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Don’t Miss This: Essential Seminars At XR Connects London

Don’t Miss This: Essential Seminars At XR Connects London

With XR Connects London just days away, we look at the conference schedule featuring more than 50 world-class VR, AR and MR speakers. With 38 sessions throughout two packed days, covering everything from start-up survival to eSports, artificial intelligence and blockchain, where do you start?

We’ve handpicked our highlights from the schedule to bring you what we think will be the don’t miss moments at XR Connects London 2018.

 

Monday 22nd January

  • Day one kicks off on a high with an XR Superstar session from Simon Benson, VR and Immersive Technology Consultant at Realised Realities. Not only was he formerly the Director of the Immersive Technology Group for Sony Interactive Entertainment, but he was a founder member of the PlayStation VR project. We’ll be in the front row on Monday for his 09:00 seminar as he explains how the Experience Revolution will grow from its humble beginnings as a VR entertainment platform in 2016 into something that has the potential to replace the smartphone as the number one consumer electronics device. Speaker Profile 
  • If there’s one thing every indie dev wants to know, it’s how to survive as a VR/AR start-up in 2018. Luckily, that’s the title of Sami Hamid’s seminar at 10:00, when the VR Producer at Glitch Studios uncovers some of the myths around the industry and some of the pitfalls that can be avoided to maximise your success as we hold our breath for mass consumer adoption. Speaker Profile 
  • Stepping on-stage immediately after Hamid is Jan Wagner, Co-Founder at Black Cell, http://www.black-cell.com/ whose seminar is sure to get your attention as he asks whether the XR industry needs to change the way it thinks about VR to move beyond the spectacle of immersion and the novelty of the technology itself. We’ve enjoyed hearing Wagner speak before and have no doubts he’ll deliver another fascinating session. Speaker Profile 
  • And rounding out an unmissable hour of XR insight is nDreams CEO, Patrick O’Luanaigh, explaining why VR and eSports are the perfect match. He says, “I believe we’re on a journey which ends with lightweight glasses that combine VR and AR into one wireless unit owned by billions of people”. Speaker Profile 
  • To pull you through the post-lunch, mid-afternoon slump, explore the commercial perspectives and possibilities of VR/AR with a panel session at 15:00 featuring Tim Luft of VR Simulation Systems, Marcus Pullen of Blue Donut Studios, Brynley Gibson of Curve Digital, Tim Fleming of Future Visual, and William Deans of Happy Finish.
  • And because we love a good panel session, why not round out the day at 17:40 with this forward-looking talk about making the transition from mobile AR to device AR with Mark Ollila of UX-fit, Barry O’Neill of Touch Press, Peter Wittig of Motive.io, and Byron Seef of Biba Ventures?

 

Tuesday 23rd January

  • With PS VR leading the hardware market by a considerable margin, we’ll be fascinated to hear what Nick Rooke, Director of Developer Relations at Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe, has to say as he opens the second day of the show at 10:00.
  • And to help you work up an appetite for lunch, don’t miss the panel debate the future of XR platforms at 12:20, featuring Tommy Palm of Resolution Games, Jon Hibbins of Psytec Games, Kevin Joyce of VRFocus, Anrick Bregman of UNIT9, and Becky Jones of BEKTIO.
  • With many independent VR studios taking on contract work to pay the bills, Ben Maltz-Jones of REWIND explains how to create memorable immersive experiences that put brands at their heart at 14:20.
  • Don’t miss one of the most influential people in XR social media as Sam Watts explains how indie devs can utilise games as a public awareness vertical without treating work for hire as a negative studio survival requirement at 15:40. Speaker Profile 
  • And we close the conference with the last session at 16:40 with every forward-thinking XR professionals hot topics of the moment; how artificial intelligence and blockchain will affect the way the medium develops. Flag’s Boo Aguilar will discuss cognitive and immersive technologies’ potential as a blank canvas to augment our minds and help humankind transcend and evolve.

 

Access to every one of these sessions - as well as those in Pocket Gamer Connects and PC Connects - is included in the cost of your ticket.

 

About XR Connects London

More than 500 XR delegates will gather at The Brewery on the 22nd and 23rd January for XR Connects London. Over the two days of the event, there will be 50 expert speakers addressing the key issues for the VR, AR and MR industry, from global trends and new tech to monetisation. Tickets are selling fast, so don’t miss out – get yours now!


Managing Editor

Steve is an award-winning editor and copywriter with nearly 25 years’ experience specialising in consumer technology and video games. He was part of a BAFTA nominated developer studio. In addition to editing TheVirtualReport.biz, Steve contributes to BeyondGames.biz, PocketGamer.biz, PCGamesInsider.biz and BlockchainGamer.biz, as well as creating marketing content for a range of SMEs and agencies.