Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre offers clients an extended reality experience

The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre has launched GCCECXR, a next-gen industry app created by Handbuilt Creatives, that allows clients to visit the venue on a 1:1 scale from any location globally.

Faced with the challenge of offering in-person site tours in a COVID world, with unpredictable border closures and travel restrictions, the team developed a virtual solution, GCCECXR. The project was supported by Tourism Australia’s Business Events Boost Program.

Through this partnership, GCCEC has an innovative addition to their virtual toolbox. The app invites potential clients to experience the business event centre in their own space, via extended reality (XR). Through GCCECXR, the user superimposes a virtual model of the venue onto a real-world surface through their mobile screen.

The app allows a walk around the entire building, and through the arena, halls, and central rooms at full size. These spaces appear as a photorealistic 3D exhibition space, a gala dinner, and a seated arena.

David Shering, Founder and Creative Director, Handbuilt Creative noted “this is certainly one of the most advanced XR projects we’ve created so far, with the Handbuilt team pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in next-gen augmented reality worldwide.

“GCCECXR is the world’s biggest 1:1 scale photorealistic XR experience as it’s over 200 metre long, 70 metre wide and 14 metre high. Its colossal size, and the fact you can walk anywhere to explore even small details, means you feel like you're actually there.”

Handbuilt Creative specialises in bespoke photorealistic augmented and mixed reality digital creations with deep roots in user-experience (UX) design that engage the end-user to encourage real-world exploration. With a client list that includes governments, corporates, and blue-chip organisations, Handbuilt Creative is one of the global leaders in this space.

Earlier this year, Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCCEC) launched an immersive 360-video site tour, funded by Tourism Australia’s Business Events Boost Program. The interactive video has exceeded all targets, achieving more than 5,500 views in just eight weeks.

Tourism Australia Executive General Manager Commercial & Business Events Australia, Robin Mack advises “Domestic event activity is critical to getting the industry back on its feet while international travel has been on hold, and innovative projects like the GCCECXR experience help to encourage a restart to face to face business events.

GCCEC Director of Sales and Marketing, Michelle Mann adds “site tours are one of our key selling tools and with many clients unable to travel due to current regulations, we’ve developed new ways to allow them to view the venue from their own home or office. But this mixture of the virtual and real-world is by far the most exciting.

“Of course, nothing replaces coming to the destination, face to face, tasting our food and meeting the team, but this tool provides an excellent first experience.”