Agenda

Description

With the upcoming next-gen consumer VR headsets integrated with eye tracking, XR games are expecting huge opportunities of optimizing gamers' experience in many areas like interaction, UI, avatar, visual and graphics. Tobii and Starcade Arcade will share their experience in how to make Starblazer, a space RTS game, more intuitive and immersive, pitfalls to avoid in development and new features to expect.

Speakers

Alexander Clark

CEO & Founder , Starcade Arcade

Johan Bouvin

Senior Director of Sales and Business Development , Tobii

Description

Join a conversation with Executives from Roblox, Meta, Microsoft/AltspaceVR, and Baobab Studios who will discuss their visions for the metaverse and what they're looking for. This panel will be moderated by Maureen Fan, CEO & Founder of Baobab Studios.

Speakers

Mari Kyle

Game Producer , Meta

Duncan Campbell

Content Acquisition Manager , Roblox

Katie Kelly

Head of Engagement , Microsoft Mesh

Maureen Fan

CEO & Co-Founder , Baobab Studios

Description

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!

Speakers

Greg Mize

VP of Marketing & Innovation , Atlanta Braves

Josh Rush

Co-Founder & CEO , SURREAL Events

Craig Laliberte

Sr. Business Development Manager , Epic Games - Unreal Engine

Description

What should the Metaverse look like? How do maximalist and minimalist approaches affect XR? Is either inherently better? Do we want technology that is minimally invasive, or do we want to live in our best fantastical art worlds? Watch best friends with wildly opposing design philosophies duke it out.

On the side of maximalism, we have Jerome Morrison, a creative technologist at Meow Wolf, known for its larger than life maximalist psychedelic art installations.

On the side of minimalism, we have Lauren Cason. Lauren is the co-founder of RefractAR and is known for her minimalist design approach in her XR work. She was previously an artist on Monument Valley 2 and a prototyper at Apple.

Speakers

Jerome Morrison

Product Manager , MEOW WOLF

Lauren Cason

Cofounder/Creative Director , RefractAR

Description

Creating an incredible multiplayer experience with esports potential is no easy task, but our panel of developers discuss challenges, best practices, community-building, and lessons learned as they've paved the way for esports in a new medium.

Speakers

Dennis Nuis

Consultant | Community and Change Manager , Caveman Studio

Amy Stormant

Content Creator | Reporter , VR Community Builders

Tim Mcguinness

Co-Founder & CEO , Virtex

Seth Luisi

Founder , Impulse Gear

Jan Goetgeluk

CEO , Virtuix Inc

Description

While VR presents amazing opportunities for solitary experiences that can be fun and absorbing, we don’t generally seek out isolation when pursuing out-of-home entertainment. The shared emotions and memories we take away from successful social experiences in VR, whether communal, collaborative or competitive, can be extremely compelling and even cherished. With extensive experience in LBE (location-based entertainment), gaming, immersive experience design, technology development, user experience, and related financing, the panel will explore the growing importance being placed on immersive social experiences in the VR/AR-for-LBE space, for both shared-location and virtual group experiences. We’ll also discuss the affiliated technologies, platforms, and methods of user engagement, communication, and gamification that are fueling the most impactful LBE-VR/AR experiences.

Speakers

Gregg Katano

SVP, Strategic Partnerships and Business Dev. , Medici XC

Dana Ware

Creative Creative Officer , ARound

Jenna Seiden

Senior VP Business Development , Skydance Interactive

Rob Taylor

CXO , Pendulum