Cultural Virtual Platform - Modern Arabesque
A metaverse experience fit for world-class travel & tourism leaders at the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) virtual Global Summit.
Under the theme “Travel For A Better Future”, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) together with the Saudi Ministry of Tourism united the most influential figures from the private and public Travel & Tourism sector to engage in discussions, offer key insights and help define the future of sustainable travel.
This was achieved at the WTTC’s 22nd Global Summit which took place in Riyadh from the 28th of November to the 1st of December 2022. Key influential speakers that took to the stage included His Excellency the Minister of Tourism, HE. Ahmad bin Aqil Al Khatib, Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, Actor, filmmaker, and Golden Globe winner, Edward Norton, and Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO.
SpaceTo (a division of the Eventagrate Group) worked closely with the Ministry of Tourism to develop a customized metaverse experience in line with the WTTC's pioneering digital tourism strategy. Using the latest in web 3 technology, SpaceTo created an experiential metaverse space and live stream which scaled to users around the globe.
Live panel discussions were also mirrored into the metaverse in real-time via custom-made avatars using SpaceTo’s latest Digi Twin technology.
The environment selected was SpaceTo’s templated venue under the name “Modern Arabesque”. The design of the virtual space brings luxury with geometrical details on the walls and windows around the venue.
The layout was sectioned to accommodate four different rooms with a dedicated design for each that address aesthetics and functionality. The aesthetic 3D lobby area with a live welcome host and rich media, to a real-time, live metaverse panel discussing key topics surrounding the future of sustainable travel.
This metaverse environment delivered a plethora of opportunities to over 3000 global travel leaders to participate, collaborate, and network.Behind every corner of the modern arabesque environment, was a deliberately designed virtual journey connecting discourses about new digital tourism innovation, travel, and investment opportunities within Saudi Arabia.
On entrance to the modern arabesque metaverse, one could take up new identities by choosing from a variety of culturally designed avatars, some of which could be customized from clothing apparel right down to hair colour and eyebrow volume.
This was all made possible through carefully controlled integrations with ReadyPlayerMe. As visitors joined from around the globe, the avatars available needed to replicate audience diversity.
An investors' paradise was designed where investors could explore opportunities and interact with custom-avatar business representatives via voice chat, in real time. The guest would submit a question via a moderated text Q&A and the representative was able to respond via voice.
SpaceTo created a simplified, back-end module that exhibitors could update; this included an admin control panel allowing for Q&A moderation. Investors could interact with media content, submit requests as well as converse, live with each exhibitor. Leads and discussions were captured in real-time.
Exhibitors that took part in the gallery were top businesses within the travel and tourism industry such as the Ministry of Tourism, Sharqia Development Authority, Neom, Diriyah Gate Development Authority, Jeddah Central Development Company, and Aseer Development.
This networking lounge was designed to facilitate seamless collaboration via guided conversational topics around sustainable travel. Two, group voice chat-pods were created on either end of the lounge to facilitate real-time conversations and group interactions. Text chat rooms were also included for those who preferred more private conversations. Predefined gestures and actions were also included as features on the users’ avatar which could be used to communicate and network with other visitors.
Influential figures such as Richard Quest (CNN representative) & H.H. Princess Haifa Al Saud, Vice Minister of Tourism (Saudi), along with several other panelists were mirrored into the metaverse in real-time as their “Digi Twin” avatars took up the metaverse stage.
The panel’s human gestures and audio was captured by live cameras and then mapped into web3 technology to deliver ultra-realistic mirrored actions in the metaverse. The Digi Twins were then live-streamed in HD. This is one of the first global events to leverage this type of technology within the tourism industry.
