It’s fair to say that immersive experiences are here to stay. You only need to open up social media to be bombarded with ads for a “new immersive cocktail experience” (or at least ours are). But what does it all mean, really?

Immersive Futures was created to cut through the misinformation and explore the innovations, trends and disruptors in the immersive space that actually matter. We will investigate areas such as gastronomy, gaming, immersive theatre, diversity and inclusivity, healthcare, tech disruptions, VR/MR/AR, and the brand experiences that hit; and the ones that miss.

We’ve all been immersed in a different reality at some point in our lives, long before the word ‘immersive’ came to be the buzzword that it is today. Whether it was at Space Mountain at Disneyland, Olafur Eliasson’s Weather Project at The Turbine Hall, jumping on mushrooms on Nintendo, or simply walking through the forest at daybreak, we, as humans, seek and enjoy sensory escapism.

Immersive as we know it today has its origins in theatre and technology, with companies such as Secret Cinema, Oculus, or Meow Wolf exposing audiences to otherworldly experiences since the noughties. There is an undoubted arms race in entertainment, culture, marketing, and beyond to exploit this exciting new movement and lead in the genre.

Curated by The Department, experts at creating immersive worlds for the most dynamic brands, Immersive futures will come in 2 formats. Firstly by monthly newsletter, and secondly through hosting exclusive panel discussions to delve deeper into key topics with immersive industry leaders and cultural pioneers. The whole purpose of Immersive Futures is to provoke and inspire shared learning and debate on this exciting subject.

Welcome to IF!

The Immersive Futures team x