Fascinated from an early age by technology and by how it can be applied to solving complex, real-life problems, Amone has held strategic, operational and leadership roles in companies like Meta, Miro, Millicom and Vodafone, in both mature and emerging markets. At Meta, Amone’s team helps businesses accelerate transformation and achieve tangible business results through Meta's Future of Work solutions. Her team’s vision is to help businesses reinvent the way they learn, create, meet and build community at work. Outside of her day job, Amone is a co-Founder of The Hood; a brand on a mission to redesign the world with women in mind. She is also on the Board of Trustees of Spring Impact; helping mission-driven organisations and funders to scale their impact sustainably through consulting, training, and programmes.

Martin is an experienced professional working since 2008 in the field of Extended Reality (XR). Having earned his Ph.D. in Media Technology in 2014, he is currently serving as the Topic Owner Digital Technologies at Audi. Martin is currently working on implementing a broad usage of AR in production and logistics in various factories.

Kit Gilbert is the Senior Director of Platform Go-To-Market, Strategy and Operations at Niantic, spearheading efforts to transform the real world into a platform for cross-device XR experiences. With a degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Oxford, Kit has dedicated the past decade to pioneering disruptive technologies, particularly in augmented reality that fosters human connection. As Chief Operating Officer at Sensible Object, a London-based games studio, Kit led the company's acquisition by Niantic. This began her five-year tenure at Niantic, where she has served in various leadership roles, bringing developer tools to market, evolving platform strategy, and managing global operations to accelerate computer vision and mapping capabilities. In her current role, Kit focuses on developing tools that enable the capture of detailed 3D scenes and empower creators to build and deploy immersive experiences across mobile, desktop, and headsets. She is also focused on harnessing the potential of spatial computing and Niantic Map—the world's most precise and detailed 3D map—for consumer applications.

Johan Cruse has over 20 years of experience within the area of competence development and learning. He has 3 years leading, driving and scaling up the global VR training platform implementation within Volvo Trucks retail organization.

Iris Jumbe has over two decades of experience in marketing and PR communications, starting as an international marketing consultant in Shanghai. She has developed global communication strategies for major INGOs, UN agencies, and national governments. In 2016, Iris founded Philstem Communications, running it until 2019. She then led global communications for mySugr, the world's most downloaded diabetes app. Her expertise in marketing is complemented by experience in diverse areas such as communications for COVID-19 prevention, communications for countering terrorist narratives, and communications for addressing violence against children. Iris presented her paper, “How We Used Gamification to Successfully Promote COVID Prevention Practices in Myanmar,” at the 2022 World Social Marketing Conference. Currently, she leads Marketing and Communications for the Global Collaboration Village. The Village is the world’s first extended reality platform to unite decision makers for public-private cooperation. It uses immersive technology to amplify empathy, insight, and engagement, helping to catalyze action against persistent global problems through impactful, real-world solutions. the Global Collaboration Village is a World Economic Forum initiative, in partnership with Accenture, and powered by Microsoft Mesh.

Fabian Lüttel is a software engineer and technology scout at Mercedes-Benz Tech Motion. He brings a passion for software development, human-computer interaction (HCI), and extended reality (XR) to his role. Fabian is involved in various advanced engineering projects, particularly in the AR/VR and metaverse realms. Additionally, he actively scouts cutting-edge technologies and startups.

Liina has more than a decade of experience is designing the world's largest cruise vessels, and now she is bringing the industry to the Metaverse.

Lionel Ferra heads the Team of Artificial Intelligence, Software, Extended Reality, and Quantum Technologies in the Directorate of Human and Robotic Exploration at ESA. He is a French-German engineer, educated at TU Darmstadt and CentraleSupélec, and was the lead instructor for the rendezvous and docking of the European spacecraft ATV, as well as responsible for space robotics exams for the ISS crew. A key component of his new departement and team is to ensure that ESA projects become software-centric and that new technologies are used both on the ground and in space, as the digital transformation of ESA is crucial for efficiently exploring our solar system with robotic resources and crews.

Andy Fidel creates digital events for remote teams & global networks. With over 9 years of experience in immersive tech and social engagement, Andy Fidel has built strong partnerships with teams worldwide. Known for her expertise in emerging technology, she actively works with enterprise to drive innovation in remote workspaces, creator programs, and hybrid events. In 2016, she introduced the term 'Spatial Networking' to highlight the impact of immersive reality on digital communication and collaboration. “Social media shares information; spatial networks are shared experiences. In these moments, we create memories, and that creates community.” — Andy Fidel

Nicky is a Peabody Award-winning journalist, producer, studio-builder and operations executive who is passionate about leading creative people and making fantastic content. For the last 18 months, he’s been responsible for the TV, radio and digital studios and the 300 operators behind the scenes at BBC News in London. As a member of the BBC’s Metaverse Working Group and the AI/ML Community, he’s a champion of new story-telling techniques for broadcast news, including AR, XR and virtual production.

A Senior Immersive Tech specialist with a solid background in extended reality (XR) technologies and expertise in the Metaverse landscape. For the last five years she has been working as an XR specialist, bringing immersive tech to business and making herself a contributor to the Austrian XR field. Seeking an interesting and creative role to leverage her expertise in XR technologies and problem-solving to create cutting-edge virtual environments and enhance user interaction.

Ben is a design engineer by trade specializing in visualization and extended reality (XR). He leads the Immersive Engineering marketing partnership with Sony, focusing on innovative marketing strategies, compelling content creation, and go-to-market campaigns. Ben's mission is to usher in the next generation of design through Immersive Engineering, transforming how we create the products of the future.

Antony “Skarredghost” Vitillo is an AR/VR developer, entrepreneur, and blogger. He started his career in 2014 with the full-body VR startup ImmotionAR, and since then, he has always striven to disrupt the immersive technologies space. In 2017 he cofounded New Technology Walkers, with which he developed the first mixed reality fitness game, HitMotion: Reloaded, with the support of HTC. In 2019 he began his collaboration with VRROOM, developing innovative events and concerts in VR, like Jean-Michel Jarre’s Welcome To The Other Side concert, which collected more than 75M views worldwide. With VRROOM he also led the development of a metaverse platform for concerts and live shows that reached the n.1 spot as the most downloaded free app on the Pico Store. Antony’s blog The Ghost Howls is well-known in the XR ecosystem, and he is considered by many as an influencer in the XR industry ecosystem, having participated in important worldwide events like View Conference, WCVRI, SXSW, and AWE USA.

Kasper has a masters degree in technology based business development and over 5 years in the renewable energy industry, primarily with Vestas Wind Systems and Siemens Gamesa, specializing in driving, developing and implementing digital technologies across the business.

Tibor Mérey, Managing Director and Partner of BCG X/Boston Consulting Group. Stations: Studies in Business Administration in St. Gallen, Finance (Barcelona), International Management (Sydney). 2018 Interim Head of Existing Customer Management at leading European telecommunications company. Today, as one of the global metaverse experts, deals with the economic potentials of the metaverse and supports customers in identifying and implementing the new technology with suitable use cases. His main focus: the acceleration of digitization with a focus on data-driven growth and the integration of artificial intelligence. With this expertise, he advises a wide variety of companies worldwide "The Metaverse will affect everything and everyone of us affect the way we live and work...”

Maria Escubos has been at Meta for 6 years, where she is a Product Marketing Director in Meta’s Wearables division. Prior to supporting Wearables, Maria worked on a series of Future of Work initiatives in the company, including Workrooms and Workplace. Before Meta, Maria worked at Dropbox and Google, leading a number of business growth initiatives across Ads and Enterprise SaaS. Maria is originally Spanish but has spent most of her life abroad, studying and working in Germany, Belgium, France, and Ireland. Maria currently lives in London with her husband and her 2-year-old daughter.

Practical work worldwide and educational background have strongly guided Jussi's understanding of how operators will be trained in the future. Working at Ponsse with simulator technology gives the opportunity to develop operator training in a safer, more environmentally friendly and more cost-effective direction.

Milton Mariani, Ph.D. is the product manager for the Immersive Technologies team under the Industrial Metaverse Technologies Department at Novo Nordisk, where he sets the strategy and vision for the products to be delivered that bring value and impact to the customers in the line business. Milton has conducted research and collaborated with esteemed universities and organizations, such as Technical University of Munich, Imperial College London, and Strathclyde University, Technical University Denmark, ÖSSUR and European Commission.

Simone Toftegaard is the Digital Training Manager for GxP Training in Novo Nordisk. She manages a team of educated professionals dedicated to creating effective eLearning and engaging learning journeys and utilises all XR technologies to decrease the time to perform. Simone is a digital training technology expert and has worked as a consultant for the past decade, focusing on how training technologies can be used in leadership development, organisational change, and capability building.

Michel is a neuroscientist with a Master's in Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Zurich and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from ETH Zurich. His doctoral research focused on EEG and sensory stimulation, with key contributions in human memory performance and VR environments. Post-Ph.D., Michel worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Singapore-ETH Centre, where he led studies on the psychophysiological effects of urban environments using mobile EEG and EDA devices. He then became Lead Neuroscientist at IDUN Technologies, driving the development of in-ear EEG devices. Currently, Michel is the Lead Scientist for Wearable Sensors at Dätwyler, specializing in the validation and application of neurotechnology in wearable health devices.

David is an award-winning XR creator, crafting interactive narrative experiences at the intersection of the real and virtual, merging traditional theatrical techniques with cutting-edge immersive technology. His pioneering work with live performance in virtual reality has appeared at festivals and conferences worldwide, including Tribeca, SXSW, Raindance, and the Venice Biennale Cinema. He is the Performance Lab Fellow at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, working with XR technologies for theatre, live performance, and immersive storytelling.

Monica is a leading expert in innovation and immersive learning, whose pioneering work in XR and AI has solidified her as a leader in the global technological landscape. As the former Head of Immersive Learning at Meta and a visionary leader on Interactive Learning Labs at Amazon, Monica has become a seminal figure in the field of immersive education. Named among the Top 100 Global Women of the Future in Emerging Tech, Monica’s influence resonates globally. As an advisor and Chief Innovation Officer for startups and Founder of Th3 Third Door, Monica has formulated and executed innovative tech solutions that reimagine the future of work and learning. As the Executive Director of Innovation, Digital Education, and Analytics (IDEA) Lab at Imperial College London, Monica is defining the vision for the future of learning while leading an expert team through the development and growth of new solutions for the rapidly evolving industry. Monica's leadership is crafting a legacy where the fusion of advanced technology and human potential unlocks new frontiers for learning and innovation.

Nicola “Nick” Rosa is a technologist, business strategist and digital transformation specialist who previously worked for Google, Spotify, IBM IX, Yahoo!, and Atari; and is now part of Accenture Strategy & Consulting in their Innovation team, where he is the Industry Technology Innovation Lead for Europe. Nick is also a Director at the Academy of International Extended Reality (AIXR), a non-profit entity producing the annual VR Awards. He co-hosts and co-authors a podcast series called “Field of View”, where he interviews entrepreneurs, researchers, and pioneers in Extended Reality, AI, and the Metaverse. The podcast is available on all major platforms, including YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music. Nick has also spoken at international events such as AWE, Oculus Connect, Fyuz, and CogX. His first book “Understanding the Metaverse: A Business and Ethical Guide”, was published by Wiley worldwide on October 27, 2022 and available on printed press, kindle, and audiobook versions. Nick is also a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Arts.

For the last two decades, Gabs has worked at the intersection of technology, entertainment, and communication. Through her award-winning XR studio vrisch, her leadership at the Austrian XR community, and as an influential independent professional, she identifies opportunities for innovation through the practical application of various fields, such as digital media production, creative technology, and storytelling. From her experience, ranging from Environmental Protection to Performing Arts and from Journalism to Experiential Marketing, she thrives in finding connections and meanings between everything and everyone. Gab's multicultural and neurodiverse background, experience in multiple countries, and success as a 'momtrepreneur' have led her to have a self-accepted calling to contribute to the cause of good, growth, and gain in the lives of others. She actively fosters networks that promote knowledge sharing and collaborative innovation, which led to the founding of Austria's first and largest XR community, XRVienna. Gabs is also the Austrian Ambassador of Women in Immersive Technologies Europe and an advisory board member of Euromersive, AIXR, and SXSW, contributing to cross-border knowledge exchange. But above all, Gabs advocates for the power of humor and a hug to improve the world.

António Baía Reis is a university professor, researcher, interdisciplinary artist, and actor specializing in emerging media and their potential impact on society. He holds a bachelor's degree in International Relations, a diploma in Acting, a master's degree in Communication Sciences, and a PhD in Digital Media. His doctorate, completed in collaboration with the University of Porto and Stanford University under the supervision of scholar and journalist R. B. Brenner - a former editor at the Washington Post and a Pulitzer Prize winner—resulted in a doctoral project focused on the critical relationship between virtual reality, creativity, and social change. With a diverse artistic background spanning performance, music, and multimedia art, Baía Reis has been developing a portfolio of creation and research for more than a decade at the intersection of digital media, virtual reality, performance, experimental music, cinema, and art installations. Topics like XR and empathy, social interaction design and etiquette in XR worlds, live performance in XR, artivism and emergent tech, AI and performing arts, AI and education, AI and experimental art, and arts-based science and heritage communication are some of the subjects on his agenda. Currently, he is the Head of Research & Development at Asterius and a researcher at the Digital Media Innovation Lab at Universidad Carlos III in Madrid. He is also part of the award-winning group The Ferryman Collective, where he develops arts-based research that combines performing arts and virtual reality. Recent highlights include being awarded an MSCA Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship for research that combines science and heritage communication with experimental art and immersive media. A published author in prominent international scientific journals, Baía Reis is also the director of the academic journal Cinema & Territory and a member of the editorial board of the journal Media Practice and Education.

Andrea Bravo, Ph.D. is the founder and editor at www.metaversethics.org, where she provides strategic forecasting on data privacy and ethics for XR. Andrea has consulted and researched for MIT, the Technical University of Denmark, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Fraunhofer Institute, Nesta–UK Innovation Agency for Social Good, Cotec Foundation for Innovation, and the European Commission.

Gabriele Romagnoli is head of marketing and community at ShapesXR, an award-winning startup on a mission to bring the next-level tool for designing and prototyping immersive apps. Passionate about collaboration and creativity, Gabriele stepped onto several international stages to inspire audiences and share his vision of how immersive technologies can have an impact on teams' creativity and productivity RIGHT NOW.

I am Bastian, an XR developer based in Vienna with a master's degree specializing in XR. Currently, I am employed at AIT, Austria's largest research institute, where I focus on developing innovative XR solutions tailored for industrial applications, particularly in the realms of GreenTech and decarbonization. My passion lies in discovering and implementing cutting-edge XR technologies to create new use cases that not only advance the field but also contribute positively to environmental sustainability. The opportunity to leverage XR to foster a greener future is particularly fulfilling to me.

Willem Putzeys is a digital business consultant who has worked on innovative projects for many private and public organizations. Since 2021, he has been heading the creation of FAAM.vlaanderen for the Flemish government. FAAM, a virtual museum of history and culture, connects hundreds of museums, archives, practitioners and historical sites across Flanders in captivating digital stories about the rich heritage of the region. FAAM leverages visual storytelling, gamification and AR to appeal to a wide audience.

Louise Paepe is a consultant at the Regional Technological Center (RTC) Antwerpen. She is part of the team that researched, prepared, and implemented the ‘XR Action plan’ in Flanders. With this plan, 690 vocational & technical schools can use XR hardware and software for free. Louise is the coordinator of the XR action plan within RTC Antwerpen. She takes on a leading role in making content available in the Flanders-wide software library and provides support to the schools.

Zaid Zaim, a Spatial Computing Expert,Microsoft MVP, is known for his innovative work in XR and AI. A celebrated technopreneur, Zaid has spoken at TED Conferences, GITEX, WeAreDevelopers World Congress and works at ignore gravity, focused on innovation and solving organizational challenges with advanced technology. His projects, which make complex tech accessible and engaging, span sectors like Cultural Heritage and Healthcare. A global multiplier for Mixed Reality, Zaid is committed to fostering collaborative growth and learning worldwide.

Lana Zaim is a distinguished general dentist and an alumnus of Charité Berlin, one of Europe’s premier universities and clinics. She currently practices at the Meindentist clinic. Beyond her dental career, Lana is a certified deep learning specialist trained by NVIDIA and has developed a keen interest in immersive technologies. In addition to her professional pursuits, Lana is a shareholder and was one of the key initiators of the ReDI School of Digital Integration. This non-profit organization supports newcomers and refugees with tech skills and assisting them in securing employment across Europe. Lana's involvement underscores her commitment to leveraging technology for social impact and integration.

Petri is Founding Partner at FOV Ventures, the European early stage VC fund investing in founders building the Metaverse. Petri has been investing in immersive technologies for the past 8 years as an angel investor and through previous investment vehicles such as Nordic XR Startups and Business Finland where he set up a €30m fund to boost the local ecosystem and startups. FOV Ventures currently has a portfolio of 28 companies since its launch in Q1 2022.

Junghwo Park is the Head of Virtual Design and Construction at Umdasch Group Ventures, where he conducts research on digital construction technologies and advances Building Information Modeling (BIM) methodologies. He possesses a strong technical understanding of both building and graphic design, enabling him to deliver highly efficient and tailored solutions to clients. Junghwo earned a Bachelor of Architectural Design from RMIT University in Melbourne and a Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) from the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. His extensive experience spans architecture, industrial design, and graphic design, with a diverse portfolio of work across Australia, Austria, Germany, and Korea. His interests lie in advanced architectural design and building technologies, with a particular focus on the increasing significance of digital computational technologies. He believes that these technologies are crucial for the next generation of scientists, architects, designers, and engineers. In particular, Junghwo sees great potential in the components of the Metaverse—such as AR, VR, and XR—leveraging his technical expertise to harness their best practices for future applications.

Sune Wolff, PhD, is the CTO and Co-Founder of SynergyXR, with over a decade of experience in XR technologies for industrial and enterprise applications. Holding a PhD in Computer Science, Sune also serves as the acting Chief Product Officer, directing the technical roadmap and spearheading product development. His leadership has been instrumental in developing a no-code XR platform that allows enterprise companies to build, operate, and optimize immersive learning programs efficiently and at scale.

With over a decade of experience building and deploying virtual reality and augmented reality solutions, Jeremy founded PwC's first dedicated immersive technologies team. As leader of this department, he has commissioned reports which have been cited by organizations all over the world, produced XR applications that have been deployed in the thousands, and published books which are being used by businesses and universities all over the world. Jeremy has advised governments, the public sector, startups, NGOs, and academic institutions on the value of XR and his work is regularly featured in The Financial Times, The Economist, the BBC, and other media outlets.

Louise manages the delivery of PwC's emerging technology projects, ensuring they are delivered on time, to specification, and within acceptable risk parameters. Within XR, she has dealt with projects involving 360 video, computer-generated, and volumetric video content delivered on headsets, laptops, and smartphones. Her work has varied from delivering networked VR content on a beach in Dubai, UAE to installing physical VR infrastructure in Lagos, Nigeria. As a result of her efforts, she has enabled the delivery of XR solutions to thousands of people all over the world.

Mads Troelsgaard is the Co-Founder and CEO of SynergyXR, bringing over 15 years of XR industry experience, including his tenure as CEO of Unity Studios. Renowned as a leading XR executive and thought leader, Mads drives the development of XR enterprise software that enhances training and operational efficiency for industrial, energy, and manufacturing sectors, effectively bridging the real and virtual worlds. SynergyXR is the leading no-code XR and Spatial Computing SaaS platform for the industrial, manufacturing, and energy sectors, enabling companies to build, operate, and optimize safe immersive training programs at a scale, speed, and cost not previously possible.

'- Studied Media Technology in Bachelor/Master at the FH St. Pölten with a focus on XR-Technologies and 3D-Content creation. - Worked five years as a Junior Researcher at the FH St. Pölten also focused on XR-Projects. - Now I´m working at Wien-IT in the Digi.Lab, a research and development department as a software developer also working various XR-Topics. - On the side I do a little teaching in Blender 3D in the study program Bachelor Creative Computing at the FH St. Pölten

Felix Gorbatsevich is CEO and the leading technical expert at PaleBlue - Industrial XR company. Felix Gorbatsevich has been working at technology and software companies, in roles ranging from software engineer and systems architect to project manager and managing director. Now at PaleBlue, Gorbatsevich leads the development of XR and 3D simulators for the real world - creating immersive solutions for PaleBlue clients, such as the European Space Agency, Saudi Aramco, Neptune Energy, and Baker Hughes.

Flavia Mazzanti (ITA/BRA) is cofounder and CCO of Immerea, a media company based in Vienna focusing on the development of VR Games and interactive Installations. She is also co-organizer of XRVienna, Austrian co-ambassador of Euromersive, and active as public speaker and university lecturer. At Immerea, she is interested in experimenting with immersive media and game as a medium with the aim of developing and providing new ways of perception and interaction. Listed on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe List of 2023, Flavia graduated with distinction at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna in 2020, receiving the Gustav Peichl Award for architectural drawing and the Würdigungs Prize for artistic work. Her works have been screened and awarded at multiple national and international festivals, among others the Ars Electronica Festival, Digital Arts Festival Zurich, Rio2C, Athens Digital Art Festival.

As co-chair of the PwC Black Network, Sam promotes the talents, skills, and views of Black employees at PwC, ensuring that new joiners and existing staff feel included at the firm. His personal mission is to empower people and help them showcase their abilities whilst bringing their authentic selves to the workplace and all aspects of society. This led to his involvement in the development of In My Shoes, PwC's flagship virtual reality experience designed to tackle unconscious racial bias which has been delivered to companies worldwide. Sam's efforts to foster greater inclusivity in the workplace have been recognized by industry, culminating in him receiving a Rising Star finalist trophy at The Black British Business Awards.

Alex Rühl is a pioneering virtual reality (VR) creator and the founder of a production company specializing in narrative-based VR experiences. Since starting her VR career in 2015, she’s written, directed and exec produced several original pieces that have featured at Cannes and the Venice Film Festival, earning her multiple accolades, including The Drum’s 50 under 30, Women of the Future Awards, and the Pioneers of XR Award. Now Head of Emerging Tech at PwC, Alex is working alongside the world’s biggest organizations to help them understand what spatial computing, virtual reality and web3 mean for the future of work, entertainment, communication and commerce.

Roman is an experienced entrepreneur and tech enthusiast who has successfully built ventures in the computer vision, esports, and fintech industries. With three successful exits, Roman has expertise in negotiating deals totaling over $5 billion, and he played a key role in helping several companies expand into Western Europe, the USA, and APAC. In 2021, Roman founded XPANCEO, a deep tech company developing next-generation computing via smart contact lenses with XR vision, health monitoring, and content surfing features. With a world-class team in physics and nanophotonics, the company already developed and successfully tested 4 prototypes.

Valentyn S. Volkov, PhD, is an internationally renowned expert in the field of nanophotonics and advanced materials, with two decades of experience at leading universities and research centers. His contributions to the field have been substantial, with an h-index of 40, over 250 published papers and an impressive citation count exceeding 8000. His current research interests primarily focus on the field of graphene nanophotonics, 2D materials, sensing, biosensors, and functional 2D materials-based devices. As co-founder of XPANCEO, Valentyn leads an R&D team of 50 exceptional scientists dedicated to revolutionizing human-technology interaction and guiding humanity toward transhumanism through scientific innovation.

Philipp is head of the Visual Computing Lab at Zurich University of Applied Sciences. Beyond his XR-related teaching and R&D activities he is the developer of ARchi VR (archi.metason.net), a free iOS App that supports room capturing, generic AR browsing, and remote collaboration in spatial context.

Ori Inbar is the Co-Founder and CEO of AugmentedReality.org, a global non-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing augmented reality (AR), and the producer of Augmented World Expo – the world’s largest event dedicated exclusively to the AR industry. AugmentedReality.org’s mission is to promote the true potential of AR, and hatch augmented reality initiatives that offer unique value to its active users. In 2009, Ori was the co-founder and CEO of Ogmento, one of the first venture-backed companies conceived from the ground up to develop and publish augmented reality games – games that are played in the real world. Ori has been an enterprising champion of the augmented reality industry since 2007. He established Games Alfresco – a leading augmented reality blog that helped popularize AR, and co-founded the Augmented Reality Event (ARE) – the world’s largest and most influential conference for AR – now in its 4th year. Ori is a recognized speaker in the AR industry as well as a sought after adviser for augmented reality initiatives. Previously, as Senior Vice President of Solution Marketing for SAP’s platform, Ori was responsible for the positioning and marketing of SAP NetWeaver – which under his leadership grew from a mere concept to a billion dollar business for SAP. Prior to SAP, Ori joined TopTier Software, as one of the first employees of this start-up. He lead the development and introduction to the market of more than 15 multimedia and business applications including the world’s leading enterprise portal, which in 2001 was acquired by SAP for 0 Million. Ori has a double major in Computer Science and Cinema from Tel Aviv University and is a graduate of INSEAD University business leadership program.

Barbara Widholm recently transitioned to Global Technology's Tech Modernization team following her tenure at State Street, where she contributes to State Streets GenAI/Machine Learning and Digital strategy. During her time at State Street, Barbara served as a Product Developer within the State Street Digital division, concentrating on digital assets and technologies. Her responsibilities encompassed establishing a comprehensive business and operating model to support clients throughout the digital investment cycle, from pre-trade to post-trade activities. She also spearheaded various projects aimed at enhancing client satisfaction and user experience. Barbara's journey at State Street began in EMEA back in April 2016, initially focusing on Global Markets FX Sales/RM for StreetFX and Indirect FX. Over time, she diversified her roles and geographic locations, gaining expertise in Data Management, Pre-Sales Engineering, and Product Development across different market segments. In 2019, Barbara relocated to Boston to take on roles in Alpha Data Management and Pre-Sales Engineering, catering to a diverse client base including Alternatives, Asset Owners, Asset Managers, and Insurance companies. Prior to her tenure at State Street, Barbara garnered international experience, working in the US, UK, and Germany, starting her career at Goldman Sachs in London with a focus on Back Office and Legal Documentation. Barbara holds two Master of Science degrees, one in MSc Data Science completed in 2021 from the University of Edinburgh, and another in MSc Innovation Management & Entrepreneurship from Manchester Business School. Barbara is also actively involved as Co-Chair of the Professional Women's Network in Technology, demonstrating her commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion in the tech industry.

Lisa is the co-founder and Director of User Experience at L3A UX Studio, where she leads the UX design efforts for immersive technology experiences. She works with leading global brands and organizations, from creative agencies to Fortune 100 companies to arts institutions and research facilities. Some recent work includes VR experiences at world-renowned museums, interactive video narratives, VR simulations for healthcare workers, educational apps for kids with autism, and service design for the medical cannabis community. Lisa is also an adjunct professor at NYIT’s School of Architecture and Design, where she teaches "UX/UI Design for XR" to M.A. students.

Mark C Ransley is the Head of Spatial Computing at XYZ Reality, where he leads software development for the ATOM - the world's only XR headset to be purpose built for construction.

Sven is an ex videogame veteran (Larian Studios, PlayStation), who's the driving force behind Tropos AR, a leading AR company that has delivered over 80 large scale AR expriences, all running on their in-house Tropos AR SDK technology. That SDK is an all-in-one native AR tool (built in Unity) that allows companies to purely focus on the content, without having to worry about UI, tech capabilities, AR cloud-back-end, gamification tools etc. Tropos AR has a partnership with Worldline (4th biggest payment processor worldwide) and Sven is their XR keynote speaker. Beyond 4-5 yearly Worldline keynote talks, Sven is regularly invited to events, conferences, multinationals and schools.

Leland is the general manager of PICO XR EMEA and has held various positions within the region for the last eight years, both in the Enterprise and Consumer divisions. Leland is currently focused on delivering the best enterprise platforms and services for EMEA based ISV and end-customers in the areas of healthcare, training, education, and out-of-home entertainment. Prior to PICO XR Leland worked in XR start-ups and traditional gaming/electronics brands. He has an MBA from Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley with a concentration on Management of Technology.

Ines is a passionate XR designer, multimedia artist and solarpunk advocate. She is known for her playful social AR effects for Snapchat and artistic VR experiences. With a degree in Multimedia | VR-Design from Burg Giebichenstein Halle-Saale, she is exploring the possibilities of new technology and shares her insights with the community through YouTube videos and tutorials. Besides her work in XR, she is the co-founder of the Indie Game Studio “Crabby Collabby Games” and creates hand drawn graphics and frame by frame animations.

With over 25 years of entrepreneurial experience in the technological and creative industries, I specialize in various aspects, including technical, creative, educational, and business facets related to technology. Currently focused on the XR industry, my goal is to leverage emerging technologies to transform Chile and Latin America into creative powerhouses. I lead multiple companies, such as Augmented Experiences, Posterity, NVIVO, and Multiversica, and contribute to industry development as the Founder and President of the Chilean Association of Immersive Experiences (ACHEX A.G.). Additionally, I actively participate in initiatives like Congreso Futuro’s Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence, Neuro-Rights, Digital Platforms, and Metaverse (LIANM), serve as the LATAM liaison for X Reality Safety Intelligence (XRSI), where among other collaborations, co-authored recommendations regarding Neurotechnology and Human Rights for the United Nation’s Human Rights Council and the Australian Human Rights Council. I’m also part of the Board of Trustees for Women of The Future LATAM Edition. My commitment extends to mentoring, policy contributions, and involvement in various expert committees and advisory boards at both national and regional levels.

Matt works with clients to design and build delightful and intuitive user interfaces for XR, mobile and the web. He has 10+ years of software development experience across frontend, backend, and devops in a broad range of industries including Manufacturing, Utilities, FMCG, Financial Services, Government, and Sport. Prior to his career in software development, Matt obtained a PhD in Theoretical Particle Physics, during which he digested complex topics and developed the ability to abstract and model real-world problems – skills that he uses every day at Cambridge Consultants.

Alice has international experience designing for both physical and digital products, coming from a product design background transitioning into UX. This hybrid background gives her the ideal skills to design immersive XR experiences, blending both her creativity and technical expertise to create user-centric experiences which are both innovative and meet user needs. Alice is a designer seeking to always go above and beyond, to improve experiences and deliver impact that makes a real difference. Her relentless curiosity and dedication to continuous learning means she thrives in environments that challenge conventional thinking and push the boundaries.

Wolfgang Bergmann, geboren 1963 in St. Pölten, ist seit Jänner 2017 wirtschaftlicher Geschäftsführer der Österreichischen Galerie Belvedere. Nach einem Studium der Theologie begann er seine Laufbahn als Sprecher und Leiter der Öffentlichkeitsarbeit der Caritas (1988-96). Als Kommunikationschef der Erzdiözese Wien (1996-2000) war er auch Gründungsgeschäftsführer von Radio Stephansdom. 1999 wurde er Verlagsleiter der Tageszeitung der Standard, wo er im Jahr 2000 die Geschäftsführung übernahm und zudem ab 2008 auch Vorstand der Standard Medien AG war. Wolfgang Bergmann, born in St. Pölten in 1963, has been the Belvedere’s chief financial officer since January 2017. After earning a degree in theology, he began his career as the spokesperson and head of public relations for the charity Caritas (1988–96). During his time as head of communications for the Archdiocese of Vienna, from 1996 to 2000, he also served as the founding director of Radio Stephansdom. He was appointed publishing director of the daily newspaper Der Standard in 1999, taking over as managing director in 2000, and also served on the board of Standard Medien AG from 2008 to 2012.

Maria Le Mura is the CEO of Beyond Words, a French company dedicated to improving the language learning experience through AI and VR. Life-long learner, passionate about impactful learning experiences, Maria speaks 5 languages and has as mission spreading the work about the positive effects of technology on the learning process. Today, she is also an eDBA student at Paul-Valéry University in Montpellier, studying the impact of automatizations on the employees' performance.

Johan Walters is a seasoned Digital Marketing Consultant with a specialization in AI and Immersive Technologies. With 25 years of experience, he helps brands and agencies leverage the power of Augmented Reality (AR) to create engaging and effective marketing campaigns. As an AR Producer and XR Consultant, Johan collaborates with creative teams to develop innovative AR experiences. His expertise extends to platforms like Zappar, Blippar, Meta Spark, and TikTok Effect House. In addition to his practical experience, Johan has contributed to the AR industry through training and presentations. He has co-authored Zappar's official training product and presented on "Design Thinking for Augmented Reality" at AWE Live.

Minh is a Vietnamese-German Creative Director for Mixed Reality Experiences and 'Migrant Mom'. She studied Multimedia|VR-Design in Germany and worked on pioneering technologies in Silicon Valley before being recruited as a Professor of Game Art & Design at HBK Essen. Today, as Co-founder of A.MUSE, she creates impactful experiences at the convergence of interactive exhibits, VR/AR/XR, AI, edutainment and games. With her playful creations between art, design, tech and social entrepreneurship, she actively advocates for cultural diversity and digital equality. Minh was awarded with worldwide recognition, including “Unity for Humanity”, “Games for Change”, “MIT XR Hack” and “Cultural & Creative Pilot”. (⟶ More info: www.amuse.vision | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tibimi/ )

Christian is a seasoned 3D artist and developer based in the UK, specialising in the intersection of immersive technology and artificial intelligence. With a robust background in Architecture and 3D design, he has seamlessly transitioned into the burgeoning field of extended reality (XR). His work has led to build AR projects for notable names such as Coachella, Universal, and Hyundai, demonstrating a keen ability to merge technical skill with creative vision. Christian is passionate about narrative-driven experiences and prides himself on providing technological solutions to client problems, showcasing his commitment to not only meet but exceed expectations. A believer in the ethos of visibility for growth, Christian advocates for the sharing of work as a catalyst for opportunity. His journey is characterised by a commitment to pushing the boundaries of XR and AI tools, driving both personal advancement and the evolution of the industry.

David Burch is the Sales Director at ArborXR. His extensive experience in the enterprise solutions space has helped enable ArborXR to continue its growth trajectory and become the leading vendor of choice for XR deployments all over the world. He currently lives in Oklahoma, USA, with his wife and three children.

Luis Bravo Martins is a published author & speaker in XR and Augmented Work. He is the editor of Portugal XR Report 2024, an insight document on the portuguese XR talent, investment, business and research ecosystem, done in partnership with several local and european associations.

After having worked as a film director and producer with a particular focus on innovative technologies, Christina “XaosPrincess” Kinne has found a new creative home in virtual reality, where she creates content using tools like Gravity Sketch or Tilt Brush, organizes and hosts multiuser gatherings, and evangelizes to the real world by enabling communication between users in real life and VR for educational events. She holds an Art School Diploma in “Feature Film and Television Feature” from HFF Munich and a Master of Arts in “Digital Narratives” from IFS – Internationale Filmschule Koeln, for which she has brought a GPT-3 driven chatbot to life in social VR. Until January 2022 Christina "XaosPrincess" Kinne worked for the social VR platform Tivoli Cloud VR as CMO and Events Manager and currently serves as a guest lecturer for virtual reality at the University of Applied Sciences Fresenius and IFS Internationale Filmschule Koeln while supervising the public release of her MA thesis project QUANTUM BAR.

M.Phil. in Interactive Technology, is R&D Lead and Technology Specialist at Helsinki XR Center and Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. Helsinki XR Center if the leading XR developer hub in Europe operated on public funding. They support early-stage startup teams, conduct research and development activities and support Finnish and European ecosystem around Metaverse, XR and other new technologies. Before joining HXRC, Santeri worked as a researcher at Tampere Unit for Computer-Human Interaction at University of Tampere. Santeri has more than 13 years of experience with technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, speech and gesture interaction, mobile technologies and game engines. His latest research projects have centered around educational VR software for healthcare, green energy, public performances and industrial training. Santeri is on the Board of Directors for XR4Europe association, part of the advisory board for Finnish National Metaverse Strategy and founding member of EU Commission’s VR/AR Industrial Coalition. He also frequently acts as a keynote speaker on XR, metaverse and other related topics.

Cederik is a tech entrepreneur at the forefront of XR technologies. He’s strategist, keynote speaker, CTO, Co-Founder, innovator, and author of the NIM Framework, a body of work that provides a common language and structure for collaboration among business leaders, designers and technology experts in XR, AI, and advanced computing to prepare for human-machine interaction at the convergence of VR/AR, AI and 5G. Cederik is also the Managing Director of XR Valley, the Belgian XR association.

Baltic Chapter president at VRAR Association and a co-founder at RedFrog.

Evan Carlson is an XR Solutions Engineer at Niantic, where he plays a pivotal role in empowering the Web AR developer community. Evan collaborates with developers and agencies–from ideation to execution–to bring all kinds of XR experiences to life.

Ricard has created virtual world projects since the mid-2000’s. At present, he works as co-founder at Vienna-based Captic GmbH. Captic has created a web-native whitelabel metaverse solution, hosting thousands of worlds. Captic offers the world’s most flexible spatial computing platform, incl. market-exclusive features such as live, in-browser scripting and GenAI capabilities. A former Games program Chair of SIGGRAPH in two occasions, Ricard is founding board member of Euromersive, the European federation of XR professionals.

I am a husband, a father of two young girls and a techpreneur. Co-founded IVG.World, a B2B platform. We are a creator-led community of Gen Z female and non-binary phygital fashion designers in the Metaverse. Our purpose is to build true wealth for every contributing member of our community. Our vision is to solve the problem of environmental waste caused by the Fast Fashion industry. Prior to iVG.World, I launched businesses in Silicon Valley, Dubai and worked in the innovation space for some of the largest multinational companies.

I’m a 19-year-old designer from Pakistan and a proud member of the IVG.World Community. I am driven by passion and purpose. I’ve had the honor of working with Meta and P&G, creating impactful digital experiences. I love building apps that make a difference, and right now, I’m working on a project close to my heart—an app focused on sustainable fashion. For me, design is more than just a craft; it's a way to create change and leave a lasting impact.

My name is Amelia Styś, I'm a nineteen-year-old graphic design and multimedia art student from Poland. I've been a member of the IVG.World community since 2022. I had the pleasure of working with Meta, P&G and GE. My work along with my friends’ made an appearance on Meta presentation at the World Economic Forum's Davos 2023. I'm passionate about organic modeling, character design, zoology, 3d printing, creating VR spaces and working with AI.

My name is Natalia Styś. I'm fourteen years old and I come from Warsaw, Poland. I like to create digital drawings and 2D animations. I love animals and nature. I enjoy watching Studio Ghibli movies because they portray strong female characters which I find inspiring. I joined IVG.World because I believe women and members of minorities deserve equal chances in business. Since I joined IVG I have met many girls my age from all around the world. I’m really excited to launch our DAO!!!

Jan was an early adopter of digital technologies for the creative area. The potential of VR was obvious to him, so he started exploring new interaction techniques and developed interaction devices for spatial environments in the field of research. His long-time passion for AR and VR led him to establish the center of competence as a network hub for AR&VR, the place to inspire and influence the XR activities within Audi AG. As a creative technologist, he drives now innovation at Audi Design. With his private label, advisXR, Jan advises startups and fosters network activities to drive and deliver the future in the field of XR. In his mission for an open XR ecosystem, he establishes strategic partnerships and supports aspiring as well as established companies on their journey through digital transformation.

Marine brings two decades of experience to Improbable, with a background in reputation turnarounds, M&A, and IPO preparation for engineering and tech companies. Her current role centers on Improbable's advocacy for the metaverse, where she spearheads The Metaverse Society. Beyond this, Marine is a strategic communications leader who enables business transformation and supports shareholder value creation by helping shape the equity story. She has successfully overseen the function of covering brand, digital, financial comms and crisis planning, for a number of international businesses facing into and emerging successfully from numerous image & reputation challenges and preparing them for large-scale financial operations.

A familiar and friendly face at AWE, Muki is a multi-award-winning Chief Innovation Officer, Executive XR Producer and Creative Technologist with over two decades of pioneering interactive, immersive XR experiences and R&D strategies for music, sports, entertainment, and broadcasting. Clients past and present include Red Bull Media House, Paramount, NBA, Marvel, Bose, The National Gallery (with Playlines’ ‘Augmented Gallery: Art of London’ and ‘Consequences’), Angry Birds/Samsung, and BBC’s The Voice UK, where she EP’d “The Virtual Voice’, BBC’s first-ever series of immersive 360°Virtual Reality in 2015. Previously, she spent over 10 years in the ‘00s launching MTV International’s first-ever interactive digital platforms, websites, apps and live-streaming stunts which birthed and fueled her passion for creating groundbreaking, ‘media-first’ interactive, cross-platform fan experiences. Currently, Muki is also the Innovation Co-Lead for the IBC (International Broadcasting Convention) Accelerators Media Innovation Programme, which fosters open knowledge R&D for timely, relevant, industry-recognised challenges via thought-leadership consortia, with Muki’s expertise spearheading the live and XR ecosystems that push creative, progressive production and broadcast engineering within Interactive XR, AI/Voice, Emerging Media, Fan Engagement, Digital Replicas/Digital Twins, Virtual Production and more. She also passionately and proactively supports DEI initiatives, equality and culture change, and, in 2024 was appointed the UK Ambassador for the respected Women in Immersive Technologies Europe (aka, WIIT), the AWE 2023 Auggie Award-Winning (‘Best in Show’, via Bad*ss Girls) NGO that she’s been heavily involved with since its inception in 2016. WIIT’s values and goals aim to create an inclusive and supported network of talented, diverse women and non-binary individuals driving and inspiring our immersive VR/AR/MR/XR and spatial productions across industry sectors. (come pop by our #AWE2024 and say hi!) As a professional MC, Moderator and Keynote Speaker, Muki is also in demand on the global speaking circuit and appears at other events such as SXSW, Stereopsia, ITW/VR Awards/AIXR, XR4HUMAN, MWC/4YFN, MPTS (Media Production Technology Show), Abbey Road Studios Spatial Audio Forum and more. She also sits on several industry Advisory Boards, Juries and Committees, and contributes to tech papers, standards and thought leadership publications focussing on emerging and progressive technologies within media and entertainment and improving gender equality.

Dr. Laurent DA DALTO is the CEO and founder of MIMBUS. He has a PhD in Virtual Reality and has been working on the transfer of new technologies to manual trades training since 2001. In 2004, he conceived the first simulator dedicated to the training of the welding motion. He created MIMBUS in 2011 to provide the vocational training centres with a global offer. Two years later, he created the unique simulator of its kind in the world capable of training carpenter and cabinet marker. He is member of the European Vocational Training Association and he regularly gives a talk to promote the use of the new technologies and the artificial intelligence dedicated to the vocational training.

Michael Ronen is an award-winning immersive director, tech entrepreneur, and the visionary behind the Play Economy—a framework that merges play, simulations, and advanced technology to transform consumer engagement and drive business innovation. Michael’s journey began in theater, where he earned the prestigious Nestroy Prize as a lead actor in Vienna. He later transitioned into the tech world, founding Viorama, the company behind Splash, a VR app Winner at SXSW 2016. As part of Viorama, Michael also developed Spilly, a neural net for real-time human detection, which allowed for interactive visual effects—technology that Giphy later acquired. In addition to his work with Viorama, Michael co-founded Shaderverse, which focuses on 3D procedural asset and avatar creation for virtual worlds and the metaverse. As the founder of Wonderland Immersive Design, Michael has led immersive projects with Mastercard in the metaverse, collaborated on experience design with the Burning Man Organization, and partnered with Columbia University on immersive educational projects. Recently, Wonderland has worked with startups on innovative educational products through play and with brands on AI-powered personalized e-commerce. Through the Play Economy Hub and his book, "The Guide to the Play Economy", Michael continues to lead a movement that encourages businesses to embrace AI, XR, and play as essential tools for growth and customer loyalty. His expertise is sought by companies looking to integrate these technologies into their strategies, creating more engaging, emotional connections with their audiences.

A serial technology entrepreneur with start-up experience in Europe and the USA, Ian’s activities have crossed aerospace, process control, entertainment and architecture. He is currently Professor Transdisciplinary Design Networks at Design Academy Eindhoven, where his Trans Realities Lab is investigating applications of real-time collaborative Networked XR in education, industry and research. Through his arts practice, Studio Biscoe, Ian fuses approaches from many fields of technology, performing and visual arts, to create networked performances, such as Bridge To Everywhere between Havana, Cuba and Miami with the New World Symphony in 2016; and 2019’s A Short Journey into Folded Space between the Museum of Contemporary Art Barcelona and Birmingham, England. His latest artistic projects (such as at Eindhoven’s Glow Festival, and at Immersive Tech Week, Rotterdam, both in 2023) explore the use of XR mediated environments within live performance. He currently leads various research projects, such as HybridLab (Creative Europe) and XR-IT (EMIL/Horizon Europe).

Helmut Schrom-Feiertag received his Master's degree in Telematics from Graz University of Technology and is a scientist at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology in Vienna, Austria, for two decades. His main research interests are in the domain of immersive virtual Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), specifically the topics of Virtual, Mixed and Extended Reality (VR, MR, XR) used for research, prototyping and training. The focus is primarily on the development of adaptive immersive training systems that can interpret the state and actions of users in the simulated virtual context and optimally adapt to users and their individual behaviour. This provides an optimal basis for personalised and highly efficient training for challenging environments.

Lisa Maria Egger began as a performance artist in a theatre in 2004, then worked as an art reporter and presenter in the TV industry. In 2009, she became a production manager and producer for GO! Pictures and later co-founded "GO! Pictures KG" and its XR studio label "GO!insideVR" together with director Gero A.E. Egger in 2017. They specialize in narrative VR/360° experiences and immersive storytelling. In the same year, Lisa produced "Remain at Home," which premiered in Paris at the 360° Film Festival and was presented at major film festivals worldwide. Lisa has since produced multiple social XR live music, art, and theatre events. She is also a speaker, mentor, active in research and development of 6DoF media, and a consultant for the European Commission in the field of film, XR, and media innovation. She promotes a diverse, inclusive, and accessible future for immersive technology. In 2023, Lisa Maria Egger co-founded Arrival.Space, a fully web-based landing space and interoperable social 3D network that provides tools, access, and discovery for the immersive web and its creators. https://live.arrival.space/welcome

Andy Gstoll, founder of Mixed Reality AI, has been working in spatial computing for over 15 years. After successfully building the AR pioneer “Wikitude” and selling the company to the American chip manufacturer Qualcomm, he founded Mixed Reality AI to pass on his experience to other companies. Since 2017, the team of specialists has been offering comprehensive support on the topics of AR, VR, 3D and AI. In addition to consulting activities, the service portfolio includes software development, 3D modeling and master classes.

Catherine Gervaise spécialiste de la formation professionnelle, est directrice nationale de la pédagogie à l’Afpa (agence nationale pour la formation professionnelle), premier organisme de formation professionnelle continue en France L’Afpa avec ses 120 centres de formation, accompagne les actifs (salariés, apprentis, demandeurs d’emploi) et les entreprises. Catherine Gervaise, a specialist in professional training, is the national director of pedagogy at Afpa (national agency for professional training), the leading continuing professional training organization in France Afpa, with its 120 training centers, supports active people (employees, apprentices, job seekers) and businesses.

Catherine D. Henry is a leading voice on the Metaverse, virtualization and how 5G, augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence are transforming business today. A seasoned economist, she combines futurism with creative technology and strategic implementation. Catherine is currently SVP Growth, Metaverse & Innovation Strategy at Media.Monks, where she advises major global brands on how to enter the Metaverse by decoding technology and interactive experiences, helping brands negotiate new worlds, platforms and rules, from enterprise to entertainment. She holds an MBA with a focus on Marketing, an MA in economics at the Johns Hopkins SAIS, also post-graduate work in immersive media & VR Film making at NY Film Academy. Catherine has lived and worked extensively in Europe and Asia and speaks five languages.

Teaching climate-resilient forestry with a digital twin.

Alessandro is a scientific illustrator and lecturer in the Design department at Zurich University of the Arts. He is also co-founder of Quaint, a Zurich-based studio specializing in medical visualization and didactic animation, and collaborates as a designer on the ‘AR Patterns’ project with Philipp Ackermann of ZHAW.

Dr. Larissa Neuburger is a Research Associate at FHWien der WKW, the leading University of Applied Sciences for Management and Communication in Austria. In this role she is part of a research team developing online bridging courses for research skills & methods and examining students’ learning analytics. Before joining the FHWien der WKW, she worked as a Professor for Marketing at the IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems. Larissa Neuburger finished her PhD in May 2021 at the University of Florida in the research area of e-tourism with a special focus on immersive technology and virtual travel. Her research interest includes e-tourism, tourism marketing, social media marketing and immersive technologies (Augmented & Virtual Technology) in the context of tourism experience. Dr. Neuburger publishes regularly in academic journals and peer-reviewed books and presents her research at different national and international conferences. Since the beginning of 2023, Dr. Larissa Neuburger is editor in chief of the academic journal ‘Journal of Tourism Science’. Beside her academic career she also has work experience in the marketing area and tourism industry.

Chad Wollen is a Managing Partner at the Privacy Experience Agency, where he advises companies facing commercial and customer challenges created by new digital and data protection regulation. With 30 years of experience in the digital industry, Chad works with clients such as Meta, TikTok, and Microsoft to put customer insight, innovation, and creativity at the heart of their regulatory responses. He advises organisations on digital growth strategies, leveraging his expertise in data protection, GDPR, AI Act, Digital Markets Act (DMA), and Digital Services Act (DSA) compliance. With a focus on Customer Consent, Permissions, and Privacy Management, Chad connects commercial objectives, customer expectations, and regulatory compliance, ensuring a balanced and effective strategy and outcomes. As Co-Chair of the Privacy, Cybersecurity and Identity Working Group at the Metaverse Standards Forum, Chad is deeply involved in defining the technical and policy frameworks required for lawful and responsible virtual worlds and XR experiences. Previously, Chad held executive roles at WPP, Vodafone, ITV, AOL, and Yahoo!, where he worked in marketing strategy, customer value management, product innovation, and consumer insight. He's currently focused on developing frameworks for responsible and compliant AI Act implementations which connect its risk and rights-based approaches with a customer-centric toolkit.

As Zappar’s CTO, Connell oversees the ZapWorks team (Zappar’s AR/MR creation software) as well as being responsible for all the cloud infrastructure. Connell met Zappar Co-Founder Dr. Simon Taylor whilst they were both studying engineering at the University of Cambridge. They founded Zappar, along with Caspar Thykier, 10 years ago and have seen it grow into one of the leading AR platforms with .75M in funding and 60 staff.

May Masson, with her profound expertise in customer and product success, has been a beacon of innovation and dedication. As she steps into the role of Chapter President - Finland, her vision is set on elevating the local VR and AR community to new heights. Her leadership will focus on fostering growth and innovation, organizing impactful events, and creating networking opportunities. With a deep commitment to the tech community in Finland, and the Nordic countries. May is poised to drive the future of scalable augmented reality and spatial mapping forward, leveraging her extensive background and passion for making a difference in the cutting-edge realm of technology. With over a decade of experience in customer and product support/success, MayMasson's journey from a dreamer with a backpack in Ireland to an industry innovator is nothing short of inspiring. She embodies the essence of continuous learning, innovation, and quality. May, a self-driven and organized professional, thrives on challenges and excels in achieving goals with a clear and logical problem-solving approach. As the Head of Developers Community at Immersal, she has made significant strides in enhancing user experience and knowledge management, showcasing her commitment to excellence and her passion for making a difference in the tech world. Her transition into the role of Chapter President - Finland marks a significant milestone. This new position reflects not only her unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation but also her dedication to shaping the future of the industry in Finland and the Nordic countries.

As Head of Sales at VRdirect, the Enterprise solution for a professional and efficient use of Virtual Reality, Sara Boss has been advising various large clients and industry blue chips since 2018. With a background in journalism and after years of experience in TV and film licensing, Sara already moved to the XR industry when it was still in its early days. In 2016 she built up the division immersive media for German media agency tb-vent and founded her own VR company. With her in-depth knowledge of the market, Sara is supporting companies on the introduction of VR as a mainstream technology for various internal use cases – as there has never been a better time.

Since 2017, Brooks Filippin has been at the forefront of driving adoption of emerging technologies and enterprise solutions. As one of the first 3 employees of ManageXR, Brooks is currently leading business development at ManageXR, working with enterprises and developers across the globe on the adoption of XR technology for scaled deployments. His expertise is in advising organizations in navigating the technical complexities of the XR landscape. Prior to joining ManageXR, Brooks played a pivitol role at 3D Robotics, developing and implementing enterprise drone programs for the AEC industry, and ESRI, where they specialized in leveraging cutting-edge imagery and remote sensing technologies.

Martin is a serial entrepreneur, XR expert and strategic advisor to multiple successful companies. For more than a decade, Martin has been the CEO of Wikitude, a leading platform for the creation of AR applications and drove the company through an acquisition by Qualcomm Inc. Following the acquisition, Martin led Qualcomm’s global XR ecosystem and partnership strategy and acts now as strategic advisor to leading companies in the space, in particular Hololight and Viewpointsystem. Prior to joining Wikitude, Martin has successfully built-up and sold fatfoogoo, a leading provider of payment systems for online games, to Digital River (DRIV) and held strategic management positions in Europe and the US with Qpass Inc., UCP, and T‑Mobile.

Peter Meere, founder of creative agency The Brand Father and the pioneering technology and creativity event, MET AMS, is a forward-thinker at the intersection of digital innovation and human connection. With a philosophy centered around creating innovative experiences that bridge the gap between the physical and digital worlds, Peter aims to craft a perfect balance that enriches human interaction. His passion lies in empowering the cultural sector with engaging, playful experiences that not only deepen the appreciation for art and history but also attract new and younger audiences.

Cai Felip is the CEO of Union Avatars, a pioneering company specializing in creating 3D avatars from selfies using ML. With a strong entrepreneurial background and a passion for technology, Cai has positioned Union Avatars at the forefront of the digital identity and virtual reality industries. His vision is to make digital interactions more personal and inclusive by enabling users to create authentic virtual representations of themselves with ease. An advocate for digital identity technology, Cai frequently shares his insights at industry events, helping shape the future of virtual reality and digital identity. His leadership continues to drive Union Avatars’ success and influence in the field.

Paige Piskin has been named a legend by VICE, an artistic master of augmented reality by Meta, and the Queen of filters by her fans. Major AR platforms Snapchat, Instagram, and Tiktok have named Paige in their top .0001% of augmented reality artists in the world and have partnered with her to educate society about how to participate in the future of mixed reality. She catapulted to viral fame with her artwork gaining over 300B+ views and famous fans like Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian, and Madonna. One of Paige's earliest viral successes was an augmented reality music video collaboration for Grimes' hit single 'I am Dark' that was featured on billboards around the world. Shortly after, Elon Musk and Grimes used Paige's filter 'Little Savage' in the first photo they shared of their baby 'X Æ A-12 Musk' that went viral hitting major news outlets around the world. Paige's artwork has gone on to be featured by hundreds of superstars including Billie Eilish, Joe Jonas, Ariana Grande, Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, and many more. Her filters were also featured in a selfie of Snapchat CEO, Evan Spiegel using an augmented reality experience made by Paige for a charity gala sponsored by Snapchat, and in Mark Zuckenberg's annual Meta presentation. Luxury cosmetic brands including Loreal, Urban Decay, NYX, and Cacherelle have tapped Paige to create activations that have driven over 10M+ customers to try on new products using augmented reality from the comfort of home. She's also been tapped by international superstars including Coldplay, Karol G, Selena Gomez, David Guetta, and Bella Poarch to create experiences that have driven 100M+ views on content created by super fans inside the augmented reality music videos created by Paige. She also helped launch 'Coachellaverse', the first annual AR activation hosted at the iconic music festival Coachella, and has helped drive over 200M+ views for augmented reality events including the Bratz Dolls 20th Anniversary Celebration and Sol De Janeiro's Carnival celebration in Brazil. Paige is an icon, artist, viral influencer, and master communicator about art, technology, fashion, travel, beauty and healthy living, along with their convergence in mixed reality.

Ethan is CEO and co-founder of Lightspeed Public Relations. He launched the firm in 2013 to harness the skills and learnings from all aspects of his career – while avoiding bureaucracy and unneeded overhead. Today, Lightspeed has more than 20 clients and two dozen team members and has won numerous awards for client campaigns. Ethan has been interviewed by dozens of outlets for his marketing expertise and is as frequent speaker at trade events. He also received the Industry Veteran award in 2017 from Ragan Communications for his achievements. He started his communications career as a journalist – by day as a news reporter for Gannett’s metro and business desk, and by night as host of an AM radio show. In 1998 Ethan began a nearly 15 year stint at Edelman. He ultimately led a team of 60 as GM and EVP, and counseled a range of clients from startups to brands like GE, Canon, HP and Motorola. He was responsible for million in annual revenues for the firm and pioneered Edelman Labs, which revamped the firm’s approach to product review programs. In 2011 Ethan became Director of Communications for Samsung Electronics America, responsible for external communications around all consumer products. While managing five agencies, he introduced several tools to improve collaboration and efficiency both internally and externally. He graduated magna cum laude from the S.I. Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University and completed additional course work in computer science at Carnegie Mellon University. Ethan is a regular contributor to Forbes and is host of “Marketing at Lightspeed”, a weekly show on the VoiceAmerica radio network. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and three boys.

Amanda co-founded Lightspeed PR/M in 2013 with the vision of creating a client-first agency model built on her decades of experience as a public relations leader. In her role as Chief Operating Officer, Amanda is responsible for designing and implementing growth initiatives and strategic development of the agency and its team of more than two dozen. On the client side, Lightspeed's roster of more than 20 client partners benefit from Amanda's skills as a creative leader who provides unique insights and direction on strategy, content and development. Prior to starting Lightspeed, Amanda was a part of the corporate affairs and communications team at American Express where she managed executive, employee and issues communications for a major division of the company. Previously, she spent 15 years building expertise in public affairs, marketing and branding with agencies such as Burson-Marsteller and Interbrand in New York, and Podesta Associates in Washington, D.C. Through these roles Amanda counseled clients across diverse industries including technology, consumer packaged goods, energy, and finance, as well as government and nonprofit leaders. Amanda was distinguished in her previous roles as lead writer and editor for many of her client teams. Her work has included speechwriting for Fortune 50 companies and ghostwriting articles, blogs and presentations for senior executives and political leaders. Amanda graduated from Gettysburg College with a degree in English and a minor in Art. She is based in Hoboken, NJ.

Victor is a co-founder and the CEO of Itseez3D, the company that created the best-in-class mobile 3D scanner, and now runs Avatar SDK, a service for generating 3D avatars from selfies. Previously he co-founded Itseez that was focused on developing computer vision solutions running on embedded platforms, specifically automotive safety systems. He held the positions of CEO and President at Itseez, before the company was acquired by Intel Corporation in 2016. Victor was the chair of the OpenVX working group in 2012-2016, creating the standard for cross-platform computer vision API. He is the author of the OpenVX Programming Guide book, many papers in the areas of computer vision and machine learning, as well as several US and international patents. Victor participated in the development and maintenance of the OpenCV library, and currently serves as a board member of OpenCV Foundation. He is an angel investor working in the area of AI.

Adele is the COO & Creative Director at Imvizar, an innovative AR platform specialising in crafting location-specific experiences that captivate audiences. Imvizar is revolutionising storytelling by transforming passive narratives into engaging spatial stories on a life-sized scale. Later this year, Imvizar will release a user-friendly tool for AR experience creation empowering storytellers to craft their own immersive narratives without needing to know how to code. As the leader of the creative team at Imvizar, Adele collaborates with top-tier talent to bring augmented reality narratives to life, pushing the boundaries of storytelling. With a wealth of multimedia experience, ranging from live-action to large-scale 3D productions, Adele skillfully combines her storytelling, technology, and production skills to deliver immersive AR experiences that seamlessly merge the virtual and real worlds.

Sara Leander-Pehrson is the Chief Commercial Officer at Heka VR, a company providing evidence-based treatment for severe mental health disorders, with a focus on treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Using cutting-edge virtual reality technology and real-time voice modulation, Heka VR offers a groundbreaking and immersive approach to psychological therapy. With over 15 years of experience in global commercial strategy and leadership across the technology and consulting sectors, Sara previously served as CEO of Prezentor and as Commercial Advisor for Business Sweden. She holds degrees in innovation, economics, and management from Copenhagen Business School and Bocconi University, demonstrating her commitment to business excellence and bringing new innovations to market.

Hanna Gegenhuber is a seasoned expert in the education sector with an extensive network that spans across multiple fields. Since her transition into teaching as a fellow at Teach For Austria (2017–2019) and , she not only excelled as a middle school educator but also developed innovative strategies to support fellow teachers. In her current role as Community Impact Manager at Teach For Austria (a social leadership program), she actively fosters connections within the network of education ambassadors, promoting knowledge exchange between former and current fellows. She plays a crucial role in supporting teachers as they transition into the alumni program and in strengthening community cohesion within the education sector Hanna’s creativity and forward-thinking approach are particularly evident in her work with Agent:Lehr.KRAFT, an organization she co-founded in 2021 with other Teach For Austria alumni. This initiative supports new and transitioning teachers in establishing themselves within the profession while building strong professional networks. By leveraging peer-learning and innovative mentoring programs, she ensures a successful and sustainable start for educators, providing hands-on guidance and practical solutions. In addition to her role at Teach For Austria, Hanna has spent the past two years working as a Project Manager at InnovationsmacherIn, where she brings her expertise to the realm of digitalization in education. She has successfully implemented several projects that promote digital and innovative learning, further showcasing her ability to create creative, future-oriented educational initiatives that integrate modern learning methods and digital tools into everyday school practices. Through her multifaceted work and innovative drive, Hanna Gegenhuber has emerged as a key player in the education field, continuously expanding her network while championing forward-thinking, technology-enhanced learning approaches.

Tamer Aslan is a creative technologist and Founder of City Games. He has his educational backgrounds in electronics engineering and interaction design. After working at esteemed Ars Electronica Futurelab, he founded City Games in Vienna to realise his vision for a playful city. With City Games, he has received numerous public grants and worked with Viennese public and cultural institutions. Tamer has worked on various projects, including the Monster Hunt series, which blends real-world locations with storytelling to offer immersive urban explorations. In addition to game design, Tamer occasionally creates interactive artworks, blending his technical expertise with a passion for playful and creative experiences.

I am Mai Ye, a creative technologist with a multidisciplinary background and a passion for XR. Currently working as a software engineer, I strive to blend my artistic passion with technical skills to craft engaging digital experiences.

Simon is a Senior Solutions Architect for Unity, focusing on real-time 3D. He applies this technology to enhance operational efficiency and foster innovation among industrial customers. Before joining Unity, Simon spent a decade at Autodesk as Product Manager, User Experience Designer and Technical Sales Specialist close to the Automotive Industry. His early career was marked by creativity in the media and entertainment sector, working as a 3D Artist and Producer.

Damon works in many areas of interactive 3D, web, & XR industries as a designer, developer, advisor, speaker, entrepreneur, investor and executive that has been active in virtual environments, the 3D web, and other Metaverse related technologies for over 20 years with mentions in Forbes, Fortune, Wired, and Computer Weekly. He is passionate about the web’s convergence with other technologies including 3D, IoT, GIS, CAD/BIM/CAM, AR/VR, mobile and advises a variety of entities that use these technologies for enterprise focused applications. Since 2007, he has been working closely with various built environment professions on the adoption and use of innovative technologies. As a co-founder of Mixx Reality, he is taking his passion for immersive tech and the real world to new levels. As founding team member of the Augmented Reality Developer Camps, VR Hackathon, & founder of the AEC Hackathon, he is actively working to help grow the use of innovative technologies.

Hervé is Chief Growth Officer at Innoactive, a leading XR Cloud streaming SaaS platform for enterprises. Hervé is also advising other XR start-ups working on scaling their business globally. After an initial career in the mobile industry Hervé entered the XR world in 2016 leading Business Development of HTC Virtual Reality business in EMEA. Strong advocate for Enterprises to leverage the benefits of life like 3D visualization to accelerate project decision making and remote collaboration, Hervé’s focus is on solutions to remove all barriers for scaling the use of XR in a normal day of work. Hervé is a strong advocate of open standards, interoperability and cloud native solutions.

15 years in Aerospace & Defence | Driving Immersive Innovation | Championing AR & XR Solutions for Enterprise Growth | Business Development Manager at Sphere

Principal Prototyper working at AWS (Amazon Web Services) helping customers to build for Spatial Computing. Previous software experience in computer graphics industries; including games development, post-production, audio programming and computer animation.

I'm a 15 years old designer from Poland and a member of the IVG community. I love to design in 3D and now also in XR. I want to change something in our society using my passion of creating. I had the honor of participating in a project with P&G and that project showed me that I can accomplish my goal. Right now I'm working on a project about solving a problem with fast fashion waste.

I'm Anna, an application manager at Procter & Gamble currently living in Poland. I'm passionate about technology and dedicated to promoting a more inclusive future for women in STEM.

Rita David understood the importance of finding her voice early, in a family where the men were groomed to take over the business. This upbringing exposed her to the stark gender disparities that often shape career trajectories, fueling her drive to challenge the status quo. Her journey took her from Cincinnati to the global corporate world, where she honed her skills at major companies like Unilever and Mars. Despite her success, she often battled self-doubt, a common struggle among the professional women she later coached. Becoming a mother to two daughters sparked her passion for change. In 2018, she and her husband Richard founded InnoVationGirls, now IVG.World. What began as a local initiative has evolved into a global movement empowering girls across the US, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

I am Tereze Bogdane, an 18-year-old from Latvia with a passion for coding, creative design, and diving into fictional worlds. When I'm not immersed in tech, I love reading fantasy books, enjoying chocolate, and dreaming of the day I'll finally get a cat. Art plays a big role in my life too—it's another way I can bring my love for creativity and storytelling to life. I also spend a lot of time collaborating with my friends from IVG, where we work on projects that blend storytelling, sustainability, and innovative tech.

Muadh is a Computer Scientist specializing in XR technologies. He is currently a member of the Web Standards team at Samsung Research UK working on development and maintenance of W3C’s WebXR related standards.

Daniel Wagner joined Snap in 2019 and is heading the software development of Snap’s Spectacles program in his role as Senior Director Software Engineering. Before joining Snap, Daniel was Chief Scientist and later CTO at Daqri, where he developed novel industrial Augmented Reality software and hardware. Daniel is based in Vienna, Austria and has 24 years of industrial and academic experience in the field of Augmented Reality. He is well known for pioneering the research area of Augmented Reality on mobile phones. During his PhD study he developed the first 6DOF natural feature tracker running in real-time on smartphones. His seminal PhD thesis “Handheld Augmented Reality” laid the foundation for the advent of Augmented Reality on mobile phones. After his university career that led to the development of the Vuforia AR library, Daniel joined Qualcomm’s research team and continued his work on mobile phone Augmented Reality. Some of Daniel’s algorithms are implemented in hardware in every mid- and high-range Qualcomm chip today.

Märt was the first employee at Slack and has a 15-year background in game design, serious games, and product development, with the last 7 years focused on XR. In 2019, he co-founded Futuclass with a team of developers in Estonia to produce curriculum-aligned engaging educational 6DOF VR content, which was and still is sorely lacking in the market today. Futuclass is currently used in about 100 schools across Europe and North America, and through projects like RTC, which Futuclass joined last year, it reaches even more institutions. Märt is also the Chairman of the Estonian VR-AR Association (EEVR), and occasionally invests in XR and EdTech startups.

Addison Black is a Spectacles Producer at Snap, where she has spent the past three years collaborating with external developers to create and bring to life Lens experiences for Snap Spectacles. Since the launch of the first AR Spectacles in 2021, Addison has overseen the production of several Lens experiences on the newly launched Snap Spectacles, helping to push the boundaries of augmented reality. Passionate about leveraging AR to enhance everyday interactions, Addison is committed to using Spectacles to bring value to people's lives by making the ordinary extraordinary.

Shan Jiang is a Game Producer at Niantic, based in Northern California, where she plays a key role in developing augmented reality experiences with Peridot across mobile, head-mounted displays (HMDs), and outdoor-friendly AR glasses such as the Snap Spectacles. Shan holds a Master’s degree in Entertainment Technology from Carnegie Mellon University. Prior to joining Niantic, she served as a production fellow at Schell Games and completed engineering internships at Unity Technologies and Psychic VR Lab in Japan. Recognized with honors such as the Pausch Award and scholarships from D.I.C.E. and CYSTEM, Shan is passionate about blending creative design and cutting-edge technology to invent the future of immersive experiences.

Laura Chambers is a Design Engineer at Snap based in Los Angeles, California. As a member of the Snap Lab product team, Laura designs and builds AR experiences for Spectacles, with a focus on multiplayer Connected Lenses. Laura has degrees in Kinesiology from Queen's University and Mechatronics Engineering from the University of Waterloo and has worked on wearables ranging from Focals smart glasses at North (acquired by Google) to Vision Pro at Apple

Mr. Aska Yeung has over 18 years of experience in multimedia design industry and participated in a number of public, private and design projects. In 2013, he was commissioned by the Hong Kong Tourism Board as the supplier of music and lighting design for the Mid-Autumn Special Programme "Lantern Wonderland". Continuously, he also passionate to curate event and exhibition to deliver Art-Tech experience to audience. Nevertheless, he continuous to develop creative cultural heritage through experience design with multimedia technologies. He also acts as external committee member for the Academic Committee in Associate of Arts in Media, Cultural and Creative Studies and Higher Diploma in Public Relations and Corporate Communications programme in the University of Hong Kong (HKUSPACE), Chairman of Hong Kong Multimedia Design Association and Creative Director of MateZ Lab Limited incubated by Hong Kong Cyberport.

Dr. Fattah is an experienced engineer and academic with a background in aerospace engineering and technology innovation. He has conducted 12 years of research and development, collaborating with major aerospace industries in Europe and China, and played a key role in establishing advanced laboratories and training programs in aerospace engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Since 2021, Dr. Fattah co-founded VisionARi to address the growing digital needs of educators in schools and higher education. As CEO, he oversees product development and technological innovation, leveraging his expertise in complex systems and project management to drive successful implementations across Hong Kong.

Louis Sze is the CEO and co-founder of Syngular Tech, which is a medical augment reality solution company, focusing on using AR to provide visual spatial guidance to surgery. Before his recent venture in Syngular Tech, Louis also founded two other medtech companies, which specialized in medical 3D printing and AI assisted retinal image diagnostic respectively. As a serial entrepreneur, Louis has a background in biomedical engineering, orthopedics, artificial intelligence and XR.

This is Ariella Cheung, Business Development Manager of eTeam. I responsible for identifying XR game and software new market opportunities, developing potential clients, establishing partnerships, and formulating business strategies to drive company growth. I also analyse XR market trends, monitor competitors, and coordinate internal resources to achieve business objectives. Recently we have developed the AI Event solution platform-EventFun and launched the E-Sport game : Blitestrike. Introducing our innovative “newborn babies” to AWE. Welcome to enjoy the new creations with us!

Mr. Paul Chan is a renowned digital transformation UX/UI designer with 30 years of experience, celebrated for his innovative integration of technology and design. He contributed significantly to the Zero Carbon Building in Hong Kong, setting a benchmark for sustainable architecture. His expertise in Artech and interaction design has led to successful projects enhancing user experience and environmental sustainability. Notable achievements include winning the Hong Kong ICT Awards in 2011, the Green Building Award in 2012, and the FutureArc Leadership Award in 2013. As an environmental innovation consultant, Paul remains committed to inspiring sustainable design practices.

Dace is a proven thought-leader at the intersection of industry and innovation, with a focus on strategy and driving business value from emerging technology and process improvements. It is his personal mission to help create a more sustainable world through thoughtful application of spatially contextual data to improve design, construction, and operation of the built environment. Dace is a professionally licensed architect with extensive experience developing and implementing strategy and innovation, to help AEC companies realize tangible business results from their investment in technology. Specifically, he has deep subject matter expertise in XR technology: researching, developing, testing, and applying XR on hundreds of successful projects over his career. He has championed the use of virtual reality and augmented reality in industry, and has proven they enhance productivity, sustainability, and equity for designers, builders, and owners. His projects have been recognized with multiple awards for furthering industry excellence, including four AIA Technology and Practice BIM Awards and the Microsoft HoloLens AEC Use Case of the Year Award.

Mario Zeppetzauer is the CEO of formquadrat, a leading design and innovation studio in Austria. With over two decades of experience, he has worked extensively with corporate clients to transform ideas into innovative products. Mario is also a professor at the University of Art and Design Linz, focusing on industrial design. Under his leadership, formquadrat has pioneered XR-driven product development, working with global clients across sectors such as mobility, technology, and consumer goods. His work has received over 100 international design awards, and he frequently speaks on design and innovation.