Immersive Tech Week (ex-VRDays) returns to Rotterdam at the end of November, its new home since the 2022 edition. A post-Covid revival that also marks the confirmation of one of the biggest forums dedicated to immersive technologies in Europe, all industries combined. With an artistic and cultural selection, the Church of VR, and the hosting of a European awards ceremony, the VR Awards, “ITW” 2023 has no shortage of content! Here’s an overview with founder Benjamin de Wit.
https://www.immersivetechweek.co
November 28 – December 1, 2023 (Rotterdam, de Doelen)
20% dedicated discount code on Week and/or Day passes if you use: “XRMust20”!
From VRdays to Immersive Tech Week
Benjamin de Wit – Immersive Tech Week, which we imagined several years ago as an evolution of VRDays (a similar event created back in 2015 in Amsterdam), has had several lives due to the pandemic. 2023 is undoubtedly our first complete edition, in the sense that the immersive industry as a whole is now fully relaunched, and market signals are reinstalling a form of confidence that will be present during our 4 days of discussion and exhibition. And our approach, accentuated by the fact that we’re hosting the event in a new city and a new venue, is a step in the right direction.
B. de W. – We suffered a little last year from the metaverse / NFT “hype”, which were good marketing arguments for discussing our XR topics in general – but somewhat masking the real rise of VR, AR or MR. And yet, the growth of our sectors is real! We’re past that, and back to the basics. The arrival of new headsets, new manufacturers, and fascinating projects is very exciting for everyone. And will hopefully leave the skeptics behind!
B. de W. – But we want to do more all year round, including supporting start-ups and project leaders, as we do through our European partnerships (Impulse) and other initiatives. The ideal is to support the emergence of new talents and new services. Our team has grown and strengthened, and I hope to be able to work on these subjects much more quickly. Artificial intelligence, avatars… There are also elements of the market that complement our questions, our conferences and so on. And it’s very interesting to be able to offer our community a real forum for exchange on all these topics.
A real look at the evolution of XR
B. de W. – At the heart of our 2023 edition, we also want to ask the question of our responsibility in the development of these new technologies. How do we view the eco-responsibility and sustainable development of our XR-related industries? The question of helmet recycling and production, the eco-production of projects… We’ll be talking about this, with the aim of launching a long-term, cross-disciplinary debate. These are obviously subjects that raise a number of issues.
B. de W. – We’re lucky enough to welcome a very diverse audience (from over 60 countries): artists, companies, students… We try to please everyone, motivate creation and create business. But at the heart of it all, there’s still a lot of teaching to be done, and a critical look at what’s going on in each industry around XR subjects. We want to create a kind of serendipity around immersive technologies.
B. de W. – Being at the heart of Europe is a real opportunity. There’s a real European scene that’s very stimulating for everyone. At the same time, we need to see the emergence of real champions who can pull the market upwards, for greater stability. We can also see the emergence of cultural industries more involved in XR, and this year the Netherlands are particularly present. We hope to bear witness to all this at each of our editions.
https://www.immersivetechweek.co
On the Creative side of Immersive Tech Week
Sessions
- Envisioning Immersive Spaces: Bridging Art, Technology, and Audience Engagemen, curated by Monique van Dusseldorp – Senior Programme Adviser, ITW
- Building Future Worlds: Futurism as Activism, curated by Karen Palmer – Storyteller from the Future
- Shaping the Future: Women in the Evolution of Gaming XR, organised by ICEX
- Funding Opportunities in Europe’s Immersive Landscape, Presented in Collaboration with Creative Europe Desks Netherlands and Luxembourg
- GAME OVER, IMMERSION! But what’s next?, curated by Ulrich Schrauth – Artistic Director, VRHAM! Festival Virtual Reality & Arts
- Empowering European Creators: A Strategic Vision for Innovation and New Media Distribution, curated by Sönke Kirchhof – CEO/Executive Producer, INVR.SPACE GmbH
- The future of Immersive: A collection of Dutch XR Projects, curated by Suzanne Visser – Board Member, Dutch Digital Design
- Creators Lab Performance : Transcending SpaceTime Realities, StudioBiscoe together with researchers and students from Ian Biscoe’s Trans Realities Lab at Design Academy Eindhoven
- AI Ethics & Creative Production: A fishbowl conversation,
Roundtables
- Ctrl+S: Don’t forget to back-up your immersive experience!, organised by Camille Francoise – Product Manager Research & Heritage – New Media, The Netherlands Institute for Sound & Vision
- Responsible XR: Open and interoperable design, in collaboration with Euromersive, Rathenau Instituut, and TNO
