Its back to the future in 2018 – we are thinking Virtual. From viewing a live orchestra without having to leave the room or plugging into a 360 movie whilst tucking into a molecular deconstructed feast. Whether a passive partaker or a fully engaged participant… we have a host of new creative concepts and exciting interactive entertainment ideas for your next event:
At the end of 2017 merging the realm of the real and the virtual became increasingly popular –VR continues to engage, delight and inspire audiences, and with new devices that support it becoming available (as well as affordable), it’s fast becoming an event staple. The technology is becoming more lifelike by the day, and it’s now even possible to touch what you are viewing through the science of sound waves.
VR can be experienced in two ways – direct and personal.
Direct – the user wears their own personal headset and can partake in a range of solo VR experiences and gaming. Direct can also be experienced as a group – such as viewing a VR movie in a mass 350 degree, virtual cinematic experience with fellow colleagues. Choose from a range of existing films or create your own bespoke film – create a multiple choice storyline where guests dictate the path of the film by focusing their gaze in a specific direction.
Passive – works well for large groups of guests. This can be anything from projection mapping to connecting and moving physical objects with movement. Create a bespoke moving wall for your event – as your guests walk through the space, a set builds in the direction of their choice – created using movement sensors or eye tracking, where a scene is created following the path of your gaze. Alternatively, create a connection between your guests and physical objects – For example, for an immersive set – a collection of white floating balls hanging from the ceiling as if it is made of balloons – the balls are connected to a series of motor that tracks your motion and prompt the balls to move up and down and follow you as you walk around as you walk around. INSYNC are developing some rather exciting projects for 2018 – along with our friends from the Wild orchestra and INition VR- we are creating a unique experience with both a live and virtual orchestra – following the success of virtual orchestra – streamed over google hangouts and accompanied by both live drums and a beatboxer for a passive group experience and a 360 degree direct experience, where the user moves around the space and triggers virtual members of the orchestra in different parts as they move around.
POP-UPS: Immersive and Experiential events still remain extremely popular in the events world – and we are gearing up for some exciting new instalments and reprises from some our favourite companies including; Somnai from VR connoisseurs Dot Dot Dot, Blade Runner from Secret Cinema and The Waldorf project by artist Sean Rogg.
Keeping in line with the VR trend,Somnai is a tech-heavy immersive show that will take over a 2 story warehouse in Clerkenwell to explore sleep and dreaming, with the experience ending in a projection-mapped bar with appropriately mind-bending drinks.
Secret cinema present expectant audiences with Ridley Scott’s mesmerising 1982 sci-fi Blade Runner, immersing guests in the films neo-noir futurism in a dystopian downtown LA. The Waldorf project returns after 3 successful ‘chapters’ and focuses on uniting the senses through food, scent, drink, movement, sound, and environment – focusing on the multi-sensory – another new and exciting trend for 2018.
MULTISENSORY: Alongside a heavy focus on mixed reality experiences this year, we will also see events that will offer a holistic experience, engaging all the senses. Audio and video will play a huge part in this but smell and taste will also be given some of the limelight. Multi-sensory events will conjure interest from the guest before, during and after the event itself. This will be introduced in a variety of different ways – for example; sending out an edible invite, scenting your event with a bespoke fragrance via scent generating machines, adding hands-on displays to encourage touch and creating a bespoke soundscape for your party – the possibilities are endless! Pioneers in the multi-sensory include Gingerline – who have created their chambers of flavour and secret bespoke dining experiences – fusing all the senses with ‘food theatre’ and Bompas and Parr, who encourage guests to lose their senses with their inhabitable cloud of gin and tonic ‘Alcoholic Architecture’.
SMART EVENTS: From drones and GoPro and 3D printers, there has never been a more exciting time to integrate tech into your event. Corporate clients are going digital more and more frequently – from 3D video mapping to set the scene and optical illusion photo walls to Drone and GoPro filming to capture the event from the viewpoint of the client and to make absentees feel part of the action – we have what it take to future proof your party.
