The Monterey Conference Center and Immersive Design Studios have introduced a state-of-the-art studio space for virtual and hybrid events. The company uses its enterprise-grade CANVAS software platform to power interactive experiences for entertainment, corporate, and education markets. The Monterey Conference Center is in talks with TED Conferences to incorporate the new system into its event after TED became impressed with the technology and is interested in the hybrid capabilities.
The CANVAS Studio at Monterey will offer a 10,000-square-foot space that will be open in June with all local safety protocols in place. The studio will be located on the second floor of the Monterey Conference Center within the Steinbeck Ballroom. It will be equipped with 360-degree wraparound screens coupled with Immersive Design Studios’ CANVAS software platform, allowing meeting and event speakers to see thousands of remote attendees on the screens at once, with the flexibility to zoom in on any individual at any point for spontaneous interactions. The bi-directional experience allows speakers to interact with a virtual audience, allowing attendees to feel immersed in the crowd from anywhere in the world.
The idea of putting the closed Conference Center to use was inspired by the Panetta Institute’s use of video conference technology at the conference center to keep its Leon Panetta Lecture Series running through the pandemic. The company did a demonstration for Phillips and the city of Monterey, but neither had the budget to move forward with the venture. So the idea of asking Immersive Design Studios to install something at the Monterey Conference Center to showcase its product to the conference center’s clients, customers, and Silicon Valley connections was hatched.
The Monterey Conference Center is set to open a CANVAS Studio, a state-of-the-art facility that will be free to the city and conference center. Immersive Design Studios, based in Montreal, will provide all equipment, setup, and tear down, as well as its own production team to run the studio. The studio is expected to be a significant selling point for attracting business and conference groups, which dropped about 70% due to the pandemic.
The studio will allow virtual and hybrid events to reach a larger audience and present to new markets around the globe using a fraction of the resources required for physical events. Hybrid events can accommodate up to 80 guests in person, while thousands more tune in virtually. Teresa Savage, Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau vice president of business development, said offering hybrid meetings for groups at the Monterey Conference Center and other area hotels is the first step to providing meeting planners with a solution to cautiously get back to business.
The CANVAS Studio at Monterey will be one of the only studios of its kind anywhere in the U.S. that caters to corporate groups and conventions. The studio has supported the Worre Studios in Las Vegas, which launched the Virtual Go Pro event that drew over 40,000 attendees. It also lists several sports franchises such as the Golden State Warriors among its clients and partners.
The CANVAS Studio could generate about $120,000 for the Monterey Conference Center this year. Co-founder and President of Immersive Design Studios, Kora Van den Bulcke, expressed excitement to bring CANVAS to the Monterey Conference Center, a destination where innovative ideas flourish.
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