VR, AR and the Future of Immersive Events

There was a time when putting a VR headset on at an event felt like the future had arrived.Fast-forward a few years, and virtual and augmented reality have become much more familiar. The technology has developed, audiences have become more accustomed to immersive experiences, and event producers have a much bigger creative toolbox to play with.

VR and AR can do some pretty impressive things. They can transport audiences somewhere they cannot physically go, can allow people to explore products, places and environments that don't exist yet, and they can turn a traditional presentation into something interactive and give audiences the opportunity to experience rather than simply observe.

Immersive does not have to mean virtual

Immersion can take many forms. It could be an interactive projection, an incredible lighting design, a carefully constructed environment, responsive digital content, sound and visual effects, augmented reality layered onto a physical space.

The aim is not necessarily to make an audience forget where they are, but to simply make them more involved in what is happening around them.

What's next for VR and AR?

Technology is developing quickly, and the possibilities are likely to continue expanding. VR experiences can become increasingly sophisticated and accessible. AR can become more integrated into everyday devices and physical environments. AI can help create more responsive and personalised digital experiences.

However, give the same piece of technology to ten different creative teams and you could end up with ten completely different experiences based on imagination, production expertise and understanding the audience.

Start with the audience, not the technology

Once the audience has been established, it makes sense to ask whether VR, AR or another piece of technology is the right answer.

Sometimes is won’t be needed.

The future of immersive events

The future is not necessarily about making events more technological, but making them more experiential. Technology gives us new ways to tell stories, create interaction and take audiences somewhere unexpected. However, the most successful experiences will be the ones where the technology feels natural, where people are so engaged in what they are experiencing that they are not thinking about the technology at all.