Virtual Reality or VR has been around as long as the Pentium microprocessor. However, for most of its existence, the term proved to be a hype.
It is only in the past five years that VR has begun to emerge from the shadows. This is primarily due to more powerful processors with numerous cores becoming cheap and affordable.
VR based games such as Skyrim have become blockbusters. The wrap around headsets used to play VR are available for a few hundred dollars.
New applications of VR in surgery and pilot training are also scaling up gradually.
We can safely say that VR and AR (Augmented Reality) have finally come of age.
As the industry progresses, there are a plethora of events every year where the latest games, gadgets, and headsets are showcased. We have compiled a list of the must-attend VR Events 2020.
Best VR Events 2020 That You Can’t Afford To Miss
International Conference on Virtual Reality, February 8th-10th
The 6th edition of this summit will be held in Singapore. The International Research Conference is dedicated to bringing together the foremost academics and researchers in the field. Scientists and scholars exchange views on every aspect of this emerging field. It also serves to identify trends and produces the framework for industry standards.
Tribeca Film Festival, April 15th-26th
The most well-known film festival for indie filmmakers is also where new rendering technology is showcased. It is expected that films will be a significant arena impacted by VR. Last year the New York-based festival had two VR based events. In 2020 more will likely be on offer from the event participants.
Laval Virtual, April 22nd-26th
Laval Virtual has been around for two decades. Its purpose is to inform and engage the user community of VR and display new technology on offer. There is not only the unveiling of new gadgets that makes it an attractive proposition, but those who made substantial contributions to immersive VR and AR in the past 12 months are felicitated.
XR Europe, April 28th-29th
It is expected to bring together more than 300 topmost executives in VR and AR from entertainment, films, and gaming. They will spell out the most exciting developments, and the new hardware we can expect in a few years. There will also be a discussion on the adoption of VR by new industries that would increase revenue.
F8, May 5th
Facebook Developers Conference at San Jose California has become the place to hear about the latest VR and AR tech. Mark Zuckerberg has bet big on VR, and gradually Facebook is expected to integrate the technology they have acquired from Oculus, a leading VR display firm, which they purchased in 2014, by the end of this year. The virtual reality workshop is expected to show a roadmap of how Facebook would allow VR to work on its platform.
Microsoft Build, May 19th-21st
The Redmond giant will be holding its annual build conference at Seattle. On offer will be the vision of the road ahead, as seen by Microsoft. It offers a chance to engage with a community of the most brilliant developers and understand the trends for the future.
VRTO, June 6th-8th
This will be the 5th year of the Virtual & Augmented Reality World Conference & Expo. Held in Toronto, this meet invites everyone in any field from psychologists to game developers to chip in with their thoughts about the future of VR. Unlike most other events, it is not dominated by creative types and software engineers and instead stresses on intermixing of views from eclectic disciplines.
Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference, June exact date TBD
San Jose will also host the Apple WWDC. It is usually sold out well in advance, so be ready to book your seat. With the VR industry slated to touch $100 billion over the next five years, the Cupertino tech giant is expected to make big announcements about a VR device soon. Besides, at WWDC 2019, there were lots of upgrades to iOS that allowed Apple-made AR technologies like ARkit to be used. Expect the WWDC virtual reality workshop attended by the best engineers to be engaging and lively.
VR & AR World, June 10th-11th
Held in London, the event is expected to be the launchpad of several new gizmos. There would be at least 2000 participants, and most will be looking for new hardware and software to integrate into their products. It is also considered as a prime arena for pitching new products and ideas about virtual reality to investors.
Mobile World Congress, June 30th-July 2nd
Held at dazzling Shanghai, this will be the most prominent coming out event after CES in early January. Mobile phones are where the most impressive developments of VR are happening. Get ready to mingle with a hundred thousand attendees and look for announcements and product launches from 500 exhibitors. This will be the year’s biggest gala as far as VR goes.
World XR Forum, September exact date TBD
Held at Crans-Sur-Sierre, Switzerland, it will be the venue for developers and engineers to meet and discuss VR and AR. It is essential to attend if you are seeking new collaborators or looking to partner with new companies.
Upcoming VR Workshop in India
When the whole world is embracing VR and AR, India cannot be far behind. XROM, based in Mumbai, has sought to hold a VR workshop in India.
There is a severe talent crunch in this domain. That is why Virtual Reality Workshops in Schools play a major role in making young students more interested in this field. They are already acquainted with the world of VR due to their interests in gaming, and Virtual Reality Workshops in Schools would provide them with an understanding of the technology behind VR.
Conclusion
The VR and AR industry is at a tipping point. With better displays becoming cheaper and more processing horsepower, the next generation belongs not only to AI-based apps but also VR based ones.
To be in touch with tools and platforms needed to touch the future, make sure that you attend at least some of these VR events 2020.
Did we miss something? If you have any extra tips, please share them in the comments below.
