Event planners for companies always work with people in mind. They have to do it to provide the best personal experiences.
So the idea of using virtual or augmented reality in these meetings has been a bit controversial for some specialists. This technology has not finished exploding to become something popular as it has been expected for a long time. We are not talking about something new, because many companies have been working on these devices for years, having some successes, but also many failures. Augmented reality in particular has had several stumbles during this development, however it found its way to present itself to the public in a massive way with the launch of Pokémon Go. When it comes to virtual reality, they use video in an “immersive” way , where the user is transported to a different world with the use of devices that will allow them to change their perspective in 360 degrees. The creator could edit these visualizations like any other video, that way the user can look towards the direction they want and have a scene in front of their eyes.
Mixing the real world with the virtual world
The process of augmented reality is to work a parallel world by linking real world factors. Users can still see and hear everything going on around them, but there are additional images and content displayed layered on top of the palpable reality through a smartphone, devices like Google Glass or full glasses that exist to further distract from external factors. Speaking of Google Glass, this company saw a lot of potential in augmented reality and wanted to take it from smartphones to an accessory that you could wear. It had a lot of popularity during its launch and thus was born a new era for AR in which everyone started to know this technology, although shortly after it had a diversion of attention. The public turned their eyes back on AR technology with the emergence of Pokémon Go, but after a few months of shocking the world, augmented reality returned to its usual low demand. This means that people are very receptive to this technology, but it takes products to keep it alive for it to be useful among common users. There is a product being worked on by Microsoft called HoloLens that promises a lot, as well as another company called Magic Leap that has not yet formally presented its product, but has received millions of dollars in investments. What is certain is that the next generation of AR is coming with a lot of force.
Usability #1: virtual inspections of spaces and places
There is a great opportunity in which virtual reality can be used, because it makes it possible to review a physical site through “immersive” video. We would be saying goodbye to traditional printed media such as triptychs with photos of the site, now it is possible for someone to have access to the experience of seeing it in a 360-degree image. Imagine just giving a potential customer a VR device with a headset so they have all their senses in play. It’s going to give a more intimate and personal level to the presentation of the venue without the need to be there.
Usability #2: events and meetings
They are already starting to be used for these cases. This technology can:
Provide additional information to participants.
Before it was done with QR codes to learn more about the event, sponsor information, sweepstakes, games, etc. But if you enable devices, you will be able to do much more and with a more pleasant experience.
Special stations for attendees.
It would no longer be a photo booth or a space to offer refreshments. People would be more likely to move to a space where there is a VR device to see something different.
Use the virtual image to enhance the event’s message.
This would be great for car-related trade shows. There are virtual reality glasses that connect with accessories that are worn on the hands, that way the user can relive the handling of any type of car. It is worth noting that AR and VR are not “future” technologies, because they have been evolving for years. We only need to experiment more for it to become a trend and its use to be sufficiently popular.
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