Humans are social beings and if the global pandemic has taught us anything, it is that the internet can be a great way to create connections and social experiences when used correctly. The future of events will be greatly impacted by Augmented, Virtual and Mixed realities as immersive experiences become a staple in the way we interact with brands, products and each other.
Immersive experiences can transform an ordinary interaction into an unforgettable event experience. AR and VR give brands the opportunity to really connect with their audience, create and own their communities. We have seen this in the online gaming world and brands can recreate this if they use the available technologies in a way that is innovative, evokes emotion and inspires their attendees.
Mike Lysko, Founder and CEO of Flock Eventing Platform is always pushing the boundaries and finding new ways to incorporate new and emerging technology into Flock’s events. “Technological innovations are happening faster than ever before and you can either utilise these advancements to improve your business and connections with your audience or fall behind, at Flock we embrace technology to provide more value to our clients and attendees,” says Lysko.
Flock sat down with Steve Pinto, CEO of CRTL Robotics to discuss Augmented and Virtual Reality and touches on a few more ways to create immersive experiences:
Augmented Reality:
“AR refers to taking the environment around you and augmenting it by adding interactive digital elements,” explains Pinto. For example, Snapchat or Instagram filters and the ever-popular Pokemon Go game. It is a great way to enhance interactivity at your event. In order to incorporate AR at your event, you can use AR glasses or even attendees’ smartphones, assuming that they have a model that is compatible with the technology.
Virtual Reality:
“VR, on the other hand, refers to digitally removing people’s surroundings to create an immersive experience. Incorporating VR into your next event is a great way of increasing engagement with your audience. A great way to wow your audience and get more from your event is to incorporate VR, by utilising VR headsets,” Pinto emphasises.
We spoke to Pinto about the use of AR and VR in the eventing space and he says that it has the power to transform your event into an immersive experience. According to Pinto: “AR can show you that physical object or give you the control to show that object to your audience. And then virtual reality can immerse attendees into a space of your choosing. So, if you want to show them something, and you want them to have a full experience, enabling the ability to use VR in the next few years will become a new tool you can use to engage and to show exactly what you want to your audience”.
3D Mapping:
Also known as projection mapping, is when you project images onto a 3D surface or object. It is a great way to bring otherwise ‘flat’ images to life and make them more relevant to audiences. Using 3D/projection mapping brings your content to life and by making it more interactive you will also be making it more memorable for your attendees.
Ambient Interactivity:
Ambient interactivity refers to incorporating elements such as interactive windows, walls, and tables into an environment. It transforms your event into a more immersive experience that your attendees can interact with on another level.
“Technological advancements in the events industry will help event planners overcome many limitations they currently face and will help simplify many aspects of event planning, while providing more impactful and tailored event experiences. There are many exciting things to come for the event industry as a result of new and innovative event tech such as immersive experiences,” concludes Lysko.