03/05/2025 – About the Topic
As immersive technologies like virtual reality (VR) continue to evolve, enthusiasm for their adoption ebbs and flows. For years, it was almost a meme that Apple would eventually join the immersive technology space—and when they finally did with the Apple Vision Pro, it sparked a brief wave of excitement before fading. Now, the landscape is increasingly shaped by competition with artificial intelligence (AI), the current “flavor of the month” in tech.
XR Technology was once a slowly developing novelty, but has emerged as a cutting-edge tool with the potential to transform industries like healthcare, education, entertainment, and workforce training, though it still struggles to achieve mass adoption. People are becoming more curious about how AI-driven VR applications can create hyper-personalized, adaptive experiences, pushing the boundaries of interactivity and realism.
The industry outlook remains a mix of optimism and skepticism; while advancements in hardware, software, and AI are making immersive technologies more accessible and practical, skepticism still lingers. As these tools transition from niche markets to broader adoption, they hold the promise of reshaping how we work, learn, and engage with the world—but they need numbers and louder voices to champion this Next Evolution.
Join us March 5th to learn from experts on what the current industry outlooks are.
Panel Members
What’s the Format
Times in Central Daylight Time (CDT)
5:30-8:30pm for the In-Person Program
6:00-8:00pm in Virbela for the Virtual Program
5:30-6:15pm – Networking & Technology Demonstrations
6:15-6:30pm – Introductions & Welcome
6:30-7:10pm – Panelist Presentations
7:10-7:45pm – Panel Discussion with Q&A
7:45-8:30pm – Networking & Technology Demonstrations
We will start with informal networking, then host a panel discussion to answer audience questions, and we end with more networking. We keep it simple and informal – this meetup is about you, our members, and not just a soap box for the host, presenters, or our sponsors. Come and get your questions answered, take your next step in Immersive Technology.
Attending The Next Evolution
Attending in-Person
2112 | 4245 N Knox Ave
For our Physical Venue, 1871 can be found in Suite 1212 on the 12th floor of theMART, which is located on the North side of the river between Wells and Orleans. For easy access, enter through the Orleans entrance on the west side of theMART and take those elevators to the 12th floor.
Watching the Live Stream
Primary Live Stream | www.youtube.com/@AWEXR/streams
People can join by watching the scheduled live stream where we will field questions from!
Attending Virtually
FRAME | A Virbela Virtual Environment
Framevr.io/the-next-evolution-awe-nite-chicago
We encourage folks to join us in the virtual environment by simply clicking the link above.
The Frame virtual environment resembles a physical space, so you will be able to talk with other attendees prior to the start of the presentations. We suggest that you arrive no later than 6:00pm and we will get started promptly at 6:15. Please try to get familiar with the technology prior to the meetup, as we will be unable to provide support during the event. Share your camera or simply be a unique avatar or a robot!
thank you to our sponsors
thank you to our supporting partners
