02:25 PM - 03:00 PM
Though the metaverse may be a novel channel accelerated by a global pandemic, its ethos is not. Fans build brands because there’s no greater loyalty than real love. Virtual worlds offer real benefits for engagement. From digitally twining real locations to building bespoke new worlds—(meta)worlds matter more than ever before.
Consumers want exclusive, one-of-a-kind experiences, and now that those experiences exist in completely new virtual formats. But like any other channel, these worlds live and die with content. Although virtual content exists within a three-dimensional world, it has to offer the same level of immediacy, interactivity and engagement that drives traffic to 2D sites. Hungry brands are now beginning to realize what AAA game studios have known for years: there’s a ton of opportunity on the table, and we’re just getting started.
Right now, savvy companies are creating fully realized digital environments for brands, products and IP—driving actual value to stakeholders and customers. While imagination is the only limit to what virtual worlds can accomplish, success starts with purpose. If the metaverse is marketing, then brands have an enormous opportunity to connect with fans like never before.
In this panel, meta-worldbuilders Josh Rush (CEO / Surreal Events), Craig Laliberte (Sr. Business Development Lead / Epic Games) and Greg Mize (VP, Marketing & Innovation / Atlanta Braves) discuss how the Braves became the first MLB team to join the metaverse with Digital Truist Park. They also explore how brands can amplify reach, sales and engagement in the metaverse by putting fans first. Batter up!
11:00 AM - 11:25 AM
Creativity is at the heart of the TikTok experience. To expand what’s possible on TikTok and take content creation to the next level, TikTok launched Effect House — an effect development platform that empowers effect creators to build AR experiences and effects for TikTok’s global community.
During Effect House's early beta, effects made in Effect House were used in more than 1.5 billion TikTok videos and garnered over 600 billion views globally.
Join the team at TikTok to learn about how Effect House has inspired a new wave of storytelling, fun, and entertainment across TikTok. Hear about how the team developed the robust, dynamic features that power Effect House and learn some best practices for showcasing your creativity with XR on TikTok.
11:30 AM - 12:25 PM
Join Niantic Lightship as they talk with developers and designers building truly immersive, real-world AR experiences with the new Lightship Visual Positioning System (VPS). Hear how unlocking the ability to quickly and accurately localize users enabled these developers to create new methods of game play and bring new experiences into AR that have otherwise been impossible.
12:30 PM - 12:55 PM
‘Metaverse’ technologies have promised to bring us together, but many have left us with the illusion of connection. Removing us from the familiar into uncanny and uncomfortable experiences that cannot be sustained or enjoyed by all. We need to start with places where our friends and family gather together. Tilt Five builds on everyone’s favorite pastime – game night – and sprinkles in augmented reality (AR). Blending physical presence and virtual ones, Tilt Five’s holographic gaming system allows for users to interact with each other, whether together or remotely, and of course, the holograms on their table! Jeri Ellsworth joins AWE to share how we can create meaningful social interactions by reinventing game night.
02:25 PM - 03:20 PM
Gamers explored virtual worlds long before the term Metaverse was coined.
Festival goers understand the nuances of what makes an experience incredible- why they go back year after year to make new memories that last a lifetime.
Music of each era is an indication of where our culture is going before we even realize it.
As these core pillars of culture collide in the Metaverse, we’ll hear from panelists who come from deep inside the music, gaming and the broader world of entertainment to learn how fandom is evolving, and how understanding it is key to building a successful business in the Metaverse.
03:25 PM - 03:50 PM
If you love live performances but have felt frustrated by their virtualized formats, from jury-rigged social VR to not-actually-live live events in Fortnite and various streaming platforms, this is the workshop for you. Come see a future where anyone can customize a show in real time from their browser, then host it live for potentially hundreds of people in the same virtual space.
In this session, Alex Coulombe of Agile Lens provides a sneak peek at the platform his new company Heavenue is building to make putting on a live show in the metaverse easier than ever. Be among the first to see what it looks like to import assets, set up custom characters, establish environments (including time of day and weather), and cue anything from lights to sets to costumes. How do we attain hyper realism? How do we make experiences accessible across browsers and VR headsets? Is it hard or expensive to bring a live actor's performance into a virtual space? All this and more will be answered. Join us to explore the future of live virtual performance.