Agenda

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Jun 2

12:10 PM - 12:35 PM

Description

"No Man is an Island" - John Donne
Going it alone is certainly doable, if you are very lucky or have unlimited time and money, but for most platforms or products that rely on the number of active users, working with and scaling through partners can drastically improve time to market and enable you to create and deliver value-add for users more quickly. In this session we'll discuss the network effect, why it's important and how to leverage a partner ecosystem as part of your strategy.

Speakers

Co-Founder , Cree8
Jun 2

12:45 PM - 01:10 PM

Description

Join us for an illuminating fireside chat with Christopher Lafayette and Emmy Award Winning Journalist Lisa Bernard. They will venture into the dynamic world of the Metaverse, more specifically, Christopher’s brainchild, GatherVerse.

As a vanguard of virtual reality and a visionary in emerging technologies, Christopher Lafayette has dedicated his career to building bridges between humanity and the digital universe. His pioneering work with GatherVerse demonstrates a profound commitment to creating inclusive, accessible, and ethically-conscious digital spaces. In this discussion, he will share his thoughts on how we can foster a more equitable Metaverse that respects privacy and promotes wellness.

Renowned for her incisive interviewing style, Lisa Bernard will engage Christopher in a deep dive into the myriad considerations that inform the development of a human-centric Metaverse. Their conversation will explore ethics, AI, and the importance of striking a balance between technological advancement and human values.

In this era of rapid technological evolution, safety, privacy, and accessibility remain paramount. Christopher and Lisa will shed light on these critical issues, drawing on their extensive experience to offer valuable insights for the benefit of our digital community.

Whether you're an educator striving to harness the power of the Metaverse for learning or a technologist keen to ensure the ethical deployment of AI, this fireside chat promises to deliver thought-provoking perspectives and actionable insights.

Join us at AWE to learn how we can shape the Metaverse to uphold the tenets of community development, equity, and education while meeting the technological demands of our future.

Don't miss this opportunity to join the conversation with two industry thought-leaders as they explore the crucial intersection of humanity and emerging technologies in building a human-centric Metaverse.

Speakers

Host/Producer , GatherVerse
Founder , GatherVerse
Jun 2

12:50 PM - 01:45 PM

Description

How do you overcome the challenges and benefits of building your own social VR community? Join this expert panel, including VR Dev YouTubers, BCVR (Burning Man VR) World Builders, passionate VR Community organizers, and global management firm employees using VR, as they answer that question and explore how to create a positive experience for users, community managers, and world builders while avoiding the drawbacks of walled gardens like data collection, lack of ownership, and arbitrary limitations and rules. Don't miss this insightful discussion on the future of the open Metaverse!

Speakers

Executive Director , Virtual World Society
CEO , Big Rock Creative
CTO , CyberHub Syndicate
Managing Director , Sia Partners
CEO , Spatial Ape
Jun 2

01:05 PM - 01:30 PM

Description

In this talk we'll explore the technology stack required for creating generative XR experiences. We'll discuss the various components of the stack, including the XR platform, programming languages, libraries, and frameworks, and explain how they all work together to create immersive and interactive experiences. Our focus will be on selecting the right XR platform, programming language, libraries, and frameworks for your specific generative XR project. We'll also dive into implementing generative techniques such as procedural generation and artificial intelligence to create unique and engaging experiences. Additionally, we'll discuss the current limitations of generative AI in XR development and the potential benefits and challenges of using generative AI in XR. By the end of the talk, listeners will be equipped with the knowledge and tools to start exploring the possibilities of generative XR and be aware of the current limitations and future possibilities.

Speakers

Research Engineer , Microsoft Research

Description

As new technologies evolve, so do the ways we live, work, play, shop and explore the world around us.

Hear how gaming and play are influencing our everyday experiences. Learn how global brands and up-and-coming startups are creating connected experiences and merging mixed worlds through gaming, the metaverse, web3, emerging technologies such as augmented reality, AI, voice, sound, senses, and beyond.

This session will share an overview of the current market landscape with real-world examples and discuss how innovators are changing the way we interact with the world.

Take Away 1: Provide an understanding of how gaming and play are influencing our everyday experiences.

Take Away 2: Outline specific examples of how companies are creating mixed and merged experiences through gaming, the metaverse, web3, emerging technologies.

Take Away 3: Key trends, future thinking and the opportunities ahead for gamifying the world around us.

This session is for….
This session is for brands, technologists, innovators and creators who are looking to learn more about how gaming and play are influencing our everyday experiences.

Consumer Brand Leaders, Digital Executives, CIOs, CTOs, CDOs, CXOs, Technologists, Product Leaders, Product Managers, Product Owners, Digital Transformation Leads, Cultural Transformation, Consulting

Speakers

Executive Product Leader , The Walt Disney Company
Strategic Partnerships Marketing , Niantic
VP, Solutions Innovation , dentsu
CEO/Creator of Realities , Exelauno
Jun 2

01:05 PM - 02:00 PM

Description

Join a timely and compelling conversation between product leaders across the field of XR wearables. Nexus Studios hosts a roundtable between innovators at Qualcomm, T-Mobile, and Meta, to explore both present and future trends in HMD AR applications. Spanning both consumer and enterprise solutions, from personal computing, to remote work, to multiuser gaming, hear how professionals are thinking about, preparing for, and executing on the upcoming era of HMD-based augmented reality. What projects, products, and processes will inspire you to see the world anew?

Speakers

Founder , Th3 Third Door
Head of Immersive , Nexus Studios
Sr. Director XR , Qualcomm
XR Lead , T-Mobile
Jun 2

01:30 PM - 01:55 PM

Description

Facial. Vocal. Verbal. Human conversations are complex. Many factors are at work when we speak, including our facial expressions, tone of voice and word choice. Today, companies are operating in a more globalized and virtualized world than ever before. It can be challenging to accurately understand the conversations needed to establish business-critical relationships. The stakes are high – reading a situation incorrectly can lead to miscommunication, confusion and ultimately, the erosion of trust.

Leveraging machine learning algorithms that draw from an ever-expanding database of emotional cues, Multimodal Emotional AI fuses data from all modalities (face, voice, words) together, helping to overcome the relationship challenge. By capturing the complex messages conveyed through emotional cues, we’re now able to identify key moments that influence sentiment and engagement as well as emotional intelligence (EQ) factors that build trust and empathy. It’s like having a coach sensing even the most subtle emotions in the room and making real-time recommendations on how to create the best possible human connection.

Drawing on real-world examples, Umesh Sachdev, Co-founder and CEO of Uniphore will describe how behavioral science and Emotional AI are helping to close the divide between humans and machines to drive deep and meaningful connections built on trust. Umesh will also discuss the potential applications for this technology and how it is being used to derive value from critical conversations across the enterprise.

And, make every conversation count.

Speakers

Co-Founder and CEO , Uniphore

Description

While AR and VR technologies focus on bringing everything virtual, there are a number of people bringing it back into the real world. This panel will bring together a dynamic, diverse group of trailblazers that create new experiences incorporating robotics and XR technology. There will be a discussion of hardware and software that enables technology, common challenges and how you can think about linking the real world with the virtual world. If you have ever wanted to found a startup, create entertainment on or off stage or develop useful robots you should come to this talk to better understand what it entails.

Speakers

Fellow , AMD
Partnerships Engagement , MassRobotics
PhD Candidate Research Assistant , Northeastern University
President & Co-Founder , Haply Robotics
Jun 2

01:35 PM - 02:00 PM

Description

The electric power industry has many opportunities to enhance employee learning with XR, from training and interactive procedure walkthroughs to data visualization. However, the details of the immersive interface can impact users’ ability to gain knowledge in both positive and negative ways. This talk will use the current challenges facing the electric power industry, and ongoing research into addressing those challenges with XR, as a starting point for a larger discussion about the potential of XR to both enhance and hinder users’ knowledge acquisition and situational awareness.

Speakers

Engineer , Electric Power Research Institute
Jun 2

01:35 PM - 02:00 PM

Description

In 2000, Motorola launched its first touchscreen mobile phone. Over the next decade, that PDA phone evolved and informed what we all now know as the smartphone. The ensuing apps and app stores formed an ecosystem that has contributed to the transformation of the internet into the mobile internet.

Today's Augmented Reality (AR) glasses is following a similar market adoption and growth trajectory. Meanwhile, recent display and processing advancements are bringing AR solutions that consumers desire. XREAL is leading the charge with a goal of making AR glasses available to all.

Speakers

Head of US Market , XREAL
Jun 2

01:35 PM - 02:30 PM

Description

Coming Soon!

Speakers

Executive Producer , Inworld AI
CCS UX Innovation Senior Manager , Nissan
XR Partnerships, Product Innovation , Verizon
CEO , Trigger XR
Jun 2

01:50 PM - 02:15 PM

Description

What's the secret to creating innovative XR experiences? Lucas says it's accidents... done on purpose!

In this talk, award-winning designer, TED 2023 speaker and viral artist Lucas Rizzotto will go over many of his viral XR creations and explain how you can create amazing XR innovations by accident... all while creating a following of millions in the process.

This talk will also feature a sneak-peek at Lucas's next MR startup and how it's using accidental innovations to revolutionize a space in XR everyone's been ignoring.

Speakers

Creator , Lucas Builds the Future
Jun 2

02:00 PM - 02:25 PM

Description

EMPLOYMENT IS DEAD: HOW THE METAVERSE WILL FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE THE WAY WE WORK, by New York Times best-selling author Deborah Perry Piscione and Harvard Innovation Lab advisor, Josh Drean, address the elephant in the room – work no longer works! The fundamental structure of work is in desperate need of a new vessel for productivity and fulfillment. With the explosion of technological advances in AI, web3, digitization, and cryptocurrency, employees are discovering new ways to earn a living that break the mold of traditional employment that offers greater ownership, flexibility, and agency over their working lives. EMPLOYMENT IS DEAD explores the mindset shift necessary to thrive in the metaverse, provides reasons why employees will eventually abandon traditional employment for the bounty of web3, and outlines practical strategies that digital-first leaders can start implementing today to take advantage of this vast new world of endless possibilities.

Speakers

Co-Founder & Dir. of Employee Experience , Work3 Institute
Co-Founder & Chief Metaverse Officer , Work3 Institute
Jun 2

02:05 PM - 02:20 PM

Description

In this session, we will release the latest data on the Chinese spatial computing market, and provide an overview of the current market landscape. CEOs of leading companies in the region will share their opinions on the latest trends, biggest challenges, and excitement to come. A taste of AWE Asia!

Speakers

Producer & COO , AWE Asia, Sunrise International
Jun 2

02:05 PM - 02:30 PM

Description

Learn how to make player feedback fun and informative for your entire team with this one simple trick! Join Ashley “ashleyriott” Blake, Chief Operating Officer, Andromeda Entertainment, as she breaks down some simple tips for tagging and interpreting player feedback about your IP into quantifiable priorities for your production teams using examples from made-for-VR titles. Best practices for parsing player feedback include tips to help demystify emotional feedback by breaking it down into measurable, quantifiable priorities and actionable data for your teams. Use data to give your players a voice and paint a clear picture for your team.

Speakers

COO , Andromeda Entertainment

Description

From the barriers to entry to getting experiences funded and then creating the actual deliverable product, Adrian Rashad Driscoll and Rommel ‘RomeDigs’ Reyes will help the audience understand how we can bridge the gap between music and XR. These entertainment experts will share tips on bringing music artists in to the XR space and answer audience questions related to the process.

Speakers

Head of Immersive , Collimation
Producer, Director , Creator
Jun 2

02:05 PM - 02:30 PM

Description

In this session, we will explore the design aspects of BenVision, an accessible AR experience utilizing a Technology-Centered Design approach. We will discuss the integration of Camera Vision and AI in AR and the role of soundscapes in shaping emotions within XR environments. Our speakers will share their expertise in developing an immersive and accessible experience for vision-impaired individuals.

Using BenVision as a case study, we will investigate how the project enhances the world's experiential appreciation for visually impaired individuals through sound. We will cover our approach to effectively conveying object presence using sound in AR glasses and address ambience, musical soundscapes, and spatial audio features. Additionally, we will discuss our methodology for categorizing object characteristics based on sound qualities.

The session will touch on design principles from both UX and audio perspectives, emphasizing best practices for creating accessible XR experiences that promote functionality and emotional connections. Attendees will gain insights into designing for technology and humanity in the ever-evolving landscape of emerging technologies like XR.

Speakers

Audio Designer | Team Benvision , Velan Studios
Design Technologist, Scholar , DesignSingapore Council
Jun 2

02:20 PM - 02:45 PM

Description

Coming Soon!

Speakers

Founder / Executive Creative Director , &Pull
Jun 2

02:25 PM - 03:10 PM

Description

In the gaming industry, "God Mode" is a special code that makes the players invincible in the virtual world. And today, In the real world, there is no character in more need of invincibility than Earth - the sustainability of communities, natural resources, and wildlife within it.

One of the debates in recent Sustainability forums has been the extent to which the massive digitalization of people, processes, and technology during the pandemic has proved a bountiful benefit or dramatic detriment to the planet. And the XR industry has been a major beneficiary of this accelerated digitalization and has the opportunity to demonstrate how the industry and total ecosystem (be that Metaverse, Blockchain, etc) will positively contribute to REAL Sustainability outcomes.

This critical panel will explore where and how XR can meaningfully impact climate-positive and social-forward initiatives and enterprises, and put the Earth in God-Mode - before it's too late (ie, "Game Over").

Speakers

Group Vice President, New Ventures & Innovation , NTT
Sustainable Capital & Innovation Advisor, Co-Founder , Kenzen
Sr. Advisor Digital Transformation | Sustainability , UN Environment Programme

Description

When people think of emerging technology such as AI, XR, and more, consumer activities and gaming tend to dominate the conversation. But with ongoing business disruptions, including persistent labor shortages and widening skills gaps, business applications could emerge on top for these technological developments in 2023. In fact, according to Deloitte, the U.S. manufacturing industry alone is expected to have 2.1 million unfilled jobs by 2030. There is a need for digital transformation.

From retailers to manufacturers, businesses are looking to the functionality of generative AI, XR and other enterprise technology to enhance operations, especially regarding training for high-risk, industrial jobs. High impact industries such as manufacturing and construction are just a couple of the real-world environments where employee mistakes can prove fatal.

While traditional classroom settings can bolster learning retention, most acquire 70% of the necessary skills from the type of experiential learning that XR training provides.

Additionally, in an age of social media and the internet, training manuals and long-form video or training sessions are no longer effective. The attention span of the average millennial is 8 seconds, and with millennials anticipated to make up 75% of the workforce by 2025, the need for an upgrade of existing training will never be higher. 

In the future, if new hires have access to intuitive and immersive training, not only will the process become more interactive, personalized and therefore more easily applied, but also workplace accidents could be reduced significantly – meaning more lives could be saved.

In this presentation, Jinhwan An, Senior Manager of New Business Development at LG Electronics and Entrepreneur in Residence at LG NOVA, LG Electronics’ North American Innovation Center, will discuss:

• An outlook of the future of training– including AI, XR, and remote learning
• How businesses can leverage smart technologies in workforce training, and the infrastructure needed to support the digital transformation
• Real-life companies and case studies who are developing this technology with large corporate partners

Speakers

Sr Mgr of Business Development , LG NOVA
Founder & CEO , Nakamir
CEO , iQ3Connect