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A Place for Virtual Reality in Corporate and Live Event Production? You Bet

Certainly, the launch of PlayStation’s new VR gaming system has the technology on people’s minds, but the concept is really not all that new. For decades VR has had techies and gamers salivating and chomping at the bit for the next iteration of the ultimate interaction with fantasy. However, 2016 was the year that the technology finally became mainstream—and it wasn’t limited to just gaming systems.

In fact, virtual reality is already being used as a powerful marketing, sales and training tool for a range of industries, and people responsible for event and meeting planning are taking notice too.

Bringing stories and experiences to life

Virtual reality technology is complicated, but the gist is this: A PC, game console, or smartphone operating a VR application sends video to a headset that users wear over their eyes. Technology within the headset manipulates images to make them appear three-dimensional to the viewer.

Other devices, including gloves, helmets, microphones and controllers, track the users’ voice and head, hand and other body movements. Those devices then signal to the application to adjust the images within the VR environment and respond to those movements. Participants can actually move and interact with images, and each time they do anything, whether that is walking in a particular direction or touching something, the scene in front of them changes. Wherever users look, they’ll still find themselves within the life-sized 3D environment.

In other words, VR, in a way, tricks the brain into believing the body is somewhere else—and people often lose themselves in these virtual worlds, at least until the headsets come off. The ultimate magician!

VR makes waves in corporate and live event production

It’s ability to fully immerse people in another world is what makes VR appealing for many reasons. VR is proving invaluable to train people for high-stakes careers, for example, pilots and surgeons. Other industries are using it to promote products and engage with customers. And VR could very well change corporate event production and live event production forever, playing a role in everything from how you plan events to how participants attend them.

Just imagine having the ability to:

  • Increase both excitement and engagement for an event. You could provide potential attendees with a totally immersive glimpse of what your event will entail, building buzz—and attendance. Show off that 90’ LED screen!
  • Offer your attendees memorable experiences. VR can make it possible for employees to get “hands-on” experience with a new product or “walk” through a new concept store in another country. That type of experience will be much more memorable and meaningful than any PowerPoint presentation or video.
  • Double—or more—attendance. With VR technology, you could offer virtual attendance for people who can’t make it in-person, without them having to sacrifice the full in-person experience.
  • Provide better product demonstrations—in a smaller space. People could experience the full range of products without you having to lock down a giant venue.
  • Wow attendees. With cutting-edge technology that many of your attendees will have never experienced, you can bet they won’t forget your event any time soon.

And it doesn’t stop there. The technology creates so many opportunities for meeting and event planners. Give us a call, and let’s talk about how L37 can make virtual reality … a reality at your next event.