The Augmented World Expo (AWE) is celebrating its 15th anniversary by moving to Long Beach from Silicon Valley. With over 500 speakers on 15 tracks over three days, accompanied by an expo with over 300 exhibitors, the event is set to be a breakthrough for the XR industry. Executive Director Ori Inbar expects the event to reflect the industry’s rich history, its strong present state, and a promising future.
AWE is known for capturing the zeitgeist in the tech industry, with past years focusing on topics like the Metaverse and Mixed Reality. This year, the hot topic is expected to be AI and how it will converge with XR and wearables. The conference agenda is ambitious, featuring 200 keynotes and panels with over 500 speakers on fifteen tracks across nine stages. A special emphasis has been placed on diversity, with nearly half of the panelists and speakers being women.
Speakers at the Long Beach conference include industry pioneers like Palmer Lucky, founder of Oculus and Anduril, and game design legend Jesse Schell. AR illusionist Marco Tempest is set to perform a live show that combines AI tools to create dynamic content on the fly, reanimating 17th century mathematician Ada Lovelace. AWE is celebrating its 15th year with historical and education presentations, an XR history museum, and the XR Hall of Fame, which inducted its first cohort consisting of 101 industry leaders last month.
The AWE playground, an immersive exhibition space at the show, offers unique experiences such as a demo of Wilkins Avenue AR’s musical for the Apple Vision Pro, and Cameron Kostopoulos’ art piece about gender and identity. Auggie Awards are given in 19 categories at AWE, with three additional awards for Best in Show, Startup to Watch, and the Awesome Award for audacious concepts. The event aims to showcase the latest innovations in the XR industry and provide a platform for networking and learning for industry professionals.
Despite the technical nature of the presentations, AWE is considered essential for anyone in the XR industry, offering a comprehensive view of the latest trends and technologies. The event attracts over 6,000 participants, including industry leaders and innovators, making it a must-attend conference for those involved in XR and immersive technology. AWE’s move to Long Beach signifies the industry’s growth and the increasing importance of events like these in shaping the future of XR.
