By Nick Canner, Creative Director, The Edge
So – you’re planning an event. Whether it’s a trade show, exhibition, conference, or party, you want to give it a competitive edge.
The good news is that there are a multitude of technologies available to help build an immersive event experience. From lighting to soundscapes, big screen film to 4D cinema, you can build a mood of excitement and anticipation to get your attendees excited and engaged with your subject matter.
Here’s our selection of some of the more interesting options available to you:
MICROSITES
You can enhance your attendees’ experience before the event has even begun – as soon as you send out your invitations or even earlier.
So why not create an imaginative and engaging microsite?
Promote the event, build anticipation, share info on your keynote speakers, the location, and what they can expect from the day through a dedicated site.
From the initial invitations to post-event highlights, having a single home for all the information creates a cohesive, bespoke brand experience – one that enriches and complements the overall event.
Styles can range from the simple…workhackathon.com
… to the more elaborate…kikk.be
Whichever way you decide to go, start thinking about your microsite as soon as possible. The more time you give your designers to be inventive, the better the online experience around your event.
JOURNEY TAKEOVER
Now that the day has arrived, how are your VIPs getting to your event?
Transform their arrival with a journey takeover. Using Virtual Reality technology, you can start their event in the car on the way to the venue.
Transport your audience to another world, and let them forget they’re even on the road. Another way to kick off your event with an entertaining, immersive experience that helps promote your product or service.
PROJECTION MAPPING
Transform your event space with Projection Mapping.
Projection Mapping is a striking way to add animation, textures, and even elaborate optical illusions to an environment. This can range from the very simple – such as projecting your logo – to highly imaginative and fantastic sequences. You can whisk your attendees away to outer space, magic forests, or just beautiful, abstract landscapes.
Now, it doesn’t have to be on the scale of Freightliner’s awesome mapping of the Hoover Dam…
…but with some forethought and time, you can create your own bespoke environment at an appropriate budget.
With technology advancing all the time, it’s getting easier and easier to live-project onto people, specific backgrounds (such as cars), and incorporate additional elements such as dancers or interactivity.
Here are a few examples showing how you can really add some wow factor:
INSTAGRAMMABLE MOMENTS
Now that you’ve gained their interest, you’ll want your attendees to share their images as much as possible, perhaps in conjunction with projections or animation – building a focal point for attention creates a buzz for your product or offering.
Giant props and tech installations create immersive experiences worth capturing. Here, the world truly is your oyster: all great ways to engage your attendees and show those who couldn’t be there what they missed.
LIVE HOLOGRAMS
The majority of your attendees will have smartphones, so how about using Augmented Reality technology to exploit this?
Just a few years ago, teenagers were spotted running around the world, holding up their phones trying to catch Pokemon. This was the first example of Augmented Reality on a global scale. Put simply, the image from your phone’s camera is enhanced or “augmented” by a layer of animation. This can be as simple as useful information, such as signage and directions, to more imaginative and immersive techniques including animated characters, graphic layers, or even live holograms. There’s still the novelty factor of “seeing” someone (or something) in the space next to you – especially if it’s a roaring lion!
Using either an off-the-shelf app or something more bespoke, you can use this technology to bring your products to life or simply round off the event with a bang.
And it doesn’t stop there. Facial recognition, voice tech, RFID, Wearable Tech, Artificial Intelligence, Live-streaming, Interactive Floors, Social Media Walls, and a plethora of off-the-shelf apps and tools are becoming cheaper and cheaper.
There is a but though. All this technology is great, but not when it’s being used just for the sake of it.
Think about what you want your attendees to come away with from your event. Keep that goal in mind and apply the creativity of your suppliers to help bring your event to life in a way that stays long in the mind.