Though we may be socially distant, we can find new ways to connect in these challenging times. COVID-19 gave the World Summit on Digital Built Environment, WDBE, a reason to redefine itself and share a new virtual event experience. Taking place September 29-30, Virtual WDBE 2020 will use a combination of Unreal Engine and Zoan’s virtual event platform to transport attendees in real-time to “Illusion City”, a digital environment inspired by Helsinki and Tallinn.
During the first lockdown, the organising team of the WDBE summit decided to shift all of its events online and started looking for new collaborators at the forefront of the digital built environment. In a week, the first draft of an entirely virtual WDBE summit was produced with the help of the leading VR studio in Europe, Zoan. Featured in Forbes and Business Insider, Helsinki attracted over 1 million spectators with a live concert production featuring Finnish rap duo JVG, who performed in a virtual version of the city created by Zoan.
With the help from Unreal Engine, the WDBE summit platform will use pixel streaming technology to morph into an immersive free-roam Illusion City, which can be experienced in real-time, with any device during the 2 days of the summit. This is the first time in the world a business conference is fused with gaming technology to replicate and enhance the experience of learning, knowledge sharing and networking. It also brings us closer to being a more sustainable alternative to traditional conferences.
