Augmented Reality
With the recent announcement that exciting start up Magic Leap is releasing it's first developer kits this year and with Microsoft's Hololens already in the hands of developers; we're expecting a serious buzz around mixed or augmented reality in the next 12 months. The concept is similar to virtual reality, though some say it's more immersive, without the need to be constantly connected to a high-end computing unit with wires. We anticipate that in the early stages companies will be looking to create rich content to entertain and stand out from the crowd, much like VR headsets have been used to draw exhibition traffic to booths to satiate the need for people to see something new. In a few years however, we're expecting to be able to march into a venue, strap on our AR goggles and visualise our preferred seating layouts and staging concepts without having to move a single piece of furniture.
Facial Recognition
Facial recognition has been around for some time, however with tech firms like Apple and Samsung now bringing this to consumer's smartphones on a larger scale; it's no longer the scary Orwellian concept it once was. Imagine being able to walk into an event and (provided clear consent is given!) and no longer having to carry business cards or use NFC to share details. The best bit about this technology is that it can very easily be applied in this new GDPR-conscious era, with information being stored securely in the cloud rather than on an individual, local device. We predict that client's will start using this to add greater personalisation to their events. We love the idea of somebody simply having to look at a camera mounted above a screen to view their personalised agenda for an event rather than queuing at a registration desk, fiddling with an app or worse; carrying extra paperwork around.
Modular Displays
The traditional projector and screen set up can seem cumbersome in comparison to what is actually available in the technology market right now, however the good news is that modular displays are now making more appearances at corporate events and giving planners and content producers more creativity at their fingertips. Being able to split presentations, create picture in picture displays for conferencing without relying on third party software and freeing up space taken by back projection set-ups are just some of the benefits of using modular displays for your events. Providers are now able to offer this technology on a 'pay as you use' basis, which means you can pay for your digital displays literally by the inch. We predict that this flexibility, along with crisper imaging that can be fully seen in natural daylight will eventually supersede the loud hum of a projector in your meeting rooms.