Participate. Don't just watch.

Augmented reality, interactive displays, large projections: Events need immersive technologies. According to a recent study, more than half of event visitors in Europe want this. Retailers should also keep an eye on this development: Because this is how you win customers.

How popular are immersive technologies such as large projections, interactive displays, holograms or virtual and augmented reality with event visitors? This question was asked by the study „The Experiential Future“, commissioned by Epson. The result: More than half (59 percent) of all visitors to events in Europe want to do more than just watch – they want to actively participate.

Would change their shopping behavior when more immersion is offered

For the study, the market research company Arlington Research interviewed 9,750 people from 26 countries between the ages of 16 and 65. Within the past 12 months, they had all attended an event on a drop-down list presented to them.

Especially people between the ages of 24 and 39, the so-called Millennials, like events to participate in. More than two thirds of the respondents in this age group had attended an event featuring immersive technologies. However, the respective share was not enough for them. In their opinion, even today not enough immersive elements are used at events.

The Millenials are missing technologies that allow them to participate.

More than a quarter of the respondents aged up to 39 years have even attended an event abroad for this reason. Among the older Generation X, the figure was still 23 percent, and among the baby boomers 21 percent. Overall, the study thus encourages companies to invest in immersive technologies. As the trend can be seen across all generations.

The future is experience-driven

These results can be transferred from the leisure and event industry to the retail sector. Retailers who make clever use of immersive technologies such as gamification, projection mapping and virtual or augmented reality, surprise their customers, create an experience, delight them – and gain a competitive edge. Brand customer loyalty increases.

Customer experiences that trigger strong emotions create a close connection to a brand.

In fact, more intense experiences would make 75 percent of those surveyed change their shopping behavior. This includes visiting a store that they would otherwise not enter.

Unique digital elements play an important role here. Younger generations in particular no longer want to show off their purchases, but rather share pictures of unique experiences with their friends.

The study also shows that once a person has been won over by an event, he or she tends to return to it. Retail could therefore not only win new customers, but also delight them time and again.

Would visit events involving strong emotions again

Prefer high experiential value