There are some really cool things happening at LDI2019 in November in Las Vegas but one of the coolest has to be LiveXperience Symposium, an exciting new symposium co-produced by LDI and our sister show XLIVE. Taking place all day Wednesday, November 20 at MGM Grand, LiveXperience Symposium focuses on immersive experiential design, from brand activations to cutting-edge entertainment, where the experience is the thing, and the more immersive the better.
LiveXperience Symposium is the perfect intersection of these two worlds and provides the opportunity to meet and network with top players, from the agencies that serve as the creative catalysts for brand activations and producers that create immersive entertainment events to the designers who bring them to life with an arsenal of high-tech tools, in a full day of panels and LiveXperience Symposium talks, curated by Kye Browning, conference manager for XLIVE, and yours truly.
The day kicks off with a morning keynote by Austin Johnston, CEO of AK Johnston Group, on the buzz word: “Experiential Marketing!” in which he looks at ideation, design and production, and an excellent case-driven study of analog versus digital to give context to everything from VR to cheap tried-and-true swag!
Other topics range from “Digital Environments as Today’s Scenic Design” on how lighting and technology is best used to meet end goals in today’s world where lighting is digital scenery, décor and props, and foliage and even fireworks, in a session led by Andrea Michaels, president of Extraordinary Events; to “Becoming a Festivalite: Designing for Music Festivals and Live Events,” a look at the mesmerizing stage and set designs for the largest festivals around the world, from EDC to Electric Forest.
The afternoon keynote: “Experiential Disruption: How AI, Merged Reality, and Metrics are Changing Everything” is by Bob Bonniol, partner/chief creative officer of Mode Studios, who discusses how artificial intelligence has become widely available and is going to be used to create reactive and smart experiences.
Nick Rivero, co-founder of MEPTIK creative design firm, discusses “Creating Engaging User Experiences In Live Environments” and how to get the behind-the-scenes scoop on the processes and technology used to create interactive experiences driven by human engagement.
Ashley Crowder, co-founder and CEO of VNTANA, explores “Evolving Immersive Design with Mixed Reality,” and its applications for live events and brand activations as they use new technology to add another layer of immersiveness for their fans, with things like Eminem’s 2018 Coachella set with AR to experiencing a Marshmello concert inside Epic Games’ Fortnite paving the way for reality-bending experiences.
The day concludes with a chat on “Next Level Brand Activations.” From world-transporting experiences like the Westworld activation at SXSW or the Blade Runner 2049 activation at San Diego Comic Con, these experiences were truly designed to create FOMO experiences.
Networking opportunities include the Live Experience Design World Cafe where we will discuss and work together to create the future of live experience in collaborative round table discussions. I don’t know where you’ll be on Wednesday, November 20, but I’ll be at LiveXperience Symposium, and hope to see you there!