The Fifth Anniversary Event

1871

1871 is a major hub of Chicago’s technology and entrepreneurial ecosystem. In celebration of 1871’s 5th Birthday, We created three branded activations:

First, we created a reactive video installation at the entrance. The installation was reactive to passersby using the Kinect motion sensor and added a splash of digital color to the event.

Second, we created a mixed reality experience. Using a combination of professional grade cameras, green screen technology, and souped up computers, we turned Virtual Reality, a single-person activity, into a group experience. Our live compositing process replaces the green screen background with scenes from the Virtual Reality headsets, in real-time, allowing guests to vicariously experience what the headset wearer was experiencing.

In the main auditorium at 1871, we wanted to celebrate 1871’s past and present. We started with 50 photographs from the past 5 years of the organization and integrated photos being shot by the event’s photographers, as they were being shot. The result: a magnificent display that’s updating and staying fresh for the entirety of the event.

At our fifth anniversary event, we worked with Midwest Immersive to set up three cutting-edge VR & AR activations. Our guests loved the experiences and they made for lots of ‘instagrammable’ moments. Midwest Immersive is an extremely creative group and I look forward to collaborating with them further!

Vanessa Yeh
Director of Brand, Marketing and Communications
1871