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Contact usQ&A with Carlo: the technologies that will mark the future of events industry
What is your background and how has your role in Genius Progetti evolved?
“My first work experience, after completing university studies with a degree in Sport Management in the USA, was with a US events agency where I was a Live Events Logistics Director. Once back in Italy, I carried out a series of projects related to music as a freelancer, in particular as a writer for some electronic music sites and as a collaborator of a Dutch booking and management agency always linked to the world of electronic music.
Thanks to this experience, I have personally experienced several events in Holland and India.
This passion for music, even as a producer, continues to this day and allows me to stay updated on all related technologies and innovations. In Genius I play the role of Project Manager. In addition to taking part in events as Project Manager, I also follow the content and entertainment part of some projects and live events.”
What do you think are the technological and innovative solutions for the events industry at the moment?
“Surely, the focus since the beginning of the pandemic has shifted on how to transform a purely physical and social experience to make it usable in digital format. The greatest difficulty is not entirely losing contact with reality and, therefore, creating a bridge between the world of pre-covid-19 events and the virtual one of the future.
Technologies have now evolved to a level that allows all this, especially using augmented/virtual reality and immersive videos.
In recent months we have experienced the boom of streaming events with virtual audiences, sporting events behind closed doors with multi-screens to broadcast fans connected from home via webcam, the integration of “special events” into video games (concerts on Fortnite, Virtual Festivals on Minecraft), without forgetting the rise of eSports on the big screen (also on Sky), reaching the younger audience. The level of detail in the creation of virtual environments has increased considerably in recent years, allowing the creation of very scenic and exciting settings, even from home. “
Will virtual events replace live experiences?
“In my opinion, virtual events will never be able to replace physical events, still they are certainly making huge strides. The challenge will be knowing how to use all these technological innovations, whose development has been accelerated by the arrival of the pandemic, and integrate them with physical events once they return to normal.
What is still missing to completely close the gap between reality and the virtual world is greater stability and accessibility of artificial intelligence.To give an example, let’s imagine that we can connect from home to an event with a presenter, and that he/she interacts with each guest in a different way, reading the body language, adapting and modulating the presentation accordingly.”
Can you tell us about 1 or 2 projects of which you are particularly proud?
“The dinner of “Passione Ferrari” in Bologna, Palazzo de Rossi, in 2019. For this occasion we called a neo-classical pianist and composer, Luca Longobardi, and directed a short immersive experience with music, video and lights. The goal was to present the key concepts of the car on display, thrilling the public in less than 10 minutes. Accordingly to the themes of the car on display, we prepared a multisensory experience that included emotional videos processed to the beat of the music, all-round light effects and songs where classical music was combined with electronic music.
For 2021, however, we have just launched a new Roadshow format where augmented reality is used and we invite guests to experience an immersive Factory Tour experience with Oculus. We have developed an App to activate augmented reality content on the cars on display, inserting them into virtual settings and making the technical and video data sheets available interactively.
To make the experience “Covid-friendly” even in places where there are severe restrictions, we have made the whole experience usable also via audio guide, with a virtual presenter accompanying the guest during the experience.”
Can you tell us more about the use of VR and augmented reality in the roadshows of 2021?
“Once the Oculus is worn, the guests immediately find themselves immersed in a tunnel where a countdown appears, announcing the beginning of the experience. Once through the tunnel, a full-immersion begins inside the factory where the cars are assembled. From the iconic entrance where we see the car speed by, we move on from the mechanical processing phase to the engine assembly and finally to the first start-up. The experience can be used without the guest’s need for a joystick and movement, but you only need to sit down and look around at 360° to be able to enjoy the experience in an immersive way.”
Is VR here to stay?
“Surely the acceleration that VR and AR have had, also thanks to the pandemic, has opened our eyes to the potential of these technologies for the use of content, even remotely. Although these technologies were born to create situations not possible for humans, they will be increasingly integrated into real situations.
This fusion between the physical and digital world is called Mixed Reality, making it possible to create new environments and situations in which the human being coexists with physical and virtual objects, interacting in real-time.
It is no coincidence that Google, Facebook and Apple are investing billions in the development of headsets/glasses for Mixed Reality. Some applications of this technology include immersive stages where virtual elements interact with the performers/players (in the case of eSports) or video games that, thanks to holographic devices, transform the living room into an arena or playing track.
The digital world reacts to the movements of the physical world, while the boundaries of the physical world influence the experience within the digital application. Possibilities are almost endless.”
