InfoComm Organizing AV Experience Tours To Show Latest Wow Factor Projects In Las Vegas

April 6, 2022 by Dave Haynes

It has likely been at least a couple of years since many digital signage industry people have made a trade show pilgrimage to Las Vegas, and a whole bunch of interesting visual experiences have been lit up over that time.

That makes the case alone for a series of “Integrated Experience Tours” being organized by AVIXA during June’s InfoComm trade show in Vegas – with guided and behind the scenes tours of some of the more ambitious and intriguing projects that have come on stream since the pandemic started and trade show travel ground to a halt.

Some of the sites could be checked out independently,  but the tours also include some places the grey-haired or disappearing-haired crowd are less likely to just come across in their after-hours activities – specifically nightclubs. The tours include the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Arcadia Earth, Resorts World Las Vegas, Illuminarium Experiences, Las Vegas nightclubs, and Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart and AREA15.

“The week of InfoComm allows you to explore pro AV solutions from many vantage points – talking with experts, seeing the technology up close, and experiencing the pro AV installations in the real world,” says Rochelle Richardson, the SVP of Expositions and Events for AVIXA. “This year’s tours will showcase remarkable pro AV in a wide range of environments around Las Vegas – from nightclubs to art installations to classrooms. We’re excited for attendees to find inspiration from these exciting sights.”

The UNLV tour is focused on educational technology, but here are the tours that dig into visual experiences:

• Experiential Artist and Founder of Arcadia Earth Valentino Vettori will lead a behind-the-scenes look at the technology used to create the immersive storytelling journey of the art installation Arcadia Earth. From motion picture projections and projection mapping to extended reality and laser technology, guests will experience the innovative uses of these tools in creating an emotional and impactful interaction with the climate challenges of our planet. The tour of Arcadia Earth takes place Tues., June 7, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• The tour of Resorts World Las Vegas will take attendees on a pro AV exploration of this new $4.3-billion property. Yago Pita Alvarez, Executive Director of Entertainment for Resorts World Las Vegas, will lead the tour of the Zouk Nightclub, Ayu Dayclub, theatre, outdoor screens, and much more. The tour takes place Tues., June 7, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• InfoComm 2022 will also host an exclusive tour of Illuminarium Experiences, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the world’s natural wonders, cultural moments, and beyond. This immersive experience is powered by 4K interactive projection, 360-degree audio, in-floor vibrations, and scent systems. Led by Calum Pearson, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Illuminarium Experiences, this tour takes place Wed., June 8, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
• A tour of Las Vegas nightclubs led by Gerardo Gonzalez, Senior Director, Technical Services for Tao Group Hospitality, will take attendees through JEWEL, Hakkasan, and Omnia to see how each showcases their style of audiovisual guest experiences, from automation to lights, visuals, and sound. Attendees will learn firsthand from the technicians that work with some of the top artists in the world. This tour is set for Wed., June 8 from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• In addition, a tour of Omega Mart will take visitors inside the interactive art installation created by Meow Wolf, which features contributions from over 300 artists. It begins in what is ostensibly a supermarket, leading to a network of media-rich spaces and storytelling that comments on consumerism and corporate culture. The tour also looks at the technology that powers the Portal at AREA15, a 4K, 360-degree 3D floor-to-ceiling projection-mapped indoor event space. The tour, led by AREA15’s JD Bouck, Director of Production, and Jacob Roeber, Senior Production Manager, takes place Thurs., June 9, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For more information about the Integrated Experience Tours, visit www.infocommshow.org/education/tours.

It is one thing to just wander into, let’s say, the new Resorts World casino resort up past the Fashion Show shopping mall on the strip, and wander around to see things like its giant multimedia ball in a common area. It’s quite another to get the story behind it and what all is involved.

There are other upgrades and additions I will also want to check out one way or another, including the big LEDs in the lobbies of the LVCC expansion, the new Caesars Forum meeting center over by that ferris wheel, the huge poolside screen at Circa, the new sportsbooks around the strip (always adding bigger screens), the data-driven video walls in the Linq … and probably dozens of other things in a city where Wow Factor and Eye Candy are kings and queens.