Corbin Ball, CMP, CSP, DES, MS, seems to think so….
And he has plenty of experience and insight backing him up.
He recently talked with Jamie Muro at PCMA about what’s coming in new Events Technology in 2017. Check out his latest article: Seven Meetings Technology Trends to Watch in 2017.
Here’s the interview in case you missed it.
Corbin is ONE OF if not THE foremost Events Technology gurus today.
He closely watches budding technologies as his stock in trade. He feels the next big thing for events is the adoption of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). These new viewing innovations are on track to gain enormous popularity over the next 2-3 years.
Major providers for Virtual Reality technologies include Google, Microsoft, and Samsung, but it doesn’t end there. Video game developers and instructional video producers are also getting in on the action.
If you haven’t had the time to check VR and AR out, we’re hoping this article will get you started.
Get Your Virtual Reality Going
You can get a basic viewer, such as Google Cardboard, for under $20 and begin watching 360° VIRTUAL REALITY YouTube videos using your smartphone or iPhone.
If you’re one of those holdouts who tend to wait until the NEXT GENERATION of hardware comes out, don’t–for $20 you can get started and then hand it off to your kids once things become more sophisticated.
YouTube’s instruction page is called “Watch 360 degree videos in Cardboard.”
You can download the app for free and begin watching right away.
Rentacomputer.com offers virtual reality headset rentals. Rentacomputer.com mostly provides HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, which are both OLED Display and 1200 x 1080 resolution per eye providing organic, deep blacks. We can also provide Homido, Samsung Gear VR, and Microsoft HoloLens.
Here’s an HTC Vive educational video:
Travel and Site Visits
Airlines, Hotels and other travel authorities are already preparing for the mushroom. Here are a couple of shorts produced by Quantas Airlines. They feature Sydney Harbour and Hamilton Island respectively.
Travel companies aren’t the only industries capitalizing on the benefits from immersive technology experiences. The Gaming and Medical industries are also taking full advantage.
Gaming Trailers
Here’s a clip from the game Warhammer CHAOS vs BRETONNIA.
We know. Parents are going to have their work cut out for them here.
Surgical Training
This video is part of a training series produced at the Royal Hospital in London UK–Surgical Training in 360-Degree Virtual Reality for Oculus Rift.
There are pros and cons to consider but the end result certainly outweighs the initial challenge of producing one of these videos. Here’s a clip that spotlights a production company making a travel video.
The Making of The Wild Within VR Experience
All of the information on VR/AR was sourced from Corbin’s Newsletter. You can’t afford not to subscribe.
Watching, you almost feel as though you’re trudging through the rain forests of British Columbia with them. When the cinematographer attaches the high resolution cameras to the drones and flies them over these stunning landscapes and waterscapes, you realize that drones have a place in civilized society.
If you would like to see more breathtaking landscapes, Destination British Columbia has more videos you can enjoy.
VR and AR Takeaways from Corbin
It’s true. Events Planning Professional can save an enormous amount of time and money doing virtual site visits. While you may not know everything you need to from the virtual visit to make a definitive YES decision, you can definitely save time by identifying your NOs.
And, Virtual and Augmented Reality videos offer so many more benefits.
You enhance participant experiences on the Exhibitor Floor. You can dial up procedural demonstrations for a Medical Meeting or make any Training Session much more impacting through immersive experiences.
Stay tuned for our upcoming Interview with Corbin highlighting one MUST DO for Event Professionals.
Want to share this story on social media? Use these hashtags! #CorbinBall #Events #EventPlanners
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