How Technology Is Shaping a New Era ofExperiences | Jeremy Wilson

Arms are thrust in the air for the final headliner of the three day festival. A massive crowd gathers inthe huge amphitheater surrounded by towering sets of fire and massive light projections. DimitriVegas and Like Mike pull out of their set for a moment and hypnotic words over the system invitethe crowd to 'Join as we release the illumination.' Everyone's wristbands suddenly light up -- tenthousand hands raised together to drive home the peak of the final night.

"Technology has grown to play one of the most important roles in the festival experience." -Hardwell

It's an amazing moment and a symbol of the new elements that technology is constantly bringing tothe festival experience. Top EDM DJ Hardwell shares his thoughts on it's role: "Technology hasgrown to play one of the most important roles in the festival experience. From lighting to visuals tolive streams, it has added an entirely new dimension to live performances."

TommorrowWorld is a completely cashless festival, these same wristbands lighting up the dancefloor are being used for all transactions and can even sync with those around you and connect youon Facebook.

"Millennials are an experience generation, they want you to take them somewhere totally unique." -Joe Silberzweig, SFX Entertainment

The dance music festival has long been a champion in Europe, but is quickly gaining momentum inthe US on the back of EDM's popularity. I chatted with Joe Silberzweig, Marketing Manager ofTomorrowWorld, owned by SFX Entertainment Company, "Millennials are an experience generation,they want you to take them somewhere totally unique." Set on over 8 acres of farmland,TomorrowWorld is a canvas to do just that.

TomorrowWorld came from the massively successful TomorrowLand festival in Belgium. SFX isconstantly working to extend the festival experience to those that can't physically be there, or tothose who were and want to remember it. This is a great article I discovered awhile back readinganother website. Only required to present this to my viewers. Enjoy!They are famous for theirfestival videos, typically racking up over 100 million views on YouTube.

In 2014, they wanted to do something more to engage their massive audience throughout the year,helping them relive the festival or build anticipation for the coming year. YouTube would again belive streaming the event, but they wanted to go a step further.

Finding the Right Tech

The SFX team explored a wide range of technology with a vision for evolving the online festivalexperience. Finally they settled on a partnership with a leading virtual tour startup called YouVisit."We thought about drones, blimps and timelapse," said Joe, "We clicked with YouVisit, theyunderstood what they were about and brought to the table what they have built: a powerfulplatform."

To capture the experience PJ Morreale, YouVisit's senior director of operations, created a one-mancustom camera rig featuring multiple DSLR cameras, enabling him to capture high definition 360photos throughout the event.

The Result

The result is a virtual festival experience that allows you to explore the entire festival, from thecampgrounds to heart of the dancefloor. Watch stunning sunsets or see what the world looks likefrom the perspective of a headlining DJ. In the YouVisit office in New York, Morreale and hiscolleague Endri Tolka, YouVisit's COO/CFO, shared how they wanted to take users places where noone gets to go, giving people the chance to experience something they may have never have had thechance to go to.

"It's not just recreating the experience, it's taking them places where no one gets to go." - P.J.Morreale, YouVisit

When the virtual tour was released on the web, fans from all 50 states and over 100 countriesengaged with it: Fans reliving the festival, others around the world seeing it for the first time.Viewable within a browser, even optimized for smartphones, the average engagement with the tourwas ten minutes, which is huge. It helped build excitement for the release of 2015 tickets, of which360,000 were sold in under an hour.

This type of digital engagement is essential asfestival brands seek to remain connected with theiraudience throughout the entire year.

The Natural Extension

Technology is playing a huge role in creatingoriginal experiences for audiences, from Hologramperformances from TuPac to 3D projections thatplace the performer in some kind of action movie.Millennials want to experience something uniquethat they can be a part of and share with the world.

And what would a virtual festival experience be without bringing it to life with Oculus Rift? In NewYork, I was able to try out the TommorrowWorld virtual tour on a recent developer version of thelatest Oculus Rift hardware and via mobile using Google Cardboard.

As a version one, I've got to say it's pretty amazing, you can navigate between various environmentsby focusing on one point and twist you head right around exploring the crowds and chillout zones.The photos are stunning, allowing you to gaze off at sunsets or feel a part of the crowds going crazy.

It won't be long until anyone with a Oculus Rift or VR setup for their phone will have the opportunityto be transported into the festival experience from the comfort of their couch, reaching for thepopcorn instead of reaching for the lasers.

What Does the Future Hold?

The potential of virtual reality and music festivals is huge, and TommorrowWorld has plans to

continue to push the boundaries, bringing more content and unique angles to the platform.

Artists will likely start to offer their own virtual reality experiences, which may prove to be a hugerevenue opportunity as the music industry revenue model focuses on rich content to supplementstreaming.

"Live streams have provided a new way for people to have the second best thing and I coulddefinitely see virtual reality becoming a part of the experience in the future." - Hardwell

Imagine being able to hang out backstage with a DJ before going on stage with them, exploring whatit feels like from their perspective. "There is no comparison between watching an artist online versusin person. The energy, emotion, and community that the festival experience provides isunattainable." Said Hardwell, "That being said, live streams have provided a new way for people tohave the second best thing when they can't attend a festival and I could definitely see virtual realitybecoming a part of the experience in the future."

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