Eventex events industry trends: The use of immersive technologies

With Lenny Talarico, CEO of Lenny Talarico Events

While the events industry might have been occasionally slow on the uptake of technology, immersion is one of the elements that make an event or experience memorable. It’s no wonder then that the use of immersive technologies, namely artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) is getting more popular in the events industry by the day, as also evidenced in The Eventex Events Industry Trends Report.

Immersive technologies in events and experiences 

AI, VR, and AR are constantly reshaping the industry, with AI in particular, changing everything, starting from proposal writing and creative development to digital content creation. AR and VR meanwhile take immersion to the next level — for online, hybrid, as well as online events.  

Retail 

Evidence of the use of immersive technologies can be seen easily first in the retail shopping experience. Let’s take a look at a couple of popular cases: 

• What a dress (or another piece of clothing) would look like in various colors and patterns. Another example here is what certain eyeglass frames look like on a person’s face, which comes in particularly handy for online shopping.  
• Many retailers utilize VR and AR live via “pop-up” stores or tradeshow exhibits. These technologies make it possible for retailers to target a larger audience, making their pop-up stores available to consumers all over the world. 

Events & experiences 

In addition to retail, immersive technologies have numerous applications for events, such as: 

• VR glasses introduced into event experiences transport wearers to various locales or allow them to experience brands in an augmented environment.  
• Virtual reality translates very well into meetings which include training scenarios. 
• AR meanwhile is used to demonstrate products or services. One such instance is Cirque du Soleil which partnered with Microsoft to develop a way for it to test out stage setups and choreography in augmented reality. 
• Last but definitely not least, AI can be seen incorporated into events through the use of digital rendering programs, AI photo booth activations, and even AI-controlled robotics that can deliver engaging content. 

Read more: Leveraging AI in events

Eventex Awards case studies  

The latest edition of Eventex Awards also saw some notable examples of incorporating immersive technologies to enhance events and experiences: 
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See all Eventex Awards winners