IBTM Americas sees metaverse as beneficial for MICE tourism

06-07-23

Only a few years ago we started to hear the term metaverse more frequently due to the momentum generated by Facebook on this technology, although the concept actually emerged in the middle of the last century 1.

The metaverse is a virtual world, or a collective environment of several virtual worlds, that provides a shared space for users to interact, experience and exchange information, content and activities; it provides for an integration of virtual, or augmented, reality for users to live, work and play in a simulated 3D environment.

This virtual world allows users to seek meaningful and satisfying experiences in its constituent spaces, and although the concept is in its early stages, it is envisaged that it will continue to evolve to provide more enriching experiences.

It could also shape the future of events or at least create new practices. The metaverse platform harnesses virtual, augmented and physical reality to create immersive experiences for users and, experts say 2 , events in this area will have a very practical use and can be of all sizes. Users will be able to interact with each other anywhere and at any time, there are no longer physical or temporal barriers.

To interact in the metaverse, users or attendees must wear a virtual reality headset, which, by the way, does not have to be connected to a computer to be "immersed" in this world. It may seem a bit cumbersome, but manufacturers have added ergonomic controls, three or more front-facing cameras, and elements of machine learning and spatial understanding that enhance and optimise the experience.

With the helmet on, the user can feel like they are at the event. They don't have to travel or move, and can access at any time and from anywhere, although naturally, the more users have access to this technology, the more crowded the events will be.

Of course, this is in case you don't want to travel, because the physical experience is still unique.

This is where the avatar comes into play, which is a digital representation of oneself, and can be customised by moulding one's own appearance, including elements such as clothing and hair. The user can have different avatars for various metaverse platforms to create a more immersive experience to better feel their presence in the virtual world.

It is an experience that transcends the imagination, because this technology allows us to feel that we are at the event, sitting in an auditorium listening live to the speaker, even if it is chats.

Currently it may seem expensive to have access to this technology, but it is also true that any technological advance tends to decrease in price over time and more and more people can use it. It is worth learning about these advances in order to find the best way to adopt them, albeit progressively, and IBTM Americas is the ideal place to explore these and other advances and exchange experiences with other attendees, in real time, by the way.

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