Exhibitions and presentations

VR events allow participants to learn about new products and even purchase them from their homes. In addition, the virtual format solves many problems for organizers and helps them stand out among the competitors.

What is a VR exhibition and how does it differ from a regular online event?

The exhibition and conference industry has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic more than almost any other industry in the market. In most countries, mass events are prohibited, and even those that are held are difficult to attend due to the lack of flights.

It is impossible to predict when the offline event market will recover from such shock. However, the pandemic has an unexpected positive effect: it has stimulated the development of virtual events and exhibitions, in particular, based on VR.

We are used to calling any event that is held online virtual — usually with the help of video streaming via platforms like Zoom, with the functionality of chat and “calls to the studio”. However, there is another meaning of the word “virtual”: created on a basis of virtual reality.

A VR exhibition or conference takes place in a virtual space specially created by a professional VR Agency, such as NomixVR. Through wearing virtual reality glasses the participant is transported to a detailed 3D-modeled room. In physical reality, visitors can be at home and even on different continents, but in the VR dimension, they have the opportunity to meet and communicate. Everyone has their own avatar (digital duplicate), which can move around the exhibition space, shake hands and talk to other avatars.

Thanks to the rapid development of digital lookalike technology, it is possible to create avatars that resemble specific people and imitate all their movements. The combination of realistic 3D graphics and the ability to move around the exhibition space creates a real presence effect.

Areas of implementation of VR exhibition technology

Of course, any event can be organized on the basis of virtual reality: from a quest to a political forum. However, virtual VR events are currently most popular in the following areas:

• corporate events;
• industrial exhibitions;
• product presentations;
• medicine;
• finance;
• tourism;
• culture and art;
• fashion;
• sport.

Advantages of virtual exhibitions

In many ways, VR exhibitions are not only as good as real ones, but also superior to them. Here are the main advantages:

• Safety: you can participate from home, without unnecessary contact with strangers, which is especially important in the context of a pandemic.
• Economy: participants do not need to pay for flights and accommodation, and organizers do not need to spend resources on choosing and renting premises, catering and cleaning. Also, if it is nessesary, visitors can instantly move from one virtual event to another.
• Easy to organize: it is much easier to set up a schedule for virtual events, since there is no question of how many people each room can accommodate and when it is free. The organizers also have the opportunity to demonstrate products that cannot be brought to a physical exhibition, for example, because of their size.
• Increase in sales: visitors will be able to get to know the product more closely compared to viewing catalogs or videos. You can even put potential buyers behind the wheel of a virtual drilling machine or at the helm of an airplane. In addition, the organizers can get detailed information about participants using their username. At a physical exhibition, this is possible only with the help of RFID chips, which may contradict the laws on personal data security.
• Care for the environment: VR events are eco-friendly by definition: they do not leave garbage, they do not consume electricity and water.

How to organize a virtual exhibition?

The organizing process of a VR event can be divided into two parts: before the exhibition (development) and during (holding).

Before the event

The client contacts the VR company and fills in a brief: specifies the topic, approximate program, desired venue (type of 3D space), number of participants, budget, etc.

• A VR company creates a 3D platform based on a brief. This can be a spacious, bright room for displaying products, several small conference rooms, an art gallery, or even a natural space with grass and trees. The provider will offer different options for wall decoration, lighting, interior, etc.
• If advertisers participate in the event, they can provide their own materials (banners, logos, etc.) to create virtual advertising – for example, billboards and banners that will “hang” in the virtual hall.
• You can also add an e-commerce element: if participants register a payment method in advance, they will be able to buy the product without leaving the virtual space – in the same way that they make purchases on Instagram and Facebook.
• Technical issues are being solved: support for different languages, online chat, video upload, information about participants registration, etc.
• Ready-made 3D models are always tested and then edits are made.
• The organizer promotes the exhibition in the media, invites participants, accepts payment, etc.

During the event

• The participant receives a special code that allows them to download the app and create the avatar they like most of all. If the full list of participants is known in advance, you can create an individual digital double for each of them.
• The participant puts on virtual reality glasses and enters the exhibition using a special link. If desired, the organizer can even include glasses (or their rental price) in the ticket price.
• Depending on the purchased ticket and the rules of the exhibition, you can attend all presentations, panel discussions and meetings, or only some of them. Moving between locations is almost instantaneous.
• You can talk to other participants in the same way as in normal life: ask questions, discuss transactions, and so on. As we have already mentioned, you can even organize the sale of goods for real money and with real delivery.

The most successful virtual exhibitions: 3 examples

Product presentation: Сar configurator from Nomix

Together with Avilon, a major car dealer, NomixVR Agency has developed a virtual premium car configurator. Participants can view every detail and change many parameters on the go: the leather color in the cabin and the body color, the type of wheels, and so on. At the same time, you can control the configurator not only using special VR controllers, but also by tracking the user’s hand movements. This makes the app intuitive, even for customers who have never experienced virtual reality before.

Art: VR Art Platform

The platform features collections from museums and commercial art galleries, as well as works owned by artists themselves and by private collectors. Many exhibits can even be purchased directly from the app.

Conference: Laval Virtual World

Laval Virtual Center is an organization specialized in promotion of high-tech based in french city Laval. With the beginning of the pandemic, the association was able to quickly reorient the Laval Virtual World conference from offline to VR. The event was attended by 150 speakers and 10,000 participants — all in the form of digital avatars.

Are you interested in the opportunity to present a product in VR or you want to hold a virtual event? Then write to us at info@nomixvr.ru and we will be happy to share some ideas with you!