NZ Virtual Reality Changing the Global Sporting Experience
Part of International Showcase of the Mainstreaming of Vr/Ar
AUCKLAND, 19-20 MAY
Auckland, May 12, 2016 – Free access tickets have been snapped up but premium 360 Access tickets are still available for the MAGNIFY VR & AR South Pacific Summit.
Some of the world’s top developers and brands will showcase new technologies, brand activations, interactive
environments and entertainment at the immersive technology event, presented by Air New Zealand. Air New Zealand has
partnered with Magnify to bring industry leaders in immersive technology to New Zealand audiences as part of the Air New
Zealand Inspiring Voices speaker series initiative.
Immersive technology is seen by many as crossing over into the mass market, with its applications ranging from
advertising, media, education, tourism, medicine and real estate.
The first-of-its-kind MAGNIFY conference will focus – through interactive workshops, panel discussions and
demonstrations – on the practical application of virtual and augmented reality hardware, software, applications and
services for the consumer and business markets. Coverage traverses usage in games, advertising and brand activation,
journalism, television, film and business applications.
The event features international and local speakers, including New Zealand tech innovator Ian Taylor, founder of Dunedin
computer graphics design and production company Animation Research Ltd (ARL). ARL covers sports events all over the
world, ranging from yachting to golf to F1 racing. ARL’s sports division, Virtual Eye is a benchmark example of New
Zealand’s creative and technological impact at the interactive industry’s forefront.
Virtual Eye has worked with the America’s Cup for over 20 years. It brought last weekend’s America’s Cup action, which
Team New Zealand won, to a global audience through the official app - ARL’s Virtual Eye race viewer, and TV broadcast.
The broadening of virtual / augmented reality, as it surges away from the techie side stream, is seen by many experts as
tied to content, versus just hardware. Ian Taylor said:
“We’re doing a lot at the moment with 360, as in the America’s Cup and golf. The possibilities, the experience, it goes
beyond what people imagine. VR puts you in a truly privileged position, from standing at the tee with the golf players
to being like the 12th man on the yacht, that seat you pay tens of thousands of dollars for. You are right there,
tasting the action. Exciting stuff lies ahead if you tell a good story. It’s about telling really good stories and
transforming the experience. You can’t just tell any story and make it about the VR. I will be on the panel at MAGNIFY
talking about the power of it and sharing real-life examples. I’m passionate about showing the possibilities of this
technology.”
Talking around the America’s Cup, Ian Taylor added, “What’s cool is NZ-designed technology is changing the space. Kiwis
are at the forefront and it makes sense that this is the next step. The interactive coverage is being produced by Kiwis
in New York.”
There will be a number of interactive exhibitions at MAGNIFY which will allow attendees to experience VR and AR for
themselves. Exhibitors include New Zealand author James Russell and his Dragon Brother’s Trilogy of children’s books,
Reality Virtual’s showcase photogrammetry (extrapolating a 3D realistic virtual view from hundreds of 2D images) of the
Sky Tower, Bend VR’s custom bespoke cardboard headsets and the opportunities for brand activations with this product.
Samsung – a key innovator in virtual reality and wearable technology - will be demonstrating the latest in virtual
reality with Gear VR headsets, Galaxy S7 smartphones and the soon to be launched Gear 360 camera - making virtual
reality and 360 degree content easier to create, share and view than ever before.
The MAGNIFY event is part of TechWeek Auckland, taking place at The Idea Collective, MOTAT, over 19th and 20th May. It
is presented by Air New Zealand. Gold sponsors are SKYCITY and SweeneyVesty. Silver Sponsors include ATEED, Tech Week,
Sensorium, Staples Rentals and MOTAT. Bronze Sponsors include Auckland Whale & Dolphin Safari, Media Design School, BendVR, City ON, Ames Institute of IT, Animation College, The Cut on Federal and
Dragon Brothers Books.
360 Access VIP MAGNIFY tickets can be purchased at magnifyworld.com. The VIP tickets provide:
An exclusive meet and greet reception with all speakers
Listing of your company as a featured participant on the Magnify website
Assistance on setting up business meetings with speakers and attendees
Invitation to the post event, Saturday networking cruise
Extra invite for a guest of your choice to the meet and greet
Preferential seating at Magnify events
20% off any event tickets for the rest of year
Event Speakers:
• Catherine Patterson (New York), Manager Y’s global interactive / experiential / digital group Y’s Director of Interactive & Activation.
• Barry Sandrew Ph.D. (Los Angeles), founder of Legend3D, leading 2D to 3D conversion and visual effects.
• Mark Frieser (New York), Magnify Conference Co-Founder, Founder of SyncSummit, global presenter and moderator to the
Entertainment industry/Hollywood.
• Guy Norris (Australia), Stunt Coordinator, known for his work on Mad Max: Fury Road, The Lord of the Rings: The
Fellowship of the Ring and Moulin Rouge.
• Matt Coleman (NZ), Magnify Conference Founder, Founder of Txstation and Let the People Speak.
Rohan Adarkar (NZ), Magnify Conference Co-Founder & Host, MD, Totally Different.
• Sonya Crosby (NZ), Chief Innovation Officer at SKYCITY Auckland and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
• Ian Taylor (NZ), tech innovator who is launching the America’s Cup VR application. Founder of computer graphics
company Animation Research.
• Aliesha Staples (NZ), Producer / Director of Staples Rentals and Staples VR, a Kiwi virtual reality content creation
company.
• Jens Hertzum (NZ), Executive Creative Director for TVNZ Blacksand.
• Jamie Telford (NZ), Game Development Lecturer for the Media Design School.
• Frances Morton (NZ), editor of VICE, the online den for nefarious activities, investigative journalism and other
documentaries.
• Trish Sherson (NZ), Director Sherson Willis Public Relations / Journalist/ Current Affairs Producer and Political
Secretary in past lives.
• Dallas Gurney (NZ), General Manager Group Content Marketing – NZME.
• John Minty (NZ), Owner of Splore Music Festival.
• Danuskha Abeysuriya (NZ), CEO / CTO – Rush Digital Interactive.
• John Gregory (Sydney), Chief Business Officer for Proxi VR.
• Harrison Norris (Sydney), Founder, Proxi VR.
• Roy Davies (NZ), Co-Founder / CTO Imersia.
• Paul Leonis (Los Angeles), Founder / CEO for ClearFiction.
• Andy Higgs (NZ), Co-Founder – City On.
• James Russell (NZ), author of The Dragon Brothers Trilogy of children’s books.
• Adam Berry (NZ), Chairman and Executive Director of Animation College New Zealand Ltd.
• Leon Kirkbeck (NZ), Managing Director, Augusto
• Todd Selwyn (NZ), Head of Product Samsung NZ
More information can be found at the event’s website at http://magnifyworld.com or www.airnzinspiringvoices.co.nz.
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ENDS