Immersive Technology – The Value of Using AR + VR at Live Events

Live events can be tiring. Long days soon become a blur and you come into contact with so many people you don’t remember who you spoke to and who you said what to.

In addition, you have all the pre-event preparation and the post-event administration to take care of. And you’re never sure whether you will stand out from the crowd and impress the audience.

But there are a couple of game-changers in town which solve many of the problems businesses encounter at live events; augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).

What kind of AR + VR could you bring to events?

As we’ve mentioned in previous blog posts, AR and VR are excellent for educational purposes. These frontier technologies are also excellent for marketing purposes to showcase what your company does, how you do it and what benefits you provide for your customers.

With that in mind, AR and VR can be used at virtually any event. However, its most advantageous uses help to explain complex subject matter. For example, the medical industry often needs to communicate explicit information that is too confusing and difficult for patients to fathom.

Virtual reality and augmented reality experiences can be delivered in various ways. One option is to create interactive booths where attendees can use their smartphones or AR devices to access information, videos, or interactive elements related to products or services.

This replaces, or enhances, printed materials such as brochures, posters, or banners with AR markers. Attendees can use AR apps to unlock additional content, videos, or 3D models related to the printed material.

You can also adopt gamification elements to make the experience more fun and engaging for end users, or why not add languages so that foreign attendees can hear what you offer in their own language?

The ultimate goal is to create virtual exhibits, showrooms and experiences that attendees can explore using VR headsets. This is particularly useful for companies with physical products that may be challenging to bring to the event — such as a travel company. You can’t physically move landmarks, but you can replicate the experience in a VR simulation and transport users to remote locations.

Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of VR and AR at live events.

What are the benefits of bringing VR + AR to events?

Bringing VR and AR to events enhances the overall attendee experience and offers new possibilities for engagement. Because these cutting-edge technologies are highly engaging, attendees are far more likely to remember your company over your competitors.

Companies can use VR and AR to showcase products or services in innovative ways. Virtual product demonstrations, interactive 3D models, and augmented reality overlays can provide a more dynamic and memorable presentation.

For example, you can take prospects on a virtual tour of your factory, offices, site or the home of your existing customers to showcase the benefits you provide.

Or you might want to offer hands-on training sessions or workshops that enable attendees to participate and make their interaction with you more memorable than anyone else at the event.

You can also add interactive elements. AR can be used to overlay data and information onto the physical environment, providing attendees with real-time insights and analytics. This can be particularly beneficial for industries where data visualisation is crucial, such as the medical industry, finance or analytics.

If you are promoting a range of products, prospects can interact with a VR simulation and try before they buy. VR and AR allow for personalised experiences. Attendees can customise their interactions based on their preferences and interests, creating a more tailored and relevant event experience.

Subsequently, virtual and augmented reality can make events more accessible to a wider audience than you might ordinarily reach. Rather than taking multiple items and products with you in their physical format, you can allow attendees full access to your range of products and services through a single headset and interactive booth.

It’s also worth noting that VR is a powerful tool for storytelling. Businesses can use VR to immerse attendees in narratives, delivering content in a more impactful and emotionally engaging manner.

You can also use VR and AR to host live events in a virtual environment. This is an ideal scenario for global events. VR can reduce the need for extensive travel and associated costs.

Because attendees can participate in virtual events from anywhere in the world, broadening the reach of the event without the logistical challenges of physical attendance is easier and more convenient for everyone. Not only that, but your competitors are not there causing a distraction.

Contact us

Sliced Bread Animation has created multiple VR experiences for live events, and understands the importance of user experience, interactivity and memorability.

Contact us about your live event ambitions and we will create bespoke VR and AR experiences that meet your goals.