The rise of virtual events
Overnight, companies in every field and sector have had to evolve and adapt to new circumstances. Therefore, we have seen how training sessions are now conducted directly on Instagram, the number of online webinars has increased significantly and platforms such as Zoom or Skype are our current meeting medium, among many other changes.
Given this boom in digital tools due to the Covid-19, it was to be expected that virtual events would also come into our lives. The possibilities for these online events are endless, and especially when Virtual Reality comes into play.
This technology allows us to make virtual events much more real, without just attending a Skype conference from your couch. Now with virtual reality glasses you can attend virtually any event, take a walk around the room, see the facilities, etc.
Virtual Events
These immense possibilities are not new, they are not a result of the Covid-19 health crisis. They’ve been coming for a lot longer. Many people have previously questioned the format of the face-to-face events, as sometimes these are not profitable:
- High travel costs to bring together thousands of people from all over the world in one physical space.
- Rentals of celebration areas, meeting spaces, etc.
- In short, they demand a great deal of money, energy and material that is wasted once the event is over.
The coronavirus has only been the trigger, a drop of water in a glass almost overflowing, a way to accelerate the celebration of online events.
But let’s be honest, face-to-face events offer you benefits that online events cannot: networking, prospecting, the direct knowledge that listening to a speaker in person provides, etc. Online event organizers understand this difference, and are increasingly working to overcome this barrier, and of course Virtual Reality plays a big role in this.
Virtual reality in virtual events
Virtual, augmented, mixed and extended reality bring us every day new and technological advances that will enhance the convergence between the digital and physical world, to make possible virtual events increasingly like physical ones.
Two clear examples are the two virtual events developed this 2020 by VirtualSoft: the Seville Virtual Fair 2020 and the “Virtual Medieval Market”.
Virtual Medieval Market
We have developed this Virtual Medieval Market as a project for “Factoría de Sueños”, to support the Spanish artisan sector which has been hit in this crisis.
The Market aims to reproduce the famous Medieval Markets where artisan companies travel all over the country showing and selling their products. You can access this virtual market through a link and once inside you will only have to enjoy the typical atmosphere, the artisan stops, medieval streets, thematic areas, and many other surprises.
Its launch date was June 15 for Madrid, but it will be open for a long time to visit virtually all other major Spanish cities.
The Spanish craft sector has suffered a hard blow when it was forced to cease its activity temporarily due to the health crisis we are experiencing. This sector needs digital support to make its crafts available to the public. This Virtual Market allows it to do so, as each stop has a link to the website of the participating craftsmen or, failing that, to their social media.
Don’t forget to stop by the Virtual Medieval Market to support these artisans. You can enjoy the market with any mobile device or make it much more real if you have Virtual Reality glasses. Don’t miss it!
Seville Virtual Fair 2020
The Seville Virtual Fair was an idea that was put forward following the cancellation of the April Fair. Sevillian people, who had lost this great festival, inspired us to develop a multi-user environment to bring a little joy during the confinement.
The Virtual Fair could be enjoyed by anyone who had only a mobile device, although the experience became much more real if you accessed it with the Oculus Quest virtual reality glasses. It was very simple: through the link www.feriavirtualdesevilla.com you accessed and only by entering your name and choosing your avatar you were already walking through the famous streets of the “Real”.
The companies that wanted to participate in the fair could acquire a stand and advertise in it. In addition, everything was developed as a solidarity event, since the proceeds from the acquisition of booths would be donated to the Food Bank of Seville and Caritas Diocesan of Seville.
This virtual event had more than 170,000 visits in its first week alone and you can still enjoy the virtual fair as it will be open until the end of 2020.
Virtual Reality in Events
Immersive technologies make any project a reality and bring your dreams closer to the physical world. Its possibilities are infinite, and it is proving to be an alternative and sustainable way to hold all kinds of events of any kind in the future.
Just tell us how, when and where, and from VirtualSoft we will develop any event with virtual reality. Don’t forget to read more similar posts in the blog.