The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCCEC) has launched app that allows the user to visit the venue on a 1:1 scale from any location globally.
Faced with the challenge of offering in-person site tours in a COVID world, with unpredictable border closures and travel restrictions, the team developed a virtual solution, GCCECXR. The project was supported by Tourism Australia’s Business Events Boost Program.
Through this partnership, GCCEC has an innovative addition to their virtual toolbox. The app invites potential clients to experience the business event centre in their own space, via extended reality (XR). Through GCCECXR, the user superimposes a virtual model of the venue onto a real-world surface through their mobile screen.
The app allows a walk around the entire building, and through the arena, halls, and central rooms at full size. These spaces appear as a photorealistic 3D exhibition space, a gala dinner, and a seated arena.
Earlier this year, the venue launched an immersive 360-video site tour, funded by Tourism
Australia’s Business Events Boost Program. The interactive video has exceeded all targets, achieving more than 5,500 views in just 8 weeks.
“Domestic event activity is critical to getting the industry back on its feet while international travel has been on hold, and innovative projects like the GCCECXR experience help to encourage a restart to face-to-face business events,” said Robin Mack, Executive General Manager Commercial & Business Events Australia, Tourism Australia.
Michelle Mann, Director of Sales and Marketing, GCCEC said, “Site tours are one of our key selling tools and with many clients unable to travel due to current regulations, we’ve developed new ways to allow them to view the venue from their own home or office. But this mixture of the virtual and real-world is by far the most exciting.
“Of course, nothing replaces coming to the destination, face-to-face, tasting our food and meeting the team, but this tool provides an excellent first experience,” Mann continued.
“GCCECXR is the world’s biggest 1:1 scale photorealistic XR experience as it’s over 200m long, 70m wide and 14m high. Its colossal size, and the fact you can walk anywhere to explore even small details, means you feel like you’re actually there.” she said.
