How can augmented reality benefit trade shows?

CHICAGO — Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive technology experience that blends the real world with digital content.

A popular example of this technology is Pokémon Go, which uses smartphone cameras to place virtual creatures in one’s environment. Companies such as ray ban An AR “try-on” feature is also available, allowing customers to virtually test sunglasses, clothing, cosmetics and more products. Additionally, many business events are leveraging AR to create experiences that wow participants.

Christopher Baron, Senior Director of Innovation, canada againhelped create the AR experience PwC Canadathis American Academy of Dermatologythis Professional Conference Management Association Canadian Innovation Conferencethis Canadian Marketing Association and more customers.

Baron and trade show director Share what organizers should know about AR.

ANDREW: How can AR make business activities more effective?

Chris: Multiple independent studies have shown that AR increases engagement on multiple levels. When content is delivered through AR, audiences are more likely to engage, stay longer, and retain information better when compared to traditional media.

ANDREW: How does AR bring value to exhibitors?

Chris: Over the past few years, we have built a number of activation programs that have delivered strong experiential returns, resulting in a better return on investment. The key difference is good UI (User Interface) and UX (User Experience). When we see bugs in the user interface, we see a decrease in ROI. My best advice is to find an AR partner with experience and case studies to ensure you maximize the value of your investment.

ANDREW: Are there any AR experiences at recent events that you’d like to highlight?

Chris: When people are willing to invest in new technology for their campaigns, results and data matter. In an activation we did last December, we found that 75% of our target audience of 1,000 tried the experience and 95% completed the entire experience.

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ANDREW: How do event attendees typically respond to AR experiences? Are there any challenges? How can these challenges be addressed or avoided?

Chris: Surprise and delight are terms we often use. People find new innovative technologies interesting and exciting.

However, as with any new, discontinuous innovation, there is an aspect of behavior that needs to change when creating content. There are also behavioral changes in how audiences consume content. When designing these solutions, it’s critical to understand where people fall on the technology adoption spectrum and which UI is relevant and relevant to that audience.

ANDREW: What misunderstandings do professionals have about AR?

Chris: Confusion between AR and VR (virtual reality) is still common. AR is the superposition of digital content on the real world, while VR is a completely immersive virtual world that is completely disconnected from the real world.

ANDREW: What advice do you have for show organizers or exhibitors who want to incorporate AR into their experience?

Chris: Work with a designer who has experience in augmented reality design, and preferably also UX/UI design.

ANDREW: How do you see this technology evolving? How do you predict it will change in the future?

Chris: In my opinion, the most important technological advancement to date is the standardization of the WebAR framework, which makes it possible to deliver AR experiences through the web browser on most mobile devices. WebAR enables rapid development and delivery times that are not possible with native apps on the iOS or Android app stores. Instead of developers taking six to eight months or more to develop and deploy apps across two mobile platforms, we can now develop and deploy apps in as little as five weeks.