Entertainment is no longer a spectator sport. Event attendees today want to take part in the fun. And with the rising popularity of immersive entertainment, they can. More of an experience than a performance, immersive entertainment transforms your event into an adventure.
Immersive entertainment transforms attendees into explorers rather than mere observers. And like all explorers, attendees come away from an immersive experience changed in some way. It’s that seed of personal growth, no matter how small, that makes this type of entertainment unforgettable. And that’s why immersive entertainment is a surefire way NYC event planners can create memorable events.
What Is Immersive Event Entertainment?
At its most basic, immersive entertainment encourages attendees to “lean in” rather than “lean back” during the entertainment experience. In this sense, immersive entertainment engages attendees in a way that old-school entertainment doesn’t.
Put another way, while old-school entertainment is sometimes relegated to background noise, immersive entertainment demands the audience’s full attention. Immersive entertainment engulfs the senses, while everything else is reduced to a backdrop.
Immersive event entertainment exists on a spectrum. It can mean music that reverberates and mimics the sound quality found in the world’s top venues, such as BMW’s Opera for All events in Melbourne. Or it can be a multi-technological extravaganza, such as the immersive Van Gogh exhibits popping up in cities across the country.
Immersive Entertainment Strategies for Events
While immersive entertainment comes in many forms, it always overdelivers. It transports event attendees to another world and creates unforgettable experiences. But achieving the transportive heights that make immersive event options a not-to-be-forgotten experience takes a bit of know-how.
Get Your Attendees Involved
Attendee engagement is the hallmark of immersive event entertainment. Whether they’re getting their bearings in a 3D projection mapping experience or they’re trying out new products in a VR experience, these types of entertainment gives attendees something that lights up their brains in new and exciting ways.
A great example that gets attendees involved is Monopoly Lifesized in London. The makers of the classic board game created life-sized boards and incorporated tech for a wildly entertaining and immersive experience. The cutting-edge techy style of gameplay made the beloved, yet old-timey, game relevant and exciting to a new generation.
Align With Your Client’s Brand
Regardless of how showstopping your event entertainment is, it should always shine the light back on your client’s brand. After all, it isn’t enough for your entertainment to be unforgettable. A primary goal for your event is to make your client’s brand memorable.
BMW’s Opera for All series does a great job of highlighting the brand’s reputation for luxury and sophistication. By taking a symbol of affluence—opera performances—and distributing it for free, BMW lets everyday people imagine their lives with similar symbols of wealth, such as luxury cars.
Tell a Story With Immersive Entertainment
By using immersive entertainment to tell a story about your client’s brand, you’re creating an emotional connection between the attendees and the brand. The positive emotions you illicit translate into brand loyalty.
Adidas’s Ozworld experience tells the story of its users’ favorite subject: themselves. Users create an avatar, but not one based on physical characteristics. Instead, the avatars of Ozworld are an expression of users’ unique personalities. The storytelling component of Ozworld stokes all the right feels: joy, self-acceptance, and inspiration.
Throw Out the Rule Book When It Comes to Immersive Options
The appeal of immersive event entertainment is that you’re giving your guests a one-of-a-kind experience. To deliver a singular experience they’ll find nowhere else, you need to think outside of the box.
The good thing is that someone out there has already come up with the extraordinary immersive experience that is ideal for your event. NYC event planners are in an especially good place to deliver a phenomenal and uncommon immersive experience. Here are some ideas to get you started.
- Color Factory NYC will give your guests the opportunity to roll around in a ball pit or play in a confetti room.
- Shot of Art will provide your guests with everything they need for an explosion of free-style painting.
- Unarthodox will give your attendees the chance to sculpt while blindfolded or paint intuitively while immersed in 3D projection art.
- Air Fair Entertainment will make your guests feel like kids again with their assortment of obstacle courses, bounce houses, and giant yard games.
- Augment Reality Rental will create a customized AR experience for your event attendees.
- Lighthouse Immersive will create an unforgettable experience using art, music, and 3D projection mapping.
Boost Your Brand As NYC’s Maven of Immersive Experience Events
Immersive event entertainment is the future of NYC events. Give your event attendees an adventure rather than a performance. Engulf their senses, engage their minds, and plant the seed for an expanded view of themselves and the world.
Then, lock in your reputation as NYC’s expert in immersive event entertainment when you exhibit at The Event Planner Expo 2025. Book your booth today!
