Nextech AR Expands AR Wayfinding Into the Event Space

Augmented reality (AR) use at conferences and business events has been limited and can often be gimmicky, and consumer products like AR glasses have yet to take off. However, the technology has immense potential and there are real, practical use cases that can be implemented with just a smartphone to enhance the event experience for attendees.

Nextech AR has powered various AR activations at events over the past few years and is now launching wayfinding and navigation into the events space through its subsidiary ARway, an augmented reality spatial mapping platform.

Clients of ARway and self-serve event management platform Map D will now have access to a complete event management package that includes AR wayfinding. Nextech AR notes that this technology is useful for expos, trade, shows, and conferences, or “anywhere large groups of people come together in a flexible space.” Importantly, it doesn’t require any coding or programming.

AR wayfinding adds value to event management software by providing “wayfinding meta maps, engaging spatial experiences, and deep location intelligence,” according to the company. Very few people have more advanced tech like AR glasses, but you’d be hard pressed to find an event attendee without a smartphone, making this use of AR very practical and feasible in today’s world.

This technology has been gaining ground at different types of events this year, with Live Nation and Snap recently partnering to bring new capabilities to fans at festivals and other live events through their smartphones, including a feature to find their friends and discover landmarks around the event. Nextech also recently deployed its wayfinding system at the Restaurants Canada RC Show 2022.

This is one of the first integrations of AR wayfinding with event software, but it definitely won’t be the last, and it will be interesting to see how this technology continues to evolve, particularly in the B2B space which has been slow to adopt new technologies.