Heads Up: You’re Already in the Metaverse
If you are like me and see the future of meetings and events being virtual - or at least hybrid - then it is very likely that you’ve seen the term “metaverse” thrown around a lot recently. From Zuckerberg’s Meta to Roblox and Fortnite the Metaverse is a growing trend for entertainment and marketing; but what if I told you that you are already in the metaverse without really knowing it.
In his new book, The Metaverse (and how it will revolutionize everything) Matt Ball describes this new space as “the internet in 3D”. Just as “The Internet of Things” and the rise of smart devices was an evolution of the internet and how we interact with devices and appliances, so too is the metaverse a further evolution of how we interact with each other and socialize.
Virtual Reality (VR) is just one of many ways to interact with the metaverse. It is maybe the newest and most gimmicky way, but there are many more avenues that are open to people without the need of expensive, clunky, and uncomfortable hardware. If you are a parent to children you have already seen this growing. Video games were the first format to step into the primordial metaverse with massively multi-player online games. Even since the time of dial-up internet people could connect online using 3D avatars and play with friends and strangers alike. This has evolved today into Fortnite and Roblox, where school friends would meet-up online during the pandemic to hangout and chat just as they did in person, but this time skydiving into battle with fake guns and elaborate pickaxes.
Those of us grown and in the workforce have seen it to. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit all of us were forced to join various telecommunication platforms to join daily workplace stand-up meetings. The phrases “you’re on mute” and “nice virtual background” crashed into our lexicon. Yes, reader, even that is part of the metaverse. It is very rudimentary compared to what Mr. Zuckerberg and many others in silicon valley have in their sites, but it still counts. Feel free to brag to all of your friends how technologically ahead of them you are, but remember that it can still go deeper without strapping a screen directly to your face.
There is still a space between that is also evolving. Companies like Gather.Town add another dimension to this equation. Gather boasts itself as a virtual office and event space. After dressing up your avatar as you please you can walk around a 2-dimension space interacting with other users. Think of it as a Zoom call meets the original Zelda games. The virtual offices are entirely customizable, so your medical conference could be held in outer space or on an impossibly large pirate ship and depending on the season you may see other avatars walking around as skeletons and ghosts or gingerbread people in winter sweaters.
Platforms like Gather add another dimension…
Overall the engagement on Gather is unlike anything else. Adding another dimension from your typical teleconferencing brings out a playful and curious side to many attendees.
I’ve had the pleasure of working in the Gather platform for virtual workshops and a full two-day conference. It does pose a bit of a learning curve for some audiences, but since it is a 24/7 platform there is plenty of opportunity for your attendees to get the hang of it before diving in fully on day one. Overall the engagement on Gather is unlike anything else. Adding another dimension from your typical teleconferencing brings out a playful and curious side to many attendees. They will walk around the space and look at all of the details; they will dance, react, and throw glitter around the room. They are also welcome to separate into smaller groups more organically then ever before with the normal teleconferencing platforms we use.
If you’d like to get more information about how your meetings, events, or day-to-day office can be built and managed in the metaverse now without a fancy headset and using the same computer you use everyday, please fill out our contact form and we can chat about what options work for you and how Carey Event Services can help you broadcast your message.
See you in the metaverse!
