As businesses are re-opening and small gatherings are beginning to be permitted in some states, we must find new safe ways to allow people to have a great interactive experience during a live event. I believe technology can help us in doing just that.
Interactivity is key!
The word “interactive” is key here! Interactivity allows your attendees to immerse themselves completely into whatever idea, message, or brand identity you are trying to communicate. If done right, the experience can help the user to go into a state called “flow” which enhances exponentially the retention of your message.
Flow, in the context of psychology, is a state of intense engagement, focus, and contentment in the present moment and current activity…
Margaret Rouse, https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/flow
Make sure the users are involved
The best way to push your guests into the flow state is to make them active participants within your experience. If they feel like they can have an impact, your guests are way more likely to remember what they were doing and even encourage other people to try it.
I always try to make work that activates the viewer to be a co-producer of our shared reality.
Olafur Eliasson
The right technology for COVID-19
Technologies are a great way to achieve the desired effect, but not all technologies are created equal, especially during this pandemic.
I have decided to split the technologies listed in this post into two main categories for the sake of this article. The first category requires the user to touch something, and the second category doesn’t.
Techs that requires some physical contact
-Virtual Reality (VR)
Virtual reality is a great option to immerse your attendees in a new world where they can easily forget about reality. But this might not be the best option right now with COVID-19 since it requires the user to wear equipment.
Still, if cleaned thoroughly in between each use, a VR booth can be a good solution to bring your live event to the next level.
-Touchscreen
Obviously, with touchscreens, your attendees will have to make contact with the screen. So I wouldn’t recommend it because of COVID19. Well, unless you have someone standing next to it during the event to clean the screen in between each use.
You could also provide gloves to your guests and use a resistive touchscreen. It works with the pressure of your fingers on the screen. And doesn’t require direct contact with the skin contrary to a capacitive touchscreen like the one you have on your phone. (Here’s a link where you can see the main differences between the two different touchscreen types.)
There are also special gloves for capacitive touchscreens, but they tend to be more expensive.
Techs that requires some physical contact
-Live Tracking
There are many different types of sensors that can either track your movements or objects in the environment. With those, you can do all kinds of fun and engaging experiences. The only limit is your imagination.
That’s the kind of technology that we consistently use at ARPortals. You can contact us, and we’ll be happy to help if needed.
-Light or sound effects
Light or sound mechanisms can be rigged in all sorts of ways to achieve really amazing visuals by playing with the venue’s space. These effects can be combined with sensors to add interactivity to it.
The current situation
Right now, the best way to add interactivity to your live event is by using technologies that do not require any physical touch. Otherwise, you would need to clean the equipment in between each use, which can rapidly become cumbersome.
Happy event planning!
