present in a way organisers can only hope for in a virtual environment , especially when the cameras are off .
Phygital route The smart money is on reaping the advantages of physical and virtual events by taking the hybrid or ‘ phygital ’ route . The clear divide between those who attend in person and virtually is set to lift still further , with speakers able to address live and virtual audiences as if in a single auditorium . But how will this delicate new hybrid ecosystem be impacted by the metaverse , offering VR alongside older , fashionable-once-again technologies , such as holograms ?
In the metaverse , speakers will be able to go way beyond current audiovisual capabilities towards an immersive journey which could prove hugely impactful for visitors . We already know the metaverse works well for events seeking to build a sense of community , for example , such as conferences based around ideas or brands looking to focus on particular aesthetics or
“ The metaverse embodies the shock of the new and , as with all new technologies , could represent an alienating barrier-to-entry .”
Sam Rowe
cultural values . Other advantages centre around the opportunity to explore subject matter in depth through VR and AR headsets - or via the creation of avatar-based platforms that don ’ t require special hardware . Combined with gamification , these technologies hold the promise of advancing the richness of the experience to the point of genuinely rivalling live events . The metaverse allows for the creation of a variety of pre-built or fully-customised 3D environments with meeting rooms , conference booths , training simulations , auditoria and more , whilst participants can even personalise their hologram avatars , run , jump , wave and dance . 3D products that avatars can pick up and examine are possible too , whilst webcams on avatars can be activated to allow for live presentations or face-toface conversations .
But what about the downsides ? For some potential visitors , the metaverse embodies the shock of the new . As with all new technologies , it could represent an alienating barrier-to-entry . For providers , there ’ s plenty to get to grips with still , not least the eye-watering expense of specialised development personnel and the investment time and energy needed by anyone planning and conceiving of meta-events . As the costs can be so large , ROI very much needs to be about taking the long-term view or helping build brands whose owners have deep pockets . The dos and don ’ ts of this world are also fraught , particularly when it comes to user security , demanding expert guidance .
“ Combined with gamification , these technologies hold the promise of advancing the richness of the experience to the point of genuinely rivalling live events .”
As designers , we need to evolve new methodologies to communicate and market the metaverse to our clients to ensure it ’ s the most appropriate answer to these challenges and aspirations - and warn off those just attracted by the hype . If you can deliver your content by livestreaming to a passive audience , for example , the event shouldn ’ t be in the metaverse at all .
Potential For our entire industry , reeling from the impact of recent events and facing enormous potential for technologybased change , this is certainly a very fluid moment – but an exciting one too . Helping bring clarity to clients looking to strategise their decision-making in terms of cost versus benefits as they decide which route to go down will become as important as the final look and feel of the design output . It ’ s time to put our thinking caps on – and maybe our VR headsets too .
• Sam Rowe will be returning with a further look at the future of exhibitions , including safety and sustainability in the next issue . EN
42 — September