What still feels a bit like futuristic technology is currently being discovered by more and more event organizers. Virtual reality applications are extremely versatile and not only help with planning, but also create new, unique experiences on-site later on.
Virtual reality – what is it exactly?
Virtual reality is an artificial three-dimensional environment that fills your entire field of vision and with which people can interact. However, you cannot enter this other reality without assistance. Special headsets act as the key to these virtual realms. These are now so advanced that they trick the brain into believing it is actually in an environment other than the real one. This is because the time delay between the artificially generated image and actual head movements is so minimal. You no longer feel like just an observer; you can experience the virtual world from the inside.
This holds huge potential for conferences and is expected to change traditional processes, which in turn is good for ensuring that conferences remain attractive to participants in the long run.
Diverse applications
While most manufacturers previously focused their VR product marketing primarily on gamers, they are now increasingly opening up to other areas—including events. Headsets are therefore a good investment for conferences as well. To make them worthwhile, additional creativity is required: What is the goal? Ideally, the result is an experience with added value that cannot be found elsewhere in that form, thus giving your event a clear advantage.
This does not mean, however, that you have to make your upcoming conferences completely virtual. A subtle approach can already achieve a lot.
The technology can prove helpful even before the event begins. Organizers no longer have to make multiple trips to potential venues themselves to get to know the locations and look around. A headset enables virtual tours and thus makes choosing a venue easier. This is already a major topic in the USA. For example, Meet L.A. offers a portal called XplorIT where interesting locations throughout the city can be viewed in 360°, including some that are suitable for conferences.
At the conference itself, VR can make individual topics more vivid and thus create particularly authentic experiences. Simulations for teaching and training purposes, for example, help visitors retain what they have learned.
At medical congresses, participants could be shown how certain medications work. Processes in the body are usually represented by simple graphics and animations. With VR, these become more tangible. The same applies to answering the question of how certain disease symptoms affect a patient's perception. For example, eye diseases that impair the field of vision or various types of vertigo could be experienced firsthand.
Architects and engineers, in turn, could use VR applications for their designs. Conferences offer time to experiment and show what is possible with a headset and the appropriate software. In general, events allow devices to be tried out for the first time without having the actual device on hand. Those that are difficult to transport or require a lot of space would no longer need to be brought to a conference. Instead, it is sufficient for participants to familiarize themselves with the virtual counterpart at their leisure and practice using it without the fear of breaking anything. Trying it out yourself is also more exciting than just watching someone demonstrate how to use it.
Or visitors can virtually travel to a wide variety of distant places to demonstrate processes and results. This means that visitors no longer just watch a film about polar research, but are catapulted directly to the research station via a headset and can explore the surroundings. Mobileye recently showed that this can work in an impressive way. The manufacturer of autonomous driving technologies took visitors to this year's YPO Edge event on a ride in a self-driving car and even linked the whole thing to a world record. Images inserted into a PowerPoint presentation simply cannot compete with that.
If your event takes place at several locations simultaneously, you could bring all participants together in a single virtual location where everyone meets and talks. This can already feel quite real. However, you shouldn't expect too much reality. Those who are ultimately in the virtual space do not (yet) look like real people. Instead, you see 3D avatars, i.e., artificial representations of the individual people. Currently, some development companies are busy creating the most photorealistic avatars possible, which are even supposed to speak like the original. Facebook and Oculus, on the other hand, prefer to work with avatars that look like the comic version of their real-life counterpart. The principle can also be useful for bringing a prominent keynote speaker to the conference who cannot travel due to scheduling conflicts. After all, it was possible five years ago to resurrect the late rapper Tupac on stage with the help of elaborate hologram technology.
Glasses with an all-around view
So how does the virtual world reach the participants? The aforementioned headsets, often simply referred to as VR glasses, come in a wide variety of designs. Viewed from the outside, however, they are less reminiscent of conventional glasses and more like a head-mounted magnifier.
On one hand, there are mounts into which a smartphone is clamped. The display is then magnified by two lenses, creating the impression that you are in the middle of the action. In the simplest version, such a mount can even be made with the help of cardboard, Velcro, a magnet, and no electronics at all, as Google Cardboards prove. A general problem with these mounts, however, is that they only work with specific smartphone models. The glasses from Samsung or LG, for example, are not compatible with devices from other manufacturers, while the Cardboard struggles with smaller smartphones. Even with higher-quality models that have their own electronics and built-in sensors, the VR result is not the best. While you can tilt and turn your head, the Cardboard does not recognize it as soon as the person moves away from or toward objects.
VR headsets like HTC Vive or Oculus Rift are much more versatile, as they are based on the same principle but also have their own display. Nevertheless, nothing works here without a connection to additional hardware. Instead of a smartphone, the glasses must be connected to a powerful computer. The result is hardly comparable to that of the Cardboards, as the higher frame rates and fluid movements make it much more likely that you will feel like you are in the middle of a virtual environment.
This is also the reason why users of these models suffer less from VIMS, the Visually Induced Motion Sickness that leads to dizziness and nausea in some users. This happens primarily when it takes too long for head movement to be transferred to the VR environment. Consequently, the brain is overwhelmed because the eye registers movement, but the vestibular system does not detect any.
Real hurdles in virtual environments
Some headsets are also not very comfortable for people who wear glasses. It is therefore essential to test beforehand whether there is enough space under the glasses or if something is pressing against your face. Comfort is unfortunately not the same for all models, with or without glasses. Manufacturers have realized this, which is why the Google Daydream View uses comfortable fabric instead of cardboard.
Of course, buying the headsets alone does not create a virtual world. Producing the necessary content requires a little more. For example, filming 360° videos involves using multiple cameras or a 360° camera capable of recording from all directions and covering the entire area. As a rule, event organizers hire a VR company for such a task. Virtual reality is not yet complete with a 360° film, because while users can turn around and look around later, no interactions are possible.
In addition, the technology itself is still subject to some limitations. The first headsets are already suitable for wireless use, but it will likely be a while before we are finally free of all annoying cables. Until then, extra investment in wireless systems is required.
Sticking with costs: The superior technology of high-end headset models is reflected in the price. An Oculus Rift is currently available for around 600 euros, while the cost of a Google Cardboard can be under 10 euros, depending on the manufacturer. It is notable that many well-known companies have been working with virtual reality in recent years—further, if not the clearest, evidence that this technology is here to stay. Since competition leads to lower prices, this will benefit event organizers in the long run. If you want to try out VR without breaking the bank, rent the equipment. This costs only a fraction of what you would pay to purchase it.
Because virtual reality in this form is still relatively new and far from being a household staple, there is a good chance that your conference will see an increase in registrations if it features this technology. VR provides organizers with a wide range of options that make it easy to surprise attendees and offer something truly extraordinary.
