Welcome to exchange where we discuss what’s next for intentional experience design with expert change agents. This season focuses on demystifying the Metaverse and explaining how the foundations of this emerging reality will change how we all come together. In this podcast summary, we’re visiting with change agent, Anne-Marie Enns, Executive Producer of the Immerse Global Summit, Global Events Director for the VR/AR Association and the Immerse Growth Network.
Does the Metaverse exist?
The lowercase “m” metaverses [miniverses] are already there. The capital “M” Metaverse, no, but it will happen. It’s a matter of how the [miniverses] roll-out, how interactive, interchangeable they are.
The Metaverse players
“The key question is who’s going to do it. It’s going to be the small companies that have been working on the Metaverse for a long time, before Metaverse became a term (and large companies tried to plant their flags), that will make the Metaverse happen.”.
The creator economy, it’s going to be amazing to watch what happens with it.
Information will no longer be limited, consolidated
In Web 2 (the current version of the Internet), information is controlled by a few large organizations and simply distributed to the masses. Web 3 levels the playing field, supporting creative ownership for everyone. You own your content and control what happens to your content. The impact of what’s created will be much greater because of expanded accessibility and freedom of creativity.
Moving from consumption to experience
The metaverse is based on immersive technology grounded in intentional experience design. We’ve been working in the immersive tech space for awhile, but COVID helped make things happen more quickly. Immersive technology supports an amazing sense of community. There’s something welcoming about it. It gives people a chance to interact with others and to work on projects that they otherwise wouldn’t have. Metaverse platforms support relationships, providing the ability to collaborate in immersive, intentionally designed environments. It’s easily accessible for everyone. Interactive, experience-driven spaces are replacing consumption-based, content broadcast spaces.
The Metaverse supports creativity
It’s enjoyable [working in the Metaverse]. For the first time, you can share in creating part of history, and it’s super fun. That’s awesome. It’s great to have the freedom and openness to try new things.
Where does work/life intersect with the Metaverse?
The Metaverse has to be inspiring. There has to be a balance. You can build workspaces that have an element of fun. You have the design flexibility to do subtle things to make workspaces more personal and comfortable.
When the capital “M” Metaverse is realized, what will we have gained?
It’s about connection, community, and openness. The ability to be truly diverse and inclusive in what we’re doing rather than just saying so. it’s our opportunity to design for people.
The best part of the Metaverse is or will be?
Bringing together global communities of people in really creative, fun ways – having them work together, create together, design together, and play together.
What could hold back the Metaverse from being fully realized or even derailed?
People trying to control it, own it. There’s a lot of different groups trying to define the ethics, the rules and the laws. it’s already delaying it as you segment the market.
What’s missing in digital communication right now that the Metaverse will add?
The sense of being there, seeing people, feeling like you can touch people. Some of the experiences that are available now, you actually feel like you’re in them. The emotion is real, you get lost in it.
What would it take for people to want to work, even partially, in a Metaverse setting?
The environment has to be easily accessible, the navigation needs to be easy, it must be visually appealing, and it has to be inspiring.
What’s a positive change that could come to the world from the adoption of the Metaverse?
The digital footprint, not having as much of a physical footprint.
What should people keep their eyes open for as the Metaverse matures?
It’ll be fun to see what experiences and what worlds come out of unexpected places.
Listen to the podcast.
Guest Bio – Anne-Marie Enns
Anne-Marie Enns has produced events with world-class organizations such as the VR/AR Association, NCFA, TED Conferences, Honda Celebration of Light, CANFAR, White Ribbon Campaign, and Archiact. Enns is also the Executive Producer of the Immerse Global Summit, which brings together leaders in the immersive space to create and share content on topics such as virtual and augmented reality, the metaverse, blockchain, NFT’s, AI, medical advancements, education, and enterprise.
About Allseated
Backed by more than a decade of innovation, Allseated sets the standard in 3D virtual reality solutions and digital experiences for the events industry. Allseated powers virtual and hybrid events for some of the world’s leading corporations. In 2022, the company launched Meetaverse, a platform that makes it easy to build corporate metaverses. Allseated.com.
