IGS 2023: Orlando, the Home of XR Innovation

What a way to kick off Immerse Global Summit (IGS) 2023! This year is more significant than ever thanks to deep event partnerships, which boost IGS 2023 by showcasing local innovative technology talents from Orlando, Florida, while also bringing together some of the best international minds and companies in the AR/VR/MR space.  

For 2023, IGS is collaborating with Metacenter Global Week and Synapse to create a heightened event that presents more opportunities for its speakers, attendees, and exhibitors to meet face-to-face and drive tomorrow’s technology today.  

Starting the event was an inspiring introductory keynote hosted by David Barilla, Executive Director of Downtown Development Board/Community Redevelopment Agency and Jerry Demings, Mayor of Orange County, which saw the pair highlight why Orlando is the perfect location for the expanded IGS 2023 event.  

During the Keynote, David Barilla noted:  

Orlando is the Metacenter, as the leading region in the US that is building the Metaverse. In AR/VR, Orlando is the modelling and simulation training capital of the world, with more than $6 billion in contract work annually. AR/VR technology is at core of creating the Metaverse in Orlando.  

Moreover, Barilla highlighted the region’s historical excellence in supporting enterprise technology innovation, explaining how Orlando has been developing a “strong tech ecosystem for decades.” 

The Executive Director also added:  

We [Orlando, Florida] have globally recognised companies and organisations like Lockheed Martin, CENTCOM, Siemens, Deloitte, and NASA. They selected the region decades ago, and they continue to invest and expand here based on years of proven success.  

Mayor Demmings also highlighted how the Orlando region has recently accumulated more than six billion dollars via annual simulations-related contracts with companies such as Jet Blue and Lagos – “[the] Orange County simulation technology sector is driving innovation that is now having a global impact,” Demmings remarked.  

VRAR Association Continue to Lead XR Innovation, Collaboration, and Success  

However, despite grand investments from the Orlando region and its governmental bodies. The success of XR – or any emerging technology – also relies on its decision-makers, thought leaders, and communities.  

A famed group spearheading immersive technology innovation for enterprise and beyond is IGS 2023’s key organiser, the VRAR Association.  

Led by Nathan Pettyjohn, the CEO of Immerse Growth Network, Founder & President of VRAR Association, and Founder & President of Immerse Global Summit, the association network aims to drive technology innovation worldwide with chapters representing countless regions such as London, Hong Kong, and of course Orlando (with John Cunningham acting as chapter present for this region, helping to host IGS 2023).  

During the IGS 2023 opening keynote, Pettyjohn added: 

We [the VRAR Association] hold over 100 events per year when you include all of our chapters, but really, it’s about helping companies grow, helping companies learn and connect – bringing together a global community in partnership and that’s what we’re trying to embrace here today [at IGS 2023].  

IGS 2023 aims to provide a hotbed for global XR innovation, continuing its vision of hosting leading industry figures who offer core market insights via keynotes, speaker sessions, and demos that showcase emerging immersive technologies and solutions across the AR/VR/MR, Metaverse, and spatial computing spectrum. Moreover, day one provided countless valuable insights into the latest enterprise-ready XR use cases led by vendors and end-users. 

Be sure to keep up with XR Today across the following days to learn more about the rich learning experience for innovative business leaders that is IGS 2023.