TIFCA News

Taking place October 19-21, 2017 at the Ontario Science Centre, Immersed will deliver the most senior and sought after executive B2B access possible.  The Immersive Technology Alliance is very proud to reveal two additional speakers for Immersed 2017: Canada’s leading event for all things immersive.

Habib Zargarpour, Visual Effects Supervisor

Habib Zargarpour was most recently Visual Effects Consultant for Blade Runner 2049.  He is a repeat BAFTA Visual Effects Award Winner and a double Academy Award Nominee.  Mr. Zargarpour developed a Real Time Visual Effects system used in the Jungle Book and Ready Player One.  Sample films credited with his name include The Perfect Storm, Signs, The Bourne Identity, Star Wars: Episode I, Star Trek: First Contact, Twister, and countess more.   He was formerly Partner Director of Visuals at Microsoft Studios and was responsible for visuals across all Publishing titles for XBOX One, Windows, and Hololens.  He also had a tenured career at Electronic Arts. Read More

Frank Vitz, Creative Director Immersive Technology Team Advanced Micro Devices / Radeon Technology Group

Very excited to welcome Frank Vitz to the Immersed 2017 speakers list!  Over the course of decades, Frank has held esteemed titles like Vice-President of Production at Robert Abel and Associates, Creative Director for the Frostbite Development team at DICE, Creative Director at Crytek, and most recently Creative Director of the Immersive Technology Team at Advanced Micro Devices (AMD).

Mr. Vitz has been creating computer graphics, animation and visual effects since the early 1980’s and has esteemed credits on such films as Tron, Judge Dredd, X-Men One and Two, Stargate, and more. He has also worked in the location based entertainment business where he designed the visual effects for “The Adventures of Spider-Man” in Orlando, and “In Search of the Obelisk” for the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas. Just one of the developments he is famous for is inventing the transformation effects used for the Mystique character in the X-Men movies. Read More

Neil Schneider, Executive Director of The Immersive Technology Alliance, was interviewed by Computer America – credited as the longest running syndicated radio program about computer software and technology.  Topics covered include stereoscopic 3D, virtual reality, augmented reality, and the upcoming Immersed 2017 conference running October 19-21, 2017 at the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto, Canada.

Kevin Chang, Product Designer, Google Daydream Labs

Kevin Chang is a Product Designer in Google’s Daydream Labs.  He specializes in prototyping unreleased products in the augmented and virtual reality space.  He’s going to be speaking at Immersed 2017 and we are certain he has entertaining stories to tell.  Be sure to check out the growing list of Immersed speakers, and get registered ASAP as space is limited.

Immersed takes place October 19-21, 2017 at the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto, Canada.

Frank Soqui, General Manager, Virtual Reality, Intel

Very excited to report that Frank Soqui, General Manager of Virtual Reality will be keynoting Immersed 2017.  Mr. Soqui has over 35 years of experience at Intel, and is currently leading the charge on their efforts with virtual reality and immersive technology. Just some of Intel’s exciting endeavors with virtual reality include new forms of eSports, sponsoring and showcasing the Olympics through 2024 with immersive broadcast technology and drones, new wireless abilities for VR headsets, hand tracking, and experimenting with new use cases like healthcare, marketing, and artistry.

Much more to be revealed for Immersed 2017!  In addition to entertainment, this year’s show will place a strong focus on enterprise opportunities including healthcare, education, manufacturing, and marketing.

Just some of the top organizations speaking at Immersed include Immervision, The Khronos Group, Inmedia Studio, Space Channel, Chosen Realities, IBM, Jon Peddie Research, and more!

Ajay Fry, Host of Innerspace

Very cool news for everyone participating with Immersed 2017.  Ajay Fry, Host of Innerspace, is going to be covering the show and will be moderating a panel or two.  Innerspace is the flagship news program on Space Channel and is rebroadcast on MTV Canada.  We want them seeing stuff!

Speakers and vendors should reach out to speakers@getimmersed.com ASAP.

David Parker, Technology Consultant

The core of Immersed is to show what we can achieve with immersive technologies like virtual, augmented, and mixed reality today – not just 5 years from now. David Parker volunteers with Toronto’s Mt. Sinai hospital to give terminally ill patients the opportunity to have unique experiences that would be otherwise impossible without technologies like virtual reality / 360 video. It’s a very positive and impactful use of the technology which made him an obvious fit.  David’s work has also been featured on CBC.

The business to business (B2B) portion of Immersed is designed for professionals working in the field as well as those looking to use immersive technology to enhance their business and their business offering.  Just some of the companies speaking include IBM, The Khronos Group, InMediaStudio, Chosen Realities, and more.  Our call for speakers is active.

The Immersive Technology Alliance is a proud media partner for SIGGRAPH, the leading event for all things dealing with the magic of computer graphics.  This year’s edition is going to have some great immersive highlights. Running July 30 to August 3, the VR Village which also features augmented and mixed reality, is going to feature a wide variety of immersive experiences and ideas.

Here are just some of the highlight:

• “Heroes” is a mixed reality duet set to the iconic David Bowie song.
• “Neurable” is a brain-computer interface that interprets user intent using neuroscience and advanced machine learning.
• “Out of Exile” is a virtual reality storytelling experience that illustrates the hostility faced by many in the LGBTQ community.
• “Mission: ISS” lets visitors explore the International Space Station 250 miles above earth in virtual reality. Visitors learn how to move around the modules in zero gravity and explore the experiments and missions on the station. You can even ho on an EVA to check out the exterior.
• “Magic Bench: A Multi-User, Multi-Sensory AR Platform” is a third-person POV mixed-reality platform where participants see themselves and their environment mixed with computer graphics assets. Just walk to an installation and interact with animated CG characters!

In addition to the VR Village, SIGGRAPH is going to feature insightful presentations, lectures, and networking opportunities.  This really is a must-attend event each year!

“Intel is excited about how VR is starting to transform many of the social, collaborative and entertainment aspects of our lives. Intel believes in this transformation because we see this as another step in an ever increasing desire to have our experiences become richer and more immersive. To that end, Intel has joined the ITA because we see this as an opportunity to help forward industry efforts around immersive technologies.” – Frank Soqui, General Manager Virtual Reality, Intel Corporation

It’s a big honor to welcome Intel to the Immersive Technology Alliance. Among other things, Intel is a leader in CPU technology and possesses a nearly unparalleled presence in the virtual reality and immersive technology fields. Just some of their most recent contributions include Project Alloy, co-founding a new VR Challenger virtual reality eSports league, and sponsoring the Olympics through 2024 complete with 360 video and virtual reality support.

An updated list of the ITA membership can be found here.

Entering its fourth year, Immersed continues to attract international speakers that drive the growth of immersive technology industries like virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, and more.  Hosted in Toronto, Canada – North America’s fourth largest city – Immersed is in the center of one of the world’s leading content and media creation hubs. Read More