The future of wearable technologies in events

Technology has made some good progress since Casio’s “smartwatch” in the 1980s. But it’s still not quite there yet.

Sure, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are more and more prominent, but they are still just at the beginning. Which is very exciting, because it calls for many more new developments and surprises, especially for the future of the event industry. So, what could technology possibly have in store in terms of attendee experience and data collection?

© http://techsytalk.com/techsytalks-epic-guide-to-event-tech-trends-in-2015-wearable-tech/

First, we can expect that soon, both VR and AR will find new uses during events, and no longer merely be baits to attract attendees on exhibitors’ stands. For now, they require a lot of heavy equipment (be it the computers required to make it work or the headsets), but more research and development in portability would eventually lead to innovative ways for attendees to experience conferences and exhibitions. Wearables could lead to more gamification and new ways to deliver content, or even to facilitate networking. For example, smart glasses could match you with other attendees sharing the same competences, interests or prospects, either through the sharing of information or, even bolder, facial recognition.

Not only does this technology represent the future of attendee experience, they will be a new tool for event planners to collect data on attendee behaviour, both during and post-event. Obviously, any data collected will allow the planners to improve future events, going even further than today and offering insights on how long attendees were looking at something or how their body reacted at a certain moment during the event. But wearables could, on top of that, give event planners access to the data immediately, thus giving them the chance to act upon whatever information they receive, for instance if attendees are feeling tired or hungry.

Opportunities to improve the attendee’s journey through technology are endless. Those are merely today's expectations for tomorrow; the more technology will evolve, the more responsive planners and the events themselves will be.

Written by: Marie Cyrot & Rodolphe Hermann

Sources:

https://www.eventindustrynews.com/guest-blogs/wearable-tech-and-hybrid-events-are-we-nearing-an-events-revolution

Tourism, Virtual Reality and Other Realities

   

                                                                                                                                                     © Samsung [6]

                                                                                                                      

    With the advent of the Oculus Rift’s first prototype in 2013, virtual reality technology (VR) was quickly welcomed into the international market. Three years later, VR now is reality as many companies now provide their own version of VR headgear in order to compete in this new market. Thus, consequently, building and improving the technology and its many applications. With VR’s immersive 360-degree experience it can be adapted for the all facets of the tourism industry. VR gives the tourism industry an unique opportunity for a new marketing tool and as a way to enhance the customer experience.

    Destination BC was one of the first North American DMOs to invest in VR technology, in order to take advantage as this new marketing channel to market the province. In 2014, they spent $500,000 Canadian to create a VR immersive video of a BC boat tour, giving viewers a chance to get up close and personal with sea lions. Their next project, according to Destination BC CEO Marsha Walden, is to create a virtual experience of skiing in Whistler. Walden comments that Destination BC will only spend $100,000 Canadian on this project as the cost of the equipment has significantly dropped from two years ago. The current video is shown to consumer at trade shows, though it is also available on YouTube, as YouTube supports 360-degree VR video. All the viewer does is put their mobile device in the VR headgear and they are taken away to British Columbia [Business Vancouver; 1]

    The DMO for Vancouver, Tourism Vancouver, has also seen the value of investing in VR technology for marketing. They have sent VR headsets to British and Germany travel agencies in order to show potential customers British Columbia and Vancouver. [Business Vancouver; 1]

    At Facebook’s annual developers’ conference a few weeks ago, chief technology officer Mike Schroepfer, gave his insights to the future of tourism and VR. Wearing an Oculus VR headset, he and another Oculus wearer were able to immerse themselves in London. They both had a chance to explore a 360-degree view London, even taking a selfie with a selfie-stick. The video demo was showed “the potential for a local tour guides to give virtual reality tours to users all over the world, without having to leave their homes”. [Globalnews; 2]

    Augmented reality (AR) technology has provided another outlet for customer experience and marketing in the tourism industry. AR does not give you a 360-degree experience, it adds layers onto what the viewer is seeing. In our opinion AR is more useful for the tourism industry at this point in time, at least from the point of the tourist. AR apps are already more abundant than VR and AR does not require expensive equipment, only one’s mobile device and a corresponding app. Something as simple as an AR city guide that gives directions and detailed information about sites, which one can access on their mobile device, is very efficient for the tourist on the go. An example of this is the Google translate app, which uses AR to scan sentences in 90 languages and translate them in real time, on your mobile device [Tom’s Guide; 3]. Where VR is about immersive promotion/marketing, AR is greatly affective for aiding/informing the customer, both enhance the customer experience in different ways.

    The newest reality idea, which was fully launched a few days ago, is the mixed reality (MR). Magic Leap, owned by Google, announced its new gear – sort of like a Google glass – earlier this week. Where VR blocks out the world to immerse you in a new one, the MR keeps the world as it is and brings the virtual reality into the real one [Business Design+Construction; 4]. The wearer will see the MR through the Magic Leap glass where the visuals become an almost real time hologram. [DailyMail; 5] Though still a young technology, MR brings a new opportunity for the tourism industry in the future, by further immersing people into the product. Potential future application for MR could be used to show customers hotel rooms or rearrange them to their liking before booking, or allowing clients to experience being surrounded by tropical fish before experiencing the real thing and deciding if they should in fact do that snorkel tour.

                                                                                                    - Contributed by Alexa Bailey and Sakshi Bheda

Sources

[1] https://www.biv.com/article/2016/4/virtual-reality-poised-transform-tourism-marketing/

[2] http://globalnews.ca/news/2638463/from-messenger-chatbots-to-virtual-reality-tourism-everything-facebook-announced-at-f8/

[3] http://www.tomsguide.com/us/pictures-story/657-best-augmented-reality-apps.html

[4] http://www.bdcnetwork.com/mixed-reality-more-exciting-prospect-virtual-reality-movie-director-peter-jackson-thinks-so

[5] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3548343/Watch-Magic-Leap-s-mysterious-mixed-reality-action-Google-backed-firm-s-latest-demo-gives-new-clues-secretive-technology.html

[6] http://www.samsung.com/uk/consumer/mobile-devices/wearables/gear/SM-R322NZWABTU

World's First Virtual Reality Theme Park

In 2018, the first theme park using virtual and augmented reality only is projected to open in China. This concept called L.I.V.E Centre (Landmark Interactive Virtual Experience) and created by Landmark Entertainment Group, will enable its guests to visit an interactive museum, a virtual zoo and aquarium as well as a digital art gallery. All of these attractions will be allowed by high tech equipment such as 3D screen, surround sound system and special effects.

source: freedigitalphotos.net

This new theme park aim is not only to provide entertainment but also to deliver education within one destination. Tony Christopher (Landmark Entertainment Group’s CEO) states in the interview, "With virtual reality we can put you in the African savannah or fly you into outer space." According to him using virtual and augmented reality will help kids to appreciate visiting museum. It will move from a ‘boring experience’ to a ‘fun experience’. Another example cited by Christopher is the dinosaurs. Seeing these “legendary creatures” like if they were standing in the room is not something you can experience in every attraction park. To see sketches of the project please click here.

The company future projections’ are to open 20 to 30 L.I.V.E. Centres around the world.

Landmark Entertainment Group is an entertainment design company. They are well known for creating amazing decors such as the Jurassic Park attraction in Hollywood Universal Studios and the replica of the Grand Canal of Venice in The Grand Venetia Hotel in Las Vegas, to name just a few. We invite you to visit their legacy projects page where you can see all of their stunning realizations.

This article caught our attention because of the ‘wow effect’ from the sketches of the project. There is a theme park in France, The Futuroscope, oriented towards multimedia and visual techniques such as 3 and 4D but nothing like the L.I.V.E. Centre. Futuroscope Park relies on physical equipment and machines while the L.I.V.E. Centres relies only on screens. In the L.I.V.E. Centre you do not have to go from a venue to another to see a different attraction. It is all in one place.

It seems that virtual reality and augmented reality are changing the shape of theme parks. And we can see from Landmark Entertainment Group realizations that it can also be used in other venues such as hotels and retail outlets.

This article is also interesting for MICE people. The MICE industry can find some inspiration in virtual theme parks. Delegates will remember a conference or an exhibition that will take them to the virtual world through an immersive experience. Adding 3 or even 4D attractions to an event will enhance guest experience.

Another noticeable benefit from virtual and augmented reality is that it is flexible. You can change the content, the images or the videos quite rapidly and adapt to the context or to new trends.  

China future L.I.V.E Centre is something we both wish to visit. However, we would like to raise two questions

• Are these virtual parks more eco-friendly than traditional ones? Especially in terms of electricity consumption.
• Are the screens designed in a way they do not damage the eyes?

Lise Cimbolini & Trung duc Nguyen

The article: http://fortune.com/2015/06/18/ar-vr-theme-park-china/

Augmented Reality, a flourishing technology

Augmented Reality has recently been promoted by the disruptive innovation called Google glass. The success of smartphone is also closely linked to the emergence of this technology. But how does it work? The main idea is to duplicate the world's environment in your Smartphone or your computer. Today this technology is still on a development and experimental phase, augmented reality haven’t yet been adopted by the general audience market . However, its potential of development is boundless. Tourism industry has clearly picked up this opportunity and have started to develop apps using AR technology. This revolution could be extremely useful in the travel industry.

 Malaysia Airlines who had experienced a rough year in 2014 was one of the pioneer and first airlines to integrate AR for their customer. They have developed a function for Smartphone Apps that provides several information when pointing the screen towards the sky. It shows deals offered by the airline when the customer points their handset in the direction of a destination, a new idea and interactive way of communication. This is just the beginning and we can imagine that on a near future, airline and tourism actors can mix augmented reality and Geomarketing functions in order to customize the apps according to one's booking and consuming habits. For instance a user could be able to use AR function in an airport to find where the different facilities are located using an intelligent environment (Check-in desk, Baggage claim, Gates of boarding…)

Virgin airlines however use AR for internal and training purpose. Indeed, they created a virtual aircraft that helps the crew for training perspectives. It allows them to have a global view of the aircraft before they even work on it. Each member of the crew have access to this virtual plane so they can check their future aircraft and get access to information about the cabin space where everything will be located on board and how they have to interact with passengers. The Marketing department of Virgin will soon integrate this application for their customer's need. When choosing his seat, the user will have a 3D and virtual view of his flight, which will enhance his experience.

With those two examples we can easily understand the huge potential of AR for the industry; not only for marketing but for many different purposes. The technology is ready, from now it just needs to be adopted by users.

AR is directly applicable to the tourism industry when it comes to discovering a new city. For example, Yelp has set up its app with some AR component, allowing the user to access interactive information about the referenced places of interest around him. AR can also be used to get live information about transports. It can show directions to the closest metro or bus station, as well as the waiting time expected. Recently, the AR got directly applied to tourism, anticipating the language barrier and difficulties that travellers can encounter. Indeed, some AR apps can provide immediate translation of written texts or signs.

The goal of the Augmented Reality in the tourism industry is to help the user finding his way through unfamiliar environments. 

Camille Micault & Vincent Droesbeke