It's no secret that the world of events and entertainment is constantly evolving. With ever-increasing technology, immersive events have hit the mainstream in recent years. As we enter a new year filled with possibilities, we can look back at 2022 and the exciting moments for event organizers and attendees alike thanks to cutting-edge experiences. Let's explore some of our picks for the best immersive events during the year 2022—featuring interactive art installations and state-of-the-art performances from around the world.
Immersive Technology: The Fastest Growing Industry in the World
Immersive technology is rapidly changing the media landscape, allowing us to experience stories and absorb information in entirely new ways. Although the word immersive has been thrown around as a buzzword, the concept has developed beyond that. Immersive experiences are defining new and innovative formats for users to interact with information, creating a more personal, realistic engagement and storytelling. These experiences provide entirely new opportunities for us to consume media while still having the recognizable conventions that have been standard for decades. What once seemed impossible is now within our grasp, all through immersive technology.
World's Largest Projection Dome at the Miami Super Bowl by Lumen and Forge
Immersive Events Are More Popular Than Ever
Thanks to inventive technologies like virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), projection mapping, and even artificial intelligence (AI), we are now able to access entirely new levels of entertainment, communication, and education. The opportunities that this remarkable technological revolution present are truly groundbreaking. With immersive technology, companies can now extend their reach beyond traditional marketing channels while engaging with customers in exciting new ways. Indeed, immersive technology is the key to communicating your message more effectively.
Now, let's take a look at our top picks for immersive events in 2022.
"For the Love of Winter" by Arc'teryx
Arc’teryx, known as one of the most iconic and renowned outerwear brands, created a multi-media immersive experience for their Winter 2022 collection launch. To bring the “For the Love of Winter” event to life, Arc’teryx collaborated with Moment Factory (Producer, Event Design, Content) ASTOUND Group (Project Management, Fabrication, Execution), and PEAK Technologies (Technical Production). The multisensory experience transported guests in both downtown Vancouver and NYC to the stunning Vancouver Coastal Mountains. The one-of-a-kind interactive event took people on an alpine excursion through projection mapping and sonic dreamscapes, transforming what could have been just another product launch into a breathtaking work of immersive art.
Every five minutes, eight guests began their adventure in a projection-mapped room that simulated a helicopter ride. Embarking on foot after the aerial scene, guests entered the “White Out” room. The all-white room was filled with smoke to simulate blizzardy conditions. Snaking between minimalist trees, you finally exit through a sleeping bag funnel. Entering the next room, guests followed an inclined floor with a projection-mapped trail system modelled after the different trails and fluctuating difficulties of British Columbia’s coastal terrain. After the climb, guests entered “The Ridge,” a room with 260-degree projections simulating a mountain summit and its all-encompassing conditions, including blue skies, sunsets, and a snowstorm where soapy bubbles added a 4D element to the experience. “The Lake” room met guests at the end of their journey, where a LED cube and mirrored floor simulated the feeling of enjoying a campfire apres after a wintery journey. Finally, guests were presented with items in Arc’teryx’s 2022 Winter collection, signalling the end of their adventure.
Arc'teryx Winter 2022 Collection in a Projection Mapped Room
FIFA World Cup 2022
The 2022 FIFA World Cup created new technological ways for viewers to connect with the programming, both during the event and at home. In Qatar, Creative Technology Middle East used projection mapping, flown tracking, and rolling stage LED screens for the opening ceremony. The video projection mapping covered the entire pitch using Panasonic PT-RZ31k laser projectors. Other parts of the ceremony included flown LED screens and a custom-built rolling stage. To learn more about the tech behind the opening ceremony, check out AV Magazine’s in-depth article.
Creating TV content that engages fans in an entirely new way is not an easy undertaking. However, FIFA has continuously strived to connect with fans from around the globe. To remain at the forefront of sports broadcasting, FIFA got the viewers closer to the game than ever before by using new technologies and productions that went beyond the norm. Using augmented reality (AR), FIFA offered immersive content to viewers that transformed their living room into a 3D data center, fully immersing viewers in action.
FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremony via FIFA
Eric Prydz's "HOLO"
Eric Prydz has long been at the forefront of immersive technology, with over a decade's worth of experience using AI and 3D effects in his electrifying live shows. His project HOLO continues to set the standard for experiential showmanship, combining audio elements from Eric’s renowned melodic house tracks with awe-inspiring visuals projected onto an oversized screen. Audiences around the world have experienced sheer delight as talented team members worked together to synchronize every beat perfectly with each special effect - truly creating something not just heard but seen unlike anything else out there today.
Rumor has it that HOLO may be returning in 2023.
3D Astronaut Visuals at HOLO via Eric Prydz
National Geographic's "Beyond King Tut: The Immersive Experience"
"Beyond King Tut: The Immersive Experience" invites guests on a remarkable journey back in time, shedding light on the mysteries of Egypt's fabled Valley of the Kings and its most renowned inhabitant - the golden-hued Boy King. With state-of-the-art cinematic storytelling techniques, visitors will unravel secrets wrapped up in mummification practices, meet deities from beyond our realm, and get closer than ever before to Europe’s famous Explorers who deciphered much about royal life thousands of years ago. In an effort to pay heed to global preservation efforts for such treasured artifacts as those found within this sacred tomb upon discovery over 100 years prior--signifying one century since that fateful event—this experience goes far BEYOND bringing history alive through collectables...it reveals mankind’s past firsthand without leaving any archaeological abrasions behind today.
The good news is that you can still experience Beyond King Tut until mid-February, 2023!
Projection Mapping at the Beyond King Tut Immersive Experience via Nat Geo
"World's Largest Video Game Screen" at The Tropicana by Lumen & Forge
In February 2022, our team at Lumen & Forge was tasked with an ambitious mission to break a world record, and we succeeded. Our team constructed what is now officially recognized as the world's largest video game screen - measuring 47,397 square feet with a 16:9 native aspect ratio. By mapping The Tropicana’s corners for optimal coverage, the screen surpasses any previous attempts by 8,000 square feet.
Our collaboration with a creative agency based in Los Angeles specializing in content for events, specifically in the gaming industry. Working alongside the talented team allowed us to bring together the power of technology, artistry and creativity to bring the video game. Our team deployed an ambitious array of 50 Barco projectors to embellish the iconic Tropicana Resort's façade. Leveraging 38 units for seamless blending, warping and mapping content with reliability and accuracy, we integrated their E2 Switcher System to capture broadcasted images before distributing them across the vast installation. By fine-tuning every detail through Projector Toolset’s detailed approach as well, our endeavour reached its desired results in a secure yet captivating manner. The event wowed guests from across the globe through a digital stream.
World's Largest Video Game Screen at The Tropica by Lumen & Forge
"Klimt: The Immersive Experience" by Exhibition Hub Entertainment and Fever
“Enter the colorful pallet of Gustav Klimt. Step into a wonderland of moving paintings and be amazed by the golden era of modernism.” Exhibition Hub and Fever, known for their groundbreaking “Van Goh: The Immersive Experience,” presents over 200 works of Klimt’s art in another breathtaking immersive art show. The Klimt immersive experience combines stunning 360-degree projections, 1000m2 screens and virtual reality. Guests can fully engross themselves in the lustrous paintings of gold leaf, silver, and platinum, experiencing the heavy symbolism and erotic undertones of Klimt’s work firsthand. In addition to the main exhibit, there is a 10-minute virtual reality experience that accounts for Klimt’s career, from humble beginnings as an interior decorator to the radiance of his Golden Era.
Klimt: The Immersive Experience will be in major cities around the globe into 2023.
Projection Mapping of Klimt's Stunning Golden Era Artwork via Klimt: The Immersive Experience
"Army of the Dead - Viva Las Vengeance" by Netflix, Pure Imagination Studios and The Stone Quarry
Now, this is next-level movie marketing. Based on the movie “Army of the Dead” by Zack Snyder, Netflix teamed up with Pure Imagination Studios and The Stone Quarry to create an epic zombie-lovers VR experience. With immersive VR headsets, guests defended a tactical taco truck as it barrels through zombie-infested streets on its way from Vegas. Unfortunately, Viva Las Vengeance isn’t available in 2023.
Protecting the Tactical Taco Truck in VR at Viva Las Vengeance via Army of the Dead VR
As we enter a new year filled with possibilities, we can look back at 2022 and the exciting moments for event organizers and attendees alike thanks to cutting-edge experiences. Immersive events are constantly evolving and becoming more popular as technology advances. These types of events provide unique and unforgettable experiences that everyone should try at least once in their lifetime. Now, add it to your New Year’s Resolution for 2023 to experience one of these awe-inspiring events.
Interested in breaking into the immersive events space? Contact us and learn how you can leverage this impactful technology.
