The Seattle VR/AR Association has secured space for an AR Creation Station Pop Up at the prestigious Seattle Design Festival. We are looking for volunteers with experience in Adobe Aero, Snap Lens Studio, Spark AR, and/or Unity to guide participants in creating their own AR or VR experiences.

Volunteer Details:

• Role: Help first-time creators develop and publish simple VR/AR experiences

• Time Commitment: 15-30 minute sessions between 4 PM and 7 PM

• Requirements: Experience with Adobe Aero, Snap Lens Studio, Spark AR, and/or Unity

Volunteers will work primarily on laptops provided at the event, assisting participants in crafting and sharing their own immersive experiences. This is an excellent opportunity to share your expertise, inspire new creators, and contribute to the vibrant AR/VR community in Seattle.

Join Us:

Roberto Haza, Seattle VRARA President and CEO of Xtended Reality Advisory, and Julia Beabout, Seattle VRARA Programs Chair and CEO of Novaby Studio, invite you to learn, grow, and connect by helping the audience create their very own AR/VR experience.

For more information or to volunteer, please fill out this form or contact Roberto or Julia directly at roberto@thevrara.com or julia@thevrara.com

Watch the recap here!

WHAT IF we could improve how we communally talk about and shape our past, present and future with AR/VR? 

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are expanding the ways we can interact with our world and each other.What are these technologies really capable of? And how are they changing how we collectively talk about and design our shared past, present, and future?

Join the Seattle VR/AR Association for a walk through AR/VR experiences that are hidden in plain sight right here in our City and are already shaping these conversations. Hear from an expert panel of speakers, including Julia Beabout, CEO of Novaby Studios, Erik Horn, CEO of Fair World, and Yolanda Barton, CEO of RevereXR answering questions like: What lessons can we learn from these experiences? And how are they designed and created? 

Roberto Haza, Seattle VRARA President and CEO of Xtended Reality Advisory will moderate the panel and invites you to learn, grow and connect.

Watch the full replay here!

Watch the replay here!

Join us at Snap's Seattle HQ for an evening filled with fun, food and the latest Snap news  -  fresh out of AWE!  Raag Harshavat, Developer Relations at Snap, will reveal exciting new updates including new 3D AI capabilties to the Snap AR ecosystem and provide insight into new tools available for creators , agencies, and businesses that can drive engagement, impact, and revenues.

Local Snap AR experts and Snap Lens Network (SLN) partners Dustin Kochensparger and Blake Gross of DB Creations and Julia Beabout, CEO and Creative Director of NOVABY will share their best tips and how they help drive success for their clients.

Come early to try out the latest AR games and demos including Snap's next generation AR glasses.

Thanks to Snap AR's generosity, this event is FREE for VRARA and Non-VRARA members alike.  Advanced registration required for security purposes.  

Watch the Replay Here!

Take your AR skills to the next level with the hands-on workshop on the second night of this event series. On Thursday, June 6, experts including Dustin Kochensparger and Blake Gross, Co-founders of DB Creations, Julia Beabout, CEO and Creative Director of Novaby Studio will guide you through creating your own mobile AR experience. By the end of the workshop, you'll have a custom Snapchat filter ready to use on your own account. This interactive session requires participants to bring their own laptop, have a Snapchat account, and download Lens Studio 5.0 from the Snap.com website.

Join us at Snap Inc. Seattle for both evenings or choose the one that best suits your interests. Register today!

Please note that all attendees, including VRARA Members and paid guests, must complete a security check performed by Snap Inc. prior to entering the building.

The VRARA Seattle Chapter team, Roberto Haza, Julia Beabout, and Arian Kulp, looks forward to welcoming you for an enriching experience of learning, networking, and hands-on AR creation.

Non-VRARA members, attend both events and pay only for one. You will receive a promo code in your order confirmation after paying for one of the days. Use the promo code when registering for the second part of the event to receive 100% off at registration.

Register Today!

Video games have surpassed movies and music (combined) to become America’s favorite pastime. In 2023, video games contributed over $350 billion to the global economy and generated over $100 billion in revenue in the US alone - much of that originating in Seattle!

Join us as our own Julia Beabout, CEO of Novaby and VRARA Seattle Programs Chair, moderates an exciting and timely discussion with Yahn Bernier, Corporate Director of Valve, Patrick O'Kelley, President of Bungie, and Brian Fleming, CEO of Sucker Punch, as they delve into the symbiotic relationship between artistry, technology, and commerce and how the gaming industry is fueling innovation, generating jobs, and shaping cultural narratives. Whether you’re a gamer, investor, artist, or curious observer, this session promises insights into the future of creativity and its economic ripple effects.

This event has passed; watch the replay here!

Do you want to experience scenic and cultural heritage locations worldwide but just can't find the time? Join us as we continue discovering how Virtual Reality (VR) gives us an amazing way to experience the world like never before.

Join Eric Hanson, Founder and CEO of Blueplanet VR who will share his captured environments, amazing case studies, and techniques anyone can use.

The VRARA Seattle Chapter team, Roberto Haza, Julia Beabout, and Arian Kulp invite everyone to network, learn and connect as we go behind the scenes to explore this rich collection of volumetric experiences of powerful scenic and cultural heritage locations worldwide. Space is limited. Register today!

This event has passed. Watch the replay here!

Do you love to explore fascinating places around the world, but can’t always find the time or money to get away? Are you interested in exploring cultural heritage and the arts across cultures and time? Virtual reality (VR) gives us an amazing way to experience the world like never before. Join the conversation about how you too can use VR to explore the world virtually. 

Join Arian Kulp, Founder and CEO of VR Voyaging who will discuss the opportunities for expanding our horizons in VR. Learn about their articles, app reviews, the VR Voyaging World Map, and the calendar of immersive events, all finely curated at vrvoyaging.com

Roberto Haza, CEO of Xtended Reality Advisory and VRARA Seattle President, and Julia Beabout, CEO of Novaby and VRARA Seattle Programs Chair invite everyone to network, learn and connect with favorite VR experiences that combine a sense of immersion with cleverly conveyed commentary.

This event has passed. Watch the replay here!

This is a free in-person event, Register here!

VRARA Seattle is excited to be joining Revere XR to help build bridges between community, tech and academia through AR. Over two days, teams of UW students, community elders, AR/VR creators, professionals and enthusiasts, will be working together to bring the stories of local elders to life. Come watch the results of this amazing gathering.

Revere XR is changing up the hackathon game. Dive into a once-in-a-lifetime hackathon experience that bridges community, tech, and academia! We’re crafting a future roadmap for immersive storytelling and historic preservation through extended reality, augmented reality, and AI. Who’s Invited? Everyone from elders, storytellers, high school undergrad graduate students, and tech leaders. Let’s shape the future together! What’s Our Goal? Transforming tech-hesitant communities into XR enthusiasts, thrilled about the endless possibilities of XR for preservation and Inclusive collaboration that births innovation.

This event has passed. Watch the 2023 recap here!

Join us for an evening of holiday and AI merriment with the Rainier Club's power-house Biz Buzz group. While enjoying light hors d'oeuvres and drinks, we'll hear how AI is impacting investing from an expert panel including Charlie Lieu of the Sybilla Masters Fund and T.A. McCann of Pioneer Square Labs, moderated by Boaz Ashkenazy of Simply Augmented.

This is a free virtual event- register here!

What is all the fuss about spatial computing, that still requires VR headsets? The face covering "masks" still feel big and clunky, so why even bother? Truth is that the majority of consumers are not comfortable wearing these types of head mounted displays. Join the conversation about what all the fuss is about and what challenges or critical issues need to get uncovered while implementing XR outside of gaming.

XR is reaching the tipping point outside of gaming to begin mass adoption. Several industries are on the other side of the tipping point already, many are lagging. Join Roberto Haza, Founder CEO of Xtended Reality Advisory for a tell of the times, and why he believes the tipping point for mass adoption is just around the corner.

Julia Beabout, CEO of Novaby and EVP of Partnerships and Community invites everyone to network, learn and connect with Roberto's approach to continue XR adoption outside of gaming.

Audience: for those curious and uninitiated in XR for anything other than gaming.

This event has passed; watch the replay here!

Unity Technologies is the development platform that for almost two decades has allowed to create and grow real-time 3D games, apps, and experiences for entertainment, film, automotive, architecture, and more. John Cunningham, Founder & Head of Government and Aerospace at Unity will share with us some of his latest projects in government and enterprise, and how recent company maneuvers are positioning Unity to better serve the developer and client community alike.

Roberto Haza, Founder of Xtended Reality Advisory and Chapter President and Julia Beabout, CEO of Novaby and EVP of Partnerships and Community are delighted to host and share this time together. John will also elaborate on his recent role as the newly appointed COO of the VRARA organization. Join us for double the excitement as we dive into the latest and greatest developments in the XR realm, register today.

Register Today!

Register today!

VR has been used in aerospace for decades. AR is now being used to prepare missions to space. Alex Goldberg, leading XR Innovations at Blue Origin, is opening his doors for VRARA members to tour Blue Origin's Verne and O’Neill buildings and demo select AR experiences in preparation for missions to space.

Roberto Haza, Founder of Xtended Reality Advisory and Chapter President and Julia Beabout, CEO of Novaby and EVP of Partnerships and Community are excited to host and share this in-person tour with VRARA members. Space will be limited and US citizenship is required per Blue Origin requirements. VRARA membership will also be required to keep a tight group able to engage directly with Alex and enjoy the AR demo, register today.

What to bring: proof of US citizenship (can be a US passport, original U.S. birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240), a naturalization certificate, or a certificate of citizenship), will be required and requested at least 3 days prior to the tour. Blue Origin will email you directly and will let VRARA know when your clearance to tour the facilities has been approved.

Register for this in-person event today!

We will meet under the Space Needle, by the electronic ticket counters outside of the giftshop. Please arrive promptly at 5pm as we will start moving no later than 5:05 as we follow the Space-Time Adventure Tour AR directions.

What to bring: Your own iOS device, either iPhone or iPad, and headphones. With the Space-Time Adventure Tour app installed.

Event description: Join the VRARA Seattle Chapter, we are proud to follow up on the in-person meet we had with the team of Fair Worlds in April. Come and have fun with us time traveling with the newly launched and improved Space-Time Adventure Tour at the Seattle Center experience. We will walk the experience along with Erik Horn, Fair Worlds co-founder, and Todd Little, Senior Developer for a fully engaging conversation app and creators together.

Roberto Haza, Founder of Xtended Reality Advisory and Chapter President and Julia Beabout, CEO of Novaby and EVP of Partnerships and Community are thrilled to host and share with the community about AR adventure tours that reshape the way we interact with tourism attractions.

Download the Space-Time Adventure Tour newest release on the iOS App Store and head to the Seattle Center to experience it today! Learn more about the experience here: https://www.spacetimeadventuretours.com/. We will end by Caffe Vita at KEXP where we will regroup and head over to a local bar to sit and network after the tour to share our experience with Erik and Todd.

**This event has passed. Click here to enjoy a replay of this event.**

 Is your training content stuck in PowerPoint, PDFs or boring 2D videos? Do you need a faster learning curve so professionals can build confidence and expertise in less time with less errors?

Enter EducationXR, a no-code, multi-device, extended reality (XR) platform that allows you to create your own XR experiences in high quality and with your total control. Join the VRARA Seattle Chapter as Cory Heizenrader, Co-founder and CEO of EducationXR walks us through his journey and how he and his team have built his platform, adopted by many big names in healthcare and education, to develop amazing XR experiences to train new staff, re-skill professionals and even introduce new products.

Roberto Haza, Founder of Xtended Reality Advisory and Chapter President and Julia Beabout, CEO of Novaby and EVP of Partnerships and Community are delighted to host and share firsthand with this amazing founder who built this platform that allows anyone to get out of PowerPoint, out of 2D video and into truly memorable immersive experiences. Come and see the quality of experiences generated and to learn how you too can find uses for this platform and best way to get access to it.

Space will be limited to keep a tight group able to engage directly with the speakers. Register today for this free virtual event!

This event has passed. Watch the replay here!

Digital ExplorARs at the Seattle Design Festival 2023

When: August 19, Saturday 2-7pm - in person event

Register here to get the latest updates and priority to using the experiences and talking directly with creators.

Why participate:

The VRARA Seattle chapter has secured a kiosk in this illustrious public event. The Seattle Design Festival (SDF), formerly known as Design in Public, was founded in 2011 to celebrate all the ways that design makes life better for Seattle, and to nurture relationships among multidisciplinary designers, civic leaders, business innovators, community organizers, educators, artists, and activists.

Through a broad range of events developed by our community partners, we are able to engage a diverse cross-section of the people that live, work, and play in our city. SDF believes that design is for everyone, and its benefits should be accessible, intersectional, and informed by a diverse public.

JOIN US THIS AUGUST, FOR THE 2023 ANNUAL FESTIVAL!

What does the future of Seattle look like? How can design help our communities thrive? What if we see the city from different perspectives? How do the questions we ask shape the answers we get? What questions burn inside you?

Curiosity fuels passion and sparks innovation. By asking what if, we are free to step into the unknown. Free to challenge the status quo, expand knowledge, develop new relationships, and make new discoveries. Design thinking has the power to create change, to seek understanding, and to envision an equitable future.

The VRARA Seattle chapter and the Seattle Design Festival invites you to explore: What if? What’s possible? What happens next? With your own VR/AR experience. More details here: https://seadesignfest.org/event/digital-explorars/

WAYS TO ENGAGE

If you just feel like dropping by, we will be pleased to see you. Simply register and stop over between 2-7pm on Saturday, Aug 19. Julia and Roberto will take good care of you.

OR

Join the Festival along with the VRARA Seattle chapter as a Program Partner, completely FREE! Just reach out to roberto@thevrara.com or julia@thevrara.com to coordinate your presence at the space.

**This event has passed. Watch the replays at the links below!

VRARA Summer West Fest 2023 - part 1 of 2: https://youtu.be/fG6EHTX4EiE

VRARA Summer West Fest 2023 - part 2 of 2: https://youtu.be/B_zDjrhSrhE **

America's west coast is a beacon for immersive technologies development. Join this event where several of the west coast chapters in this first regional event will showcase trendsetting companies and speakers at the vanguard of XR and AI. To kick off the series, come and learn how the Pacific Northwest VRARA chapters have come together to foster community and collaboration, learn from Tony Bevilacqua, the Founder & CEO of Cognitive3D with Evolution of Metrics: Leveraging XR Analytics to Gather Insights From the Metaverse and hear from Boaz Ashkenazy, Founder CEO and Ashwin Kadaru, CTO of Simply Augmented with The intersection of AI and XR beyond the hype.

Event will have time to network 1-on-1 with attendees.

This is a kick-off to the series of events you will not want to miss!

Celebrate Pride month with VRARA Seattle with a personal tour of The AMP: AIDS Memorial Pathway. Register Today!

The story of AIDS is the story of loss, love and resilience. The AIDS Memorial Pathway is one of the most significant public art installations in the Pacific Northwest in decades and is part of a growing network of AIDS memorials around the country and world.  It uses public art and augmented reality technology to create a place for remembrance and reflection, share stories about the epidemic and the diverse community responses to the crisis in Seattle,  and provide a call to action to end HIV/AIDS, stigma, and discrimination.

In 2022, The AMP was awarded the Technology Award by the Association of King County Historical Organizations. Stretching over a block and half, The AMP extends into the north end of Cal Anderson park integrating 5 meaning-filled public artworks including a digital AR memorial and history tour into a public plaza, community meeting room and reflection garden.

Roberto Haza, Seattle Chapter President, and Founder CEO of Xtended Reality Advisory and Julia Beabout, Seattle Chapter EVP of Community and Partnerships, and CEO of Novaby AR Studio are excited for this not to be missed personal tour of The AMP led by the project founders and AR creators.

Don't forget your headphones!

This event has past—-watch the replay of the free virtual event below!

Event description: How might we use the vast amount of data from XR technologies to create a positive impact in businesses and our daily lives? Come and hear from our guest speaker, Kalpana Rupani, leading business and integration architecture projects for Accenture. As a data and AI leader expert in digital transformation and enterprise architecture she will provide us with her unique point of view and ways in which the vast amount of data can be used to accomplish positive impact. 

Roberto Haza, Founder of Xtended Reality Advisory and Chapter President and Julia Beabout, CEO of Novaby and EVP of Partnerships and Community are pleased to host and share with everyone Kalpana's unique perspective on data management for our very dynamic industry. 

*This event occurred on 5/31/23. However, you may watch the recording from the ENGAGE XR Platform here: https://youtu.be/r3QhUAdSiOs*

Event description: So you want to hold an event in a Virtual Reality platform but don’t know where to start?  Grab your VR headset, desktop computer, or phone and join VRARA Seattle and Drew Stone, Founder of Locusium VR Event Production, on their 2023 Virtual Worlds Tour. First stop: ENGAGE. With Drew as our tour guide, we’ll demystify these social VR platforms, learn their features and limitations, and gain hands-on practice using them. Attendees will leave these in-platform, meet-up, style events with greater knowledge of the pros, cons, and opportunities around virtual events and a higher comfort level participating in them on the various platforms. 

Roberto Haza, Founder of Xtended Reality Advisory and Seattle VRARA President, and Julia Beabout, CEO of Novaby AR Studio and VRARA Seattle EVP of Partnerships and Community, are excited to kick-start this first stop on this 2023 Virtual Worlds Tour. More stops to come!

Just two simple requirements to join:

1. Generate your free account in ENGAGE

Go to ttps://app.engagevr.io/registerFill in your full name, email address, and a strong password.Review and agree to the terms of service and privacy policy.Click on the green "Sign up" buttonCheck your email for a verification message and click on the verification link.Log in to ENGAGE using your email and password.Set up any additional preferences or customize your profile if prompted.

2. Set your avatar

Log in to your ENGAGE account at engagevr.io.Open the "My Avatar" button at the bottom left of the menu.Customize your avatar by adjusting physical features, clothing, and accessories.Click "Save & Continue" to save your modifications.

Be a part of it! Are you already experienced with ENGAGE, and want to help host this event? Please let us know, and we'll connect on next steps.

Register today!

Join VRARA Seattle for this in-person, AR fest of lively dialogue and demos with Snap Inc's Global Head of AR Developer Relations, Joe Darko, and Global Head of Learning, Stacey Long-Genovese PhD, along with local Seattle Snap Lens Network Partners Novaby AR Studio and DB Creations who will demo some of Snaps most cutting-edge effects. Get the latest news on how Snap is breaking out of the Snap eco-system with AR mirrors and their AR SDK for iOS, Android, and now web.

Roberto Haza, Founder of Xtended Reality Advisory and VRARA Seattle Chapter President, and Julia Beabout, CEO of Novaby AR Studio and VRARA Seattle EVP of Partnerships and Community, are excited to host and share with the community why Snap is widely considered to be among the best and most innovative AR technology available on the market today. There will be fun, merriment, and info for all including AR/VR creators, developers, enthusiasts, and customers alike.

This is an in-person event you don't want to miss. Register today!

This event has past, but you can watch the replay below!

Event description: With AltspaceVR recently closing its service on Friday, March 10, there is a large community being displaced, and many may be wondering how to choose a social VR platform that fits their needs, in-world feature sets, and accessibility considerations. Join the VRARA Seattle Chapter as Drew Stone, Founder of Locusium, a VR event production company, walk us through the various ways to understand the contemporary VR landscape of social VR platforms. We will review a survey of contemporary social VR platforms, their features and limitations, and how to think through considerations for both casual users and enterprise clients.

Roberto Haza, Founder of Xtended Reality Advisory and Chapter President and Julia Beabout, CEO of Novaby and EVP of Partnerships and Community are delighted to host and provide this first broad strokes review of the factors at play for choosing a VR platform, while they prepare a set of subsequent events in 2023 to be hosted in various social VR platforms for attendees to experiment these platforms firsthand and be part of a Virtual Worlds tour.

Come to learn about subsequent events in the series that will take place in a rotation of social VR platforms and how Locusium can help you with VR event production needs. Register Today!

Register Today!

Name of Event : VRARA Seattle USER-TESTING PARTY of Fair World's Space-Time Adventure Tour of Seattle Center

Date and Time : Thursday, April 20, 4-6pm PST

Place: This is an in-person event - we will meet under the Space Needle, by the electronic ticket counters outside of the giftshop. Please arrive promptly at 4pm as we will start moving no later than 4:05 as we follow the Space-Time Adventure Tour AR directions.

What to bring: What to bring: Your own headphones and iOS device, either iPhone or iPad. With Test Flight and the Space-Time Adventure Tour apps installed. We will be outdoors the whole time so please wear comfortable shoes and weather appropriate clothing.

Event description: Join the VRARA Seattle Chapter first in-person event since March 2020, we are proud to follow up on the virtual meet we had with the team of Fair Worlds in February. Join us in this hands-on experience on the eve of the World's Fair which kicked-off on April 21 1962. Come and have fun with us time traveling with the new and upcoming Space-Time Adventure Tour at the Seattle Center experience. We will walk the experience along with Erik Horn, Fair Worlds co-founder, and Todd Little, Senior Developer for a fully engaging conversation app and creators together.

Roberto Haza, Founder of Xtended Reality Advisory and Chapter President and Julia Beabout, CEO of Novaby and EVP of Partnerships and Community are thrilled to host and kick-off this first in-person event since 2020 and share with the community about AR adventure tours that reshape the way we interact with tourism attractions.

Download the just launched Beta release on Test Flight and head to the Seattle Center to experience it today! Learn more about the experience here: https://www.fairworlds.com/projects/space-time-adventure-tours . We will end at Caffe Vita where we can sit and network after the tour to share our experience with Erik and Todd.

Watch the replay here!

Join the VRARA Seattle chapter, as Roberto Haza, Founder of Xtended Reality Advisory and Chapter President, and Julia Beabout, CEO and Creative Director of Novaby and EVP of Partnerships & Community host guest speaker Hermes Frangoudis, CTO of Arlene.io

WebXR is a highly trending topic, yet we still see low levels of adoption among consumers and enterprises. What would happen if designers had access to easier-to-use tools to bring XR ideas to life? What would happen if those tools were not prohibitively expensive, including FREE in many cases?

These among many other questions will get answered by Hermes Frangoudis, CTO of Arlene.io as he walks us all through their newly publicly available WebXR.tools suite of products.

Watch Recording Here!

The VRARA Seattle Chapter is proud to start activities for 2023 and host the team of Fair Worlds, a full-journey immersive agency creating XR app and web experiences that engage, sell, and solve problems. 

Roberto Haza, VRARA Seattle Chapter President and Founder of Xtended Reality Advisory, is thrilled to host guest speakers Erik Horn the agency's co-founder and his team, Brad Parrett, Andy Slater and Todd Little, who will introduce us to their work and specifically to the new and upcoming Space-Time Adventure Tour at the Seattle Center. A virtual walk-through of our location-based immersive, walking tour of the Seattle Center, featuring Niantic Lightship and Augmented Reality elements. Including radical accessibility with spatialized audio for a non sighted audience. See a preview here: https://youtu.be/EnZStUemDyE 

Join us in this two-part event to be part of the community, learn about AR adventure tours that reshape the way we interact with tourism attractions and how you can get involved.

This virtual event will be followed in the coming weeks with a live in-person user test meet, with access to the Space-Time Adventure Tour app, and provide Erik and his team with feedback to help make this the best AR experience possible. Learn what you will need to bring.

Register Today!

Do you find yourself wondering how might we use XR technology to create exponential positive impact in the real world? We hear so much these days about the Metaverse, which is often depicted as a game-like digital fantasyland where people can meet, play and work with the aid of new immersive technologies like VR, AR and MR.

There is much speculation about the nature of life in the Metaverse, its pros and its cons. But, what is often left out of the discussion is the question of how these technologies might be used in creative ways to deliver meaningful positive impact in the real world. Significant impact. At global scale. Involving everyone.

Join us on Oct 12 as Virtual World Society and Exponential Destiny share their stories with us, and what they are are working on now to address this question. And to tell us how we all can get involved.

Register Today!

The Seattle Chapter has been quiet for most of 2022, the chapter now has a new president, Roberto Haza, Founder of Extended Reality Advisory and he is kicking off chapter activities with guest speaker Darryl Henderson, Head of Product and Marketing for VirtualEyes Media. Join to be part of the community and learn about virtual tours taken to the next level.