After a year of pivoting to virtual experiences, the world is getting ready for a big return to live events — but digital experiences aren’t going anywhere, and technology is playing a big role in how people are coming together and connecting again.
John Steinhauer, Vice President of Entertainment for Barco in the Americas, notes that as the pandemic has amplified and accelerated the adoption of technology, immersive experiences have become more important than ever.
“I think everything is about the experience,” he says, “whether it's a fan experience, employee experience, etc. Everything is immersive now. And the beauty of this technology is its ‘wow’ factor. It makes you feel good, and you just get drawn into it.
Steinhauer shares that the touring and concert side of the business has picked up dramatically over the past few weeks — so far, more so than the corporate events and conferences — and that plans for shows have become more ambitious. This has translated into an increased demand for “very high lumen projection, which is a very flexible way of getting imagery around the stage, as well as a huge surge in LED sales,” he says. Fans attending upcoming concerts and shows can expect artists to go big in their productions and performances.
Sports organizations also experienced an increased reliance on technology during the pandemic, and which will likely continue. Fans being banned from attending games in person drove technology sales for Barco, explains Steinhauer. “The NHL in particular had huge LED displays everywhere, and the ice shows were massive. It was all production value for TV to make it a better experience to watch it from home.”
Now that fans are once again being allowed back into the stadiums, the whole NHL is looking to ice mapping as a way to keep the excitement and engagement high. “Every franchise wants to outdo the others,” says Steinhauer. “They want to sell tickets and fill the stadiums again.”
The need for new immersive experiences extends to museum exhibits and even to outdoor spaces in cities around the world. “There's a big effort around city beautification that's going on globally,” says Steinhauer. “For example, you can create cinematic scenes on the side of a cathedral or landmark with projection mapping, which is helping to get people out in an environment where they can monitor their spacing and feel comfortable.”
Throughout the past few months, Barco has also been deploying lower-end projectors to power immersive experiences in museums. Many of the Van Gogh exhibit sites, for example, are utilizing these projectors due to their smaller size and their ability to fit into spaces with unusual architecture. “In the past, you would design a museum around that type of application, you didn't bring the gear in and fit it into a pre-existing irregular environment,” says Steinhauer. “This immersive art trend has really taken off for us and tons of these museums all over the world.”
When it comes to corporate events, although many are also starting to return, Steinhauer notes that Barco has adapted to address the trend of smaller and more regional events. Typically, Barco processing was “very expensive and rather complex,” but the company has recently released a new presentation switcher with fewer outputs that is specifically designed for smaller gatherings and conferences. This trend is somewhat opposite to that of fan experiences, which are getting bigger and better as they start up again.
Overall, immersive experiences have become more important — and expected by audiences — than ever following the pandemic, and Steinhauer and Barco are gearing up to supply the technology that brings these experiences to life. “The whole notion of a display having one function is over. It's there to entertain, inform, and inspire. And I think we're going to see more and more of that.”