Hologram technology can increase engagement and attract hard-to-get speakers
Meetings may be a mostly in-person experience but—as we learned during Covid, with the use of Zoom, Teams and other online video platforms—the use of communications technology has its place in the world of meetings and events.
A more sophisticated form of communications technology to shift the way we meet and interact at events are holograms, walking a fine line between in-person and video communication. Take a look at a handful of hologram use cases.
Holograms as Speaker Catcher
“The No. 1 thing it’s used for is to ‘get the ungettables,’ says Krista Cameron, vice president of industry relations for Encore Global’s Canadian market. “If there’s a CEO in Dubai that you want to bring in, if there’s a celebrity, if there’s a thought leader that you normally would never be able to get because of their schedules, costs or time, you can actually have them appear in the hologram. And the cool thing is, when it’s on stage it’s 3D, so it looks very life-like.”
Along with its life-like stage presence, another important element of the hologram technology is its two-way communication. On the speaker’s side of the communication—whether they’re in a different country, room, etc.—they’re equipped with the lighting, a camera, white backdrop and monitors so they can see the audience and interact with them in real-time. “[It] freaks people out, but it’s really super cool,” Cameron says.
Read More: What to Expect When Booking A-List Event Speakers
Cameron says the Encore team has worked with speaker bureaus and certain keynotes who initially would say they don’t have the time. With the hologram technology, this all changes. “They have to give two hours instead of two days to fly in, so it’s sustainable,” she says. “There’s cost savings, and you can get that ungettable.” Cameron referenced a large corporate event whose celebrity spokesperson used Encore’s hologram tech to beam in from the backstage of the show they were hosting while they had the free time.
Another way Cameron sees it used is for Q&As, solving the problem of attendees asking a keynote a question and not being seen or heard by the audience, as well as saving the time spent by event staff running around to get the mic to the right attendee. But as Cameron says, this is corrected for using holograms, getting the attendee onstage to be seen and heard right in front of the audience. “An attendee could step into the beam stage and they’re on stage, and so the entire audience can see them and hear the question.”
Holograms as Multilinguist
Hologram technology is also crossing language barriers. At UFC’s Sphere event in September, Noche UFC, the UFC’s highest grossing fight and commemoration of Mexican Independence Day, Proto Hologram presented the first holograms of MMA fighters and UFC CEO Dana White, who’s hologram could be heard speaking Spanish, a language the real White doesn’t know.
Proto has used its hologram technology to bridge the gap between other languages as well. Proto CEO David Nussbaum gave a keynote and demonstrated Proto’s translation technology by creating a hologram version of comedian and actor Howie Mandel speak to doctors from Hyderabad, India, in their native language, Telugu.
Read More: Language Interpretation Is the Next Wave in Virtual Meetings
Holograms as Concierge
Earlier this year, holographic communications platform Proto Hologram introduced its portable M Device to Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel’s presidential and penthouse suites in California. Four Seasons founder Isadore Sharp beamed in from Palm Springs to Beverly Hills for a meeting with the company’s executives.
“Beverly Wilshire converted a guest room into a studio for its guest experience team member to beam in the guest’s suite. The M makes the digital experience ‘real’ and redefines the way we work with efficient and engaging solutions, allowing the guest experience team to show and see emotion behind every interaction,” says Reed Kandalaft, Beverly Wilshire regional vice president and general manager.
Given its touch screen functionality, Encore has also used their hologram technology as an interactive concierge. “Some of our hotel partners have started to use it in their lobby so that someone can pre-load information,” Cameron says. “You can make it AI to search the web…. You pre-load it with information on the destination, information about the conference, the theme, sponsors, whatever you want. And people can go up and engage with concierge, and you can do the touch screen, or you can speak to them.”
Holograms as Engagement Tool
Although beaming in hard-to-pin-down speakers is its primary use case, holograms can be used as a way to further engage attendees.
Read More: It’s All About Engagement!
At Fanatics Fest at New York City’s Jacob Javits Convention Center, Proto Hologram had several activations throughout the event. NFL legend Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson beamed in for an NFL Trivia activation, where he could see, hear and react in real time. The Chicago Bears beamed in their recent draft pick, NFL rookie Caleb Williams, to meet media and fans immediately after the decision was made. The NBA Wizards and NHL Ducks had similar post-draft meets.
Proto’s M and life-size Epic models can also be used to promote products at events such as sales kickoffs in a more interactive and engaging format with their touch screens and QR codes that comes with data metrics and analytics.
Encore Global has been working with hologram technology for the last two years, resulting from the company’s R&D into new ways to communicate with and engage audiences. “Probably the biggest challenge we hear from planners and organizations is how to engage their audience, how to get the attendees to show up, says Krista Cameron, vice president of industry relations for Encore’s Canadian market. “And when they show up, how do we get them involved? How do they learn? How do we get them to come back? So we’re always looking for those ways.”
Outside of its use for speakers, Cameron says people also love them because of the filter gram. “It’s next-level entertainment,” she says. “We’ve had it positioned in a lobby foyer or part of a reception, and up to two people can step into it, and not only do they see themselves in a different location, but you add filters.”
Encore’s holograms has filters that can turn attendees into Pixar character, younger versions of themselves, older versions of themselves or animals. “Guest line up for it. They love it,” Cameron says. “So we use it in a lot of our trade shows, because you definitely get the appeal of people want to come and be part of it and take the picture and show their kids.”
