Zoom fatigue and lack of engagement in webinars? 3D conferences with avatars provide the wow effect feel "amazingly real".

Thousands of industrial trade fairs and industry meetings have already been cancelled due to the pandemic and the number of visitors to virtual conferences and trade fairs has skyrocketed worldwide. Even the ITB, the world's largest tourism trade show, will be purely digital in 2021. But zoom fatigue is real (hashtag: #zoomfatigue) and lack of engagement is causing problems for companies and exhibitors around the globe. Networking via text chat? Something is missing.

Most experts and companies wish for "real" conferences with shared experiences and encounters. Countless marathon webinars of the last months with endless matchmaking lists melt into a formless mass in the memory. Many lack "networking, the exchange of knowledge". (ITB) and "the personal conversation, touching and trying out." Yet there are already innovative solutions that offer just that: highly professional 3D platforms, as easy to use as a computer game.

Even after the pandemic: no travel costs, greater range, better environmental balance sheet

Companies such as Siemens, Deloitte, DuPont, Audi or Stanford University are therefore already leaving traditional "flat" platforms such as On24, Expo-IP, Microsoft Teams, Hopin, etc. behind them and are breaking new ground: You use virtual 3D worlds, that promise real shared experiences and encounters. After-work party on the beach for networking after work included. And products can even be touched, rotated or walked around - depending on the platform, target group and budget, almost anything is possible here. The costs are not only competitive, but in some cases far below those for the so-called "flat" video conferences or 2.5D platforms.

Multiple Studies prove that virtual 3D environments offer a spatial and social sense of presence that cannot be achieved with video conferences, webinars and even so-called 2.5D platforms ("fake" 3D). I will therefore only discuss 3D environments with self-controlled avatars in this paper.

Virtual exhibition halls in 3D: Trade visitors and exhibitors walk from stand to stand with their avatars or teleport into the conference hall when the next lecture begins. And all this without tired legs in the evening.

Picture above: ToM, Technology of Meetings (web-based). Below: Virbela App (PC, Mac, VR)

No clunky VR goggles, no tired legs, but networking on the beach

Digital congresses in 3D have been around for more than 10 years, but today's 3D environments are much more sophisticated: As easy to use as a website and Instead of clunky VR headsets, a laptop, PC or Mac is already enough. Some of the examples shown here even work without any additional programme and are web-based, i.e. run in conventional standard browsers. Most can also be visited with VR headsets (virtual reality glasses) - but this is an option for experts or certain target groups and not a must. 

The first thing you do as an organiser or visitor is design your avatarWith just a few clicks of the mouse, you can select hair colour, hairstyle and matching clothing (in the corporate colours, if desired). then run: through the virtual exhibition halls or into the auditorium for the next lecture, where you and other avatars - all real people - can raise your hands and ask questions - with your voice, of course, not just in text chat.

Exhibitors and organisers choose Art and design most diverse Lecture halls, Conference rooms and Exhibition standswhich they can then design and furnish in their corporate design. Depending on the platform, exhibitors can even Present products three-dimensionally and in motion, visitors walk around with their avatars and Technical discussions take place directly at the virtual stand or in a private business lounge, where you can Whiteboards appear at the touch of a button and videos, presentations or websites can be shown as needed on ever-present screens. Those who like can even Digital trade fair hostesses in the form of AI-controlled avatars who will also be available to answer questions when your staff are not at the stand.
Siemens sales expert Thomas Dehm said recently in an interview with Handelsblatt: "The virtual trade fair felt amazingly real - except that my legs didn't hurt in the evening."

Web-based and in VR (Virtual Reality): Data analysts gathered in August 2020 to listen to speakers from around the world and then share ideas in private rooms and around the stage. The events are accessible via web, smartphone, tablet, laptop or VR glasses.

Immersion is the magic word. Immerse yourself with your own avatar.

Multiple Studies prove that 3D virtual environments provide a spatial and social sense of presence, as well as better learning outcomes and higher retention. Controlling and embodying an avatar in a 3D world stimulates brain areas normally reserved for physical encounters. The ability to customise one's avatar and interact with others in virtual space allows for more self-development. Apart from memorable experiences and NetworkingOnce you've danced samba with people from all over the world in a virtual auditorium, you won't soon forget it.

The cloud makes it possible - thousands of participants from all over the world

Laval Virtual rented an entire virtual island, which has since been used regularly for large events, personal meetings, presentations and exhibitions of all kinds. More than 1,200 visitors can use a "private campus" at the same time, which is equipped with various conference halls, office buildings, chic business lounges, boardrooms, offices and its own football pitch.

These figures dispel the myth that VR-enabled 3D virtual events can only support a small number of users. In fact, these newer 3D platforms are based in the cloud, unlike some long-standing technology companies that still host everything on-premise. Relying on cloud giants like AWS and Google Cloud means scaling is assured. Even web-based (without downloads!) individual platforms can now handle thousands of participants with sophisticated technology.

Virtual, but somehow real: Startup founders and their mentors from all over the world come together on stage in the virtual auditorium after a successful kick-off event to take a photo as a memento. Event: WaiDATATHON 2020 (realised by Evenness)

Breakout Sessions: Participants work together in different 3D spaces. Whiteboards, live webcam or desktop sharing with laser pointers are always available. (realised by Evenness)

Even after the pandemic: no travel costs, greater range, better environmental balance sheet

Not least due to the Corona crisis, the number of providers of 3D environments for the business context has increased massively. International providers such as Learnbrite, Virbela, Virtway, Breakroom, but also German solutions such as ToM (Technology of Meetings) or TriCAT Congress offer most of the features shown here. But only a stress test with a real audience of hundreds or thousands of users will show whether the promises can be kept (unfortunately not by all), and it should not be your participants who have the rude awakening. 

As always, the devil is in the detail and there is no "one-size-fits-all" here. Only with professional, experienced support from concept to planning to realisation "on site" will your 3D event be a complete success.

At their core, conferences and trade shows are about creating memorable experiences and bringing people together to learn, network and build relationships. But home offices and virtual meetings are the new norm, and there is no end in sight to travel restrictions. 

This is where immersive 3D conferences can come to the rescue: they offer shared experiences and making new contacts without masks, without travel costs and with product presentations that even surpass reality. 

With almost two decades of experience with professional 3D environments you are on the safe side with us when it comes to choosing the right platform and increasing the team spirit, creativity and motivation of your employees or learners.