The Las Vegas Sphere, a spherical entertainment venue near the famous Strip, is a stunning breakthrough in presentation technology.
At 580,00 square feet, it is the world’s largest spherical structure, and it features a 160,000 square-foot array of ultra hi-res 16K LED screens that wrap around the audience like a colossal planetarium plus fully programmable LED lighting, 164,000 directional speakers and even high-touch effects like wind and ocean spray. The effect is an awe-inspiring experience for guests, and its “exosphere” external LED skin is visible from miles away.
Its sheer size makes it a sensation, but its technology, and the thinking behind it, also make it a harbinger of things to come. All technology ultimately trickles down to become more widely available, and The Sphere foreshadows the kinds of immersive experiences that will ultimately become a part of everyday life.
Transforming the world of business communications.
The first step will likely be the adoption of technology The Sphere’s Customer Collaboration Centers (aka Innovation Centers). Many of the world’s leading global marketers have such facilities; some of the pioneers are already developing the second and third generations of their centers as more advanced technologies become more accessible and viable.
As a result, they’re raising the expectations of both business and consumer audiences. And as these global leaders have discovered, they have to deploy increasingly sophisticated presentation methods to gain and sustain their audiences’ attention. They’re also leveraging state-of-the-art interactive technologies to deliver highly personalized and tactile experiences.
The topic was a hot point at a recent conference of top global CPG sales executives. Participants who operate such facilities believe they’re realizing solid ROI and by dramatically enhancing customer engagement and sales by energizing joint business planning sessions, collaborative initiative presentations and overall relationship building.
Some are also enjoying the residual benefits of internal team building, using the same techniques and technologies. This multi-purpose approach has driven design approaches that emphasize extreme adaptability for flexibility and efficient use of space.
Delivering audiences so you can deliver your content.
As one conference participant who operates a successful innovation center observed, the key to making such facilities effective is to stick with the fundamental principle of sound business communications; the message is the point, and the delivery of it, no matter how powerful, is simply a means to an end – every recipient of that message embracing it and acting on it.
A vital part of that is interactivity to turn the impact of immersive media into a personal, tactile experience that brings the details to life through custom apps that support explore topics more deeply and explore new possibilities.
So the pandemic has subsided and in-person meetings have returned to viability, but virtual meetings are in the corporate bloodstream for good. Yet as all participants agreed, there is no substitute for face-to-face meetings, and experiential collaboration centers that leverage new technologies to make the trip worthwhile make a world of difference.
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