IVRPA Belfast 2019: Behind the Scenes of an International VR Conference

In June 2019, I had the opportunity to take part in the organisation of IVRPA Belfast 2019, an international conference dedicated to panoramic photography, 360° video, virtual reality and immersive technologies.

The event took place from June 10–13, 2019 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, bringing together professionals, creators, developers, manufacturers and specialists from around the world to share their knowledge, tools and experiences in the field of immersive media.

At the time, I was a member of the board of the IVRPA – International Virtual Reality Professionals Association, where I also served as Vice President from 2016 to 2019.

I had already contributed to the organisation of previous international IVRPA conferences, including Vienna in 2017 and Tokyo in 2018, before continuing this work in Belfast in 2019.

IVRPA Belfast 2019: Four Days Dedicated to Immersive Media

For many years, the IVRPA has brought together an international community of professionals working in panoramic and immersive imaging: 360° photographers and filmmakers, VR creators, developers, equipment manufacturers and specialists in related technologies.

The annual conference provided an opportunity for this community to meet in person through presentations, workshops, panel discussions, demonstrations and professional networking.

For me, the conference was also an opportunity to promote a broader vision of VR.

Beyond cameras, software and technical performance, I wanted to create more space for discussions about creativity, storytelling, diversity and immersive cinema.

The Future of VR

During the conference, I had the pleasure of moderating the panel discussion “The Future of VR”, exploring the evolution of virtual reality and the future direction of the industry.

The panel brought together Joshua Krook, Thomas Pape, Alexandre Jenny, Jeffrey Martin, Alex Ruhl and Ignacio Ferrando Margelí.

At a time when the industry was still experimenting with many different formats and applications for virtual reality, discussions like these offered an opportunity to compare perspectives from professionals working across different areas of the immersive ecosystem.

Looking back several years later, it is fascinating to see how much some technologies have evolved — while many of the questions surrounding immersive storytelling, content creation and the adoption of VR remain highly relevant today.

Virtual Reality and Diversity

Another important discussion during IVRPA Belfast 2019 focused on virtual reality and diversity, with Uli Futschik, Rachel Bracker, Anna Cui, François Mark and Alex Ruhl.

For me, it was important that an international conference dedicated to immersive technologies did not focus exclusively on cameras, software and resolution.

The way an industry develops also depends on the people building it, the stories being told and the diversity of perspectives represented within it.

These conversations were therefore an important part of the wider discussion about the future of virtual reality.

Panel discussion on virtual reality and diversity, with Uli Futschik, Rachel Bracker, Anna Cui, François Mark and Alex Ruhl.

Bringing VR Cinema into the IVRPA Conferences

One of the initiatives I particularly cared about during my years with the IVRPA was creating a dedicated space for VR films within the conferences.

I initiated the introduction of this dedicated VR space at the IVRPA conferences in 2018 and 2019, developing a complete programme featuring a selection of VR films from around the world.

The objective was to go beyond discussing VR technology and give conference participants the opportunity to actually experience the work being created with it.

At the 2019 Belfast conference, the VR programme featured 34 films, available to experience on different VR headsets, including Skyworth 8K and Oculus Rift.

The VR Cinema gave visitors the opportunity to move from technical discussions to experiencing immersive content first-hand, including documentary, artistic creation, immersive storytelling and different approaches to 360° filmmaking.

It was also a way of giving filmmakers and their work a stronger presence within an event historically rooted in panoramic photography and 360° imaging technologies.

From Vienna to Tokyo and Belfast

My involvement with the IVRPA extended beyond the Belfast conference.

As a board member and Vice President, I contributed to the organisation of several international conferences, including Vienna in 2017, Tokyo in 2018 and Belfast in 2019.

Those years gave me the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with many pioneers, creators, developers, researchers and companies contributing to the evolution of 360° imaging and virtual reality.

They also reinforced a belief that continues to guide my work today:

Immersive technology becomes truly meaningful when it serves an experience, a story or a point of view.

Looking Back at IVRPA Belfast 2019

Today, 360° cameras, VR headsets and immersive production workflows have evolved enormously.

Some technologies that were experimental in 2019 have become commonplace. Others have disappeared, while entirely new approaches to immersive media have emerged.

But the importance of bringing together creators, technicians, artists and developers to exchange ideas and experiences remains just as relevant.

IVRPA Belfast 2019 remains an important memory for me — not only because of my work in VR and 360° production, but also because of my involvement in developing and supporting an international community around immersive media.

Looking back at these conferences also reminds me how quickly our industry evolves — and how valuable it is to preserve and share the experiences that helped shape it.