:05 p.m. with “Creativity Reimagined: Web 3 and the New Creative Canvas.” Join artist Eric Friedensohn of Efdot Studio; Sara Baumann, the artist and founder behind the Women and Weapons NFT collection and artist Jose Silva in a conversation about how Web 3 is unlocking a creative renaissance, moderated by thought leader and community builder Andrew Wang.

NFTs took off in 2021 and it may seem daunting to take the leap now. Join the conversation from 1:40 p.m. to 2:15 p.m., “Standing Out in a Crowded Field: How to Break Through the Noise” with SuperRare co-founder John Crain, crypto-artist and ALLSHIPS founder Dave Krugman, Manifold founder Eric Diep and co-founder and CEO of Serotonin Amanda Cassatt, moderated by Sterling Proffer. They will answer the burning question: Why do some projects stand out while others seem to stagnate on launch?

For those looking to take their first steps into the creator economy, head to the breakout session “Beginning Your Web 3 Journey: Going Down the Rabbit Hole” from 2:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Fox Entertainment Executive Vice President Yoel Flohr, metaverse artist Krista Kim and artist Diane Sinclair will answer your burning questions such as where you start, what you need to know and what do creators wish they knew when they were just getting started. Moderated by Toni Thai Sterrett, filmmaker and founder of Bad Grrls Creative Club.

Join a fascinating breakout session with a group of agents discussing “The Career Arc of the Creator” from 3:20 p.m. to 3:50 p.m. Web 3 presents opportunities for established and emerging artists to reimagine their career. CAA executive Adam Friedman, United Talent Agency Web 3 agent Caroline Hooven and SuperDigital.Art agent Samantha James join CoinDesk news reporter Eli Tan to discuss what are the right strategies and support structures required for long-term success.

End the Creator Summit on a hopeful but cautionary note with "Building a Better Future," back on the Main Stage from 4:35 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. Turning the promise of Web 3 into a reality means we must consciously avoid replicating the old system on new rails. Join Parker Jay-Pachirat, head of community at Fintech Collective’s DeFi Fund and a founding member of Boys Club, and photographer/filmmaker Brittany Pierre, leader of RugRadio BIPOCNFT Space, in a conversation moderated by Josh Ong, co-founder of Bored Room Ventures, an NFT fund and Web 3 strategy agency.

After the half-day Creator Summit on Thursday the conversation with creators about NFTs and the metaverse continues Friday and Saturday, when much of Consensus moves into the Austin Convention Center.

Start at 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the Austin Convention Center (ACC) Metaverse Zone with “Navigating the Metaverse.” Chief Metaverse Officer Cathy Hackl of the Futures Intelligence Group will explain all.

Immediately following that talk seek out “Beeples and Apes and Punks, Oh My: How to Buy, Sell and Create NFTs” at Crypto Unlocked across the street in the Hilton Hotel. Whether you’re an artist itching to monetize your work, a collector interested in this new digital art space or an investor looking to color your portfolio with NFTs, CoinDesk contributor Megan DeMatteo and her panel of guests will get you started down the PFP-bricked road, from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

And don’t forget to stop by the NFT Gallery one block from the ACC at the Copper Tank. Aside from the NFT displays, there are also artists and creators speaking throughout Friday, including “Web 1 → Web 3 : The Creators Journey,” by crypto artist and ALLSHIPS founder Dave Krugman from 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., followed by “Musicians and a Living Wage,” from 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. featuring singer-songwriters Ollie Chanin and Latashá, and Mike Darlington, co-founder and CEO of independent label Monstercat.

Back in the ACC at the Metaverse Zone from 4:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., join an artist, Krista Kim; a stealth metaverse company CEO, Dani vande Sande; and a financier, Jeff Bandman, discussing “Who Should Architect the Metaverse?”

The NFT Gallery at Copper Tank continues with more artists and creators speaking throughout the day. From 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. check out “How the Music Industry Is Being Redefined by Web 3,” with three music and tech company founders, Cherie Hu, Alex Salibian and Lin Dai.

At the ACC from 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. watch Megan Kaspar, founding member of fashion-focused Red DAO; digital artist Chad Knight, head of cyberware at Wilder World; and Natalia Modenova, founder and COO of DRESSX discuss “Identity Transformed: PFPs, Digital Fashion, and You,” moderated by Michael Miraflor, chief brand officer at Hannah Grey VC.

NFTs became a $40 billion market in 2021 and there's no end to the ideas about where it’s headed.

Join Maaria Bajwa, partner in vSound Ventures; co-founder Richerd Chan of Manifold.xyz; and 0xb1, co-founder of FODL Finance and an NFT collector, as they discuss “Bored Apes, Blue Chips and Where Do We Go From Here?” from 1:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the ACC Explorations Stage 2.

And then, to close the discussion on an expansive note, join WAX and Tether co-founder William Quigley and Mojito CEO Raakhee Miller at the NFT Gallery at Copper Tank as they muse on “What's Next in NFTs' Wide Open Future.”

Beyond this guide, check out the full agenda for events centered on the future of money and finance, sports, decentralized autonomous organizations (DAO) and more.