VR 2.0 – Elevating Events in New and Exciting Ways

February 3, 2017

Jeff Janes

Jeff Janes is Creative Director at GES. With more than 25 years of design experience, including more than 20 years at GES, his firsthand experience ranges from project leadership and creative strategy to designing exhibits, permanent installation, interiors, events and marketing. 

The sedentary experiences of most virtual reality activations today with a heavy headset and repurposed gaming chair are quickly coming to an end. The latest and best VR experiences allow users to get up and walk around or incorporate additional elements, such as motion or even scent, providing a completely immersive sensory experience for event attendees.

This strategy has come to life as part of the 2017 Super Bowl LIVE Fan Festival, where GES and partner IDEAS quite literally “launched” Future Flight, an out-of-this-world virtual reality experience, including a tower-drop ride that takes guests on an excursion through space to Mars. Guests don VR goggles for the 2-minute ride, which concludes with a 64-foot vertical drop that transports riders back to Earth, landing on the 50-yard-line of Houston’s NRG Stadium.

Riders not only learn real information about NASA’s exploration of deep space through a manipulative VR environment and voice narrative, they also experience the thrill of the journey through the fusion of sensory immersion and literal negative gravity drop – it’s exhilarating, to say the least.

This combination of a virtual environment with actual, physical motion is the latest trend in experiential events, enabling brands to completely immerse attendees into their custom-built world. This hyper-realistic experience helps to solidify the memory in participants’ brains, resulting in an enjoyable, positive brand experience that your attendees will want to share.

This is also a more dynamic way to inspire youthful riders – the next generation of Astronauts – because, as we know, the first person to step onto Mars is probably in middle school today.

Another recent example comes from Samsung, who at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show showcased a number of VR 2.0 experiences, including a speedboat race, a stunt plane ride and a face-first Olympic skeleton ride down a frozen track. Each of these experiences utilized not only VR headsets for the visual and auditory components but also physical motion, making the experience that much more visceral for the attendee.

At the Sundance Film Festival, outdoor equipment manufacturer, Merrell, provided an industry-first hiking experience that had consumers moving around in a virtual commercial – a thrilling journey along the edge of a cliff (with a rocky surface to match) while experiencing the reliable comfort of wearing the brand’s boot. What better way for customers to fall in love with your brand than to walk a mile in your shoes?

As brands push the limits of what’s possible with virtual reality, the practical applications for brand activations, live events and product experiences will continue to expand. How will you ride the virtual wave?

The maturing of virtual reality and its use in live events and experiential marketing is just one of 50 trends showcased in GES’ new 2017 Trend Tracker guide.

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Overview: The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality. In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way. “We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.” Amenities: The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.  The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need. Gold Key Members The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events. OCCC Events: This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.  The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:  AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023 200,000 Attendees $257 Million in Economic Impact MEGACON 2023 160,000 Attendees $205 Million in Economic Impact Open Championship Series 2023 69,500 Attendees $89 Million in Economic Impact Sunshine Classic 2023 42,000 Attendees $54 Million in Economic Impact Premiere Orlando 2023 42,000 Attendees $108 Million in Economic Impact