As Lethbridge College students get set to join the workforce post-graduation, a select few are setting their sights on a global event. Second-year Multimedia Production (MMP) students teamed up with industry leaders to host Merging Realities: An event of multiple perspectives.
This full-day event is being held at the college April 26 and will host multiple individuals currently pioneering Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality.
One student who has been involved in the planning of the event is second-year student, Brandon Fisher. He says it’s an exciting time to be involved in an event like this.
“There is a lot of excitement for VR in the industry right now, but it’s not mainstream. We’re hoping events like this help to bring that more to the forefront,” said Fisher.
Kris Hodgson, Interim Chair, School of Media and Design, has immersed himself in virtual reality and its many applications. He says events like this go a long way in trying to bridge the gap between the budding industry and the general public.
“It’s trying to make it a more household name. All of us have the ability with our smartphones to adopt this technology,” said Hodgson.
As part of the event students from both the Multimedia and Digital Communications and Media programs will have the opportunity to showcase the ways VR and AR have been incorporated into their programs.
“It’s really exciting for us to showcase the work that’s been done at the college and to be able to show other industries how they can integrate it into their business.”
Hodgson also says the practical uses of virtual reality are endless.
“Marketing, real-estate, tourism, architecture, healthcare…There are so many applications it can be used for,” he added.
Fisher says the students are most excited to showcase the fun ways to use this new technology.
“We worked on making our own video games for the Samsung Gear VR and people will have the chance to try some of them out.”
Along with the showcase of work, this event will feature speakers from Alberta and abroad, some as far as Dubai.
Although there will be speakers coming from industry giants such as Google, it is one former student who Hodgson says he is excited to hear from.
“Matt is an actual grad of our program and has now created a VR company from scratch. He keeps talking about how he has to knock down more walls to make room for more employees,” said Hodgson.
Matt Wright graduated from the Communication Arts program in 2005. He has since gone on to pioneer the incredibly successful, Mammoth VR out of Calgary. He will be on site during the event to speak to his experience and where he sees the industry headed.
Some other partners for the day event include: VRKade and CTRL V, the Regional Innovation Network of Southern Alberta, Economic Development Lethbridge, the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce; and many more.
For more information, or tickets for the event visit lethbridgecollege.ca/
