Augmented Reality's broad application of commercial uses is becoming increasingly apparent and the ability to captivate the imagination of its participants and engage them on a whole new level is proving a powerful communication tool at the corporate events, exhibitions and conferences. Companies involved in such industries have started to look to this technology to create memorable experiences that encourage interaction and stimulate the minds of participants.

For industries that play host to large, arena-based events such as retail or the medical and healthcare sector, AR kiosks and demos provide a popular destination for visitors. Nokia Ovi recently experienced huge success using augmented reality at a prominent trade fair, with an average dwell time of 25.5 minutes at their stand, giving 6753 demonstrations, and 2,251 unique participants.

Another success was seen at the twice-annual CDA convention in California, attended by over 26,000 dental industry professionals. JHD Group Ltd collaborated with Henry Schein Practice Solutions to showcase their Dentrix management software on a larger than life Smartphone replica. This not only proved extremely popular, attracting large queues, but facilitated the use of clever marketing tactics to further engage the consumer. They were offered a branded snapshot of themselves taken during the course of the experience which could be obtained by providing lead information.  This was then stored on the company database with the photos for future targeted marketing campaigns.

From augmented telescopes and virtual tour guides to interactive exhibits, high profile museums such as The Louvre have also experimented with AR. Using the concept of a virtual tour guide and portable AR enabled devices, digital information and commentary is overlaid and enhanced 3d views of artefacts appear. This method was used during the infancy of the concept of AR browsers, and has since seen a rapid increase in use and awareness. With Smartphones and portable AR devices becoming increasingly accessible, the potential for apps and experiences to be built is immense and will offer an exciting new way to enjoy Museum and Exhibition experiences.  This can be seen as especially important for engaging and educating a generation of the stereo-typical disinterested modern youth.

Interactive exhibits involving games have proved to be extremely effective in this sector. Total Immersion's 'Augmented Reality Puzzle' at the 'My Digital World' exhibit in The Arizona Science Centre and the earlier project by The University of Washington in 2001, ‘The Virtual Dig’, attracted more than 25,000 people in 3 months to The Seattle Art Museum. TI also enabled visitors at the Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center  to hold a beating heart in their hands. History has also been 'brought to life' with the aid of AR-technology as seen with this example from China and with the new app, ‘Street Museum’.  This has proved a popular focus for their press recently, with it's fascinating overlay of historical London seen through the iPhone.

Naturally the live view of virtual information proves to be a somewhat powerful tool at large conferences and events. Alstom, a major supplier of energy, distribution and transportation, demonstrated a particularly innovative use of AR at their annual AGM, watched by thousands of employees. This example demonstrates the wow-factor that makes augmented reality a superior method in corporate marketing.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »