Orlando is gearing up for the VRARA Central Florida Immersive Tech Summit, hosted at Full Sail University on April 11-12. Designed for professionals, enthusiasts, and visionaries in the XR industry, this year the organizers are preparing to welcome over 1,000 attendees, surpassing last year's impressive turnout.

The year’s summit will feature a lineup of local and global experts dedicated to sharing insights and advancements in technologies that are reshaping our ways of living, learning, and working.

Last year we had a conversation with Dan McConnell to talk about XR and Orlando. Dan is the Chief Technologist at Booz Allen Hamilton, President of the VR/AR Association DC Chapter, and Co-Chair of the VRARA Industrial Metaverse & Digital Twin Committee. McConnell, with his deep involvement in XR Technologies emphasized the critical need for readiness across various sectors, touching upon the skills, business practices, and global economic perspectives necessary to thrive in this next evolutionary phase of the internet. His insights underscored the metaverse's capacity to merge physical and digital realms, thus opening up unprecedented opportunities for innovation and engagement.

Reflecting on Orlando's unique ecosystem, McConnell pointed out Orlando’s strategic position at the crossroads of gaming and military technologies. He lauded the collaborative spirit among the military, educational institutions, and industries in Central Florida, recognizing it as a catalyst for pioneering immersive technology and establishing the region as a leader in the field.

This year's VRARA Central Florida Immersive Technology Summit aims to build on these discussions and further explore why Central Florida is emerging as a hub for immersive technologies. Attendees can look forward to keynotes, panels, and workshops designed to dive deep into the latest trends and applications of XR, AI, and other transformative technologies.