NZVRARA – New Zealand VR/AR Association Inc

The NZVRARA (The New Zealand VR/AR Association Inc.) today announced a strategic partnership with Datacom, New Zealand’s largest Information Technology service provider, to support the fast-growing New Zealand virtual and mixed reality sector and accelerate adoption of immersive technologies by the New Zealand tertiary education sector.

The local VR/AR Association has identified a looming significant skill shortage of VR-capable graduates as it seeks to fill over 1,100 fulltime vacancies forecast in the next two years (NZVRARA Industry Survey, July 2017). In 2017 this drove the formation of a Student Chapter group to recognise and support tertiary undergraduates and post-graduate researchers with an interest in virtual and mixed reality. The NZVRARA Student Chapter has already grown to over 55 members from the Wellington region and is now expanding into Auckland with a goal of 100 student members by the end of March 2018.

As part of the partnership, Datacom has committed to supporting these 100 tertiary under- and post-graduate students to be members of the NZVRARA by meeting their annual membership fee for the 2018 year.

Datacom operates across Australasia, the UK and the USA, and so provides a channel for the delivery of immersive applications produced in collaboration with other NZVRARA members. The partnership intends to build New Zealand’s capability as a global testbed for the development of cross reality (VR/MR/AR) solutions.

Datacom Director, Vernon Kay, commented that VR/AR is a rapidly growing sector in New Zealand and internationally.

“There is a real opportunity with VR/AR to help the industry transform with immersive technology, and to create value and IP for New Zealand that we can take to the rest of the globe. To do this, we need to expand the graduate pool in VR/AR, so working with the association to encourage students into this area makes sense to us.”

NZVRARA’s first Student Chapter President, Courteney Lomas agrees. “We’re excited about the breadth of potential that partnering with Datacom offers. We have quickly seen that avenues for undergraduate advancement in VR are rapidly seized upon by our tertiary students. Broadening the range of graduate opportunities and expanding our reach across all the major New Zealand tertiary institutions can only happen, thanks to the contribution and inputs of companies such as Datacom,” states Ms Lomas.

The New Zealand VR/AR Association was established to champion, support and grow innovation in the virtual, augmented and mixed reality sectors throughout New Zealand with objectives of promoting collaboration, education, R&D and economic development for the benefit of its over 110 sector members.

Michael Gregg, NZVRARA Chair, welcomes Datacom into the Association. “As one of New Zealand’s most innovative companies in virtual and mixed reality, we expect to see a wide range of benefits for both partners and for the New Zealand VR community, arising from this partnership,” says Mr Gregg.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Michael Gregg
Chair, New Zealand VR/AR Association
Mobile 021 838 583 or [email protected]

The NZVRARA (New Zealand VR/AR Association) and specialist XR co-sharing space, PROJECTR Wellington are now halfway through a wide-ranging strategic partnership to accelerate the growth of the virtual and augmented reality sector from Wellington.

PROJECTR Wellington, founded by virtual reality industry leader Michael Gregg, opened in February last year as a collaborative AR/MR/VR co-working, R&D project hub and events venue.

The facility provides desk space to cross reality (XR) startups and entrepreneurs, to student interns and tertiary sector researchers, and to allow for collaborative projects to be undertaken in a neutral environment, together with access to leading immersive technology hardware and event facilities.

Already, PROJECTR® has provided the desk of the NZVRARA Executive Director since that role’s inception, and home for the monthly meetings of the Association’s Executive Committee. The 2017 AGM was held at PROJECTR® Wellington, as well as the inaugural NZVRARA Student Chapter Exhibition. This strategic partnership formalises the provision of workspace, events space, hosting of industry events and access to equipment for the NZVRARA.

Within the broad digital realities sector, PROJECTR® is well-placed to align tertiary talent with industry needs, develop local solutions for global challenges and connect New Zealand talent internationally. The PROJECTR® residents extend beyond VR and AR practitioners to include AI (artificial intelligence), 3D motion graphics and other innovators, with cross-disciplinary collaboration a powerful reason many enjoy this unique space.

The strategic partnership between PROJECTR® and the NZVRARA was executed in July 2017 to formalise the roles of both organisations to work together to accelerate the education, development and evolution of this creative sector for the benefit of New Zealand, whilst ensuing a clear demarcation between the education and industry proselytisation role of the Association and the benefits that PROJECTR® delivers specifically for its resident base.

As part of this partnership, PROJECTR® which now houses over 16 high-growth company tenants, is a corporate member of the NZVRARA. The partnership allows for Association members’ innovative technology solutions to be showcased in Wellington.

The NZVRARA will run its Wellington operations from PROJECTR Wellington for the duration of this partnership at no charge.

PROJECTR® Founder, Michael Gregg is enthusiastic about the arrangement saying, “… the reason I was adamant about the need for both the Association and for PROJECTR® XR Centres is that innovation accelerates when passionate people can collaborate, share their vision and collectively work together to drive our embryonic industry forward.”

Mr Gregg was at the centre of the establishment of the New Zealand VR/AR Association and has served as its founding chair for the first two terms of its existence. He is now proceeding to establish additional PROJECTR® XR Centres in other VR-centric locations such as Taipei, Taiwan (the global home of VR) and Los Angeles, California to focus on cinematic reality.

NZVRARA Executive Director, Courteney Lomas, has been based at PROJECTR Wellington since July 2017.

The NZVRARA (New Zealand VR/AR Association Inc.) and M Theory have signed a strategic partnership aimed to drive greater collaboration and export growth of VR and AR solutions.

Co-Founder of M Theory and Managing Director, Sam Ramlu will join the NZVRARA Board and is pledging to advocate for greater engagement between those New Zealand VR and AR companies producing marketing communications solutions, to build the scale necessary to secure international projects.

“We need to come together to showcase our work internally, work on our compatibility and capability, and work together to present a consortium of VR/AR skills to the outside world,” enthuses Sam.

In May 2017, Auckland-based creative agency, Method, launched a specialist augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR) arm, M Theory, to increase capacity and to further invest in creative solutions using these digital technologies.

Despite the technology being new, Sam and her team delivered their first commercial VR experience in 2015 for Unitec and have already produced a wide range of brand experiences since, including an immersive tour of the digital advertising sites for QMS’ commuter network, and virtual and augmented reality experiences for Contact Energy, NZ Post, Panuku Development Auckland, and Torrens University Australia. They also partnered with other NZVRARA members, Staples Productions and AR/VR Garage to deliver an interactive tour of the Kumeu Film Studios.

Their AR and VR retelling of James Hurman’s ‘The Boy and the Lemon’ has been invited to exhibit at ‘The Future of Storytelling’, the world’s leading immersive storytelling event, to be held in New York in October 2017. Sam will be visiting New York and Los Angeles during October and will post field reports for NZVRARA members. We’re looking forward to a report from THE VOID (https://www.thevoid.com/) in New York, Sam!

For the NZVRARA, this strategic partnership formalises the roles of both organisations to work closer together to speed up the growth of the VR/AR sector for the benefit of New Zealand – a key objective of the Association.

NZVRARA Chair, Michael Gregg comments that the work has already begun, “With the support of M Theory, we have committed to presenting on the VR/AR sector and its members at the November Auckland ad:tech, and to hosting an Auckland summer speaker series to bring the industry closer to the sector. I encourage our members and industry participants to make the most of these opportunities to work together more closely to build the scale needed to engage meaningfully offshore.”

The New Zealand VR/AR Association is the official New Zealand chapter of the global VRARA (www.thevrara.com) and celebrated its first anniversary in September ’17. Current strategic partners of the NZVRARA include M Theory, AR/VR Garage, Blackeye VR and PROJECTR.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

For more on M Theory:
Samantha Ramlu
Managing Director, M Theory
Mobile +64 21 605 510 or [email protected]
www.mtheoryvr.com

For NZVRARA information, or to arrange member access to the AR/VR Garage:
Courteney Lomas
Executive Director, NZVRARA
Mobile 027 738 9340 or [email protected]
www.nzvrara.nz

For more on the NZVRARA:
Michael Gregg
Chair, NZVRARA
Mobile 021 838 583 or [email protected]

Augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) retellings of James Hurman’s The Boy and the Lemon will be in the global spotlight at The Future of Storytelling, the world’s leading immersive storytelling event, held in New York in October.

Showcasing New Zealand’s creative talent on the world stage, the project is an all-kiwi collaboration between M Theory, the specialist VR/AR arm of creative agency Method, author James Hurman and illustrator Juliet Burton.

Developed by Auckland-based M Theory, the virtual reality experience brings to life the charming story of Jack, a boy whose house is crushed by a giant lemon from outer space. A tale of luck teaching life’s most magical lesson – how to be lucky – Jack’s adventures are brought to life in a fully immersive virtual reality environment combining audio narrative and hand-painted pop-up style illustrations.

M Theory has also built an augmented reality version, via a downloadable phone and tablet app, which overlays the physical book with 3D scenes and makes the illustrations appear to come alive alongside the audio narrative. Both the AR and VR versions create a rich and magical story experience for kids and adults alike. The AR app will be available from the iOS and Google App Stores in early October.

M Theory Managing Director Sam Ramlu says she was stunned but thrilled to receive the invitation from the organisers of The Future of Storytelling: “It came out of the blue, we weren’t expecting it at all. This event is one of the most prestigious on the creative tech calendar, with just over 100 exhibits of work from around the world. The Boy and the Lemon will be the only New Zealand project at the festival and we’re very proud to showcase the creative and technical abilities to be found in the VR/AR industry here.”

The project was recommended to the festival organisers by Gabo Arora, Creative Director and Senior Advisor at the United Nations, and an award-winning filmmaker. Gabo’s critically acclaimed work includes Clouds Over Sidra, Waves of Grace, My Mother’s Wing and most recently The Last Goodbye. Gabo experienced The Boy and the Lemon story in AR and VR earlier this year when he was in Auckland for the Story Edge World Exhibition.

Sam Ramlu has been recently invited to join the Board of the New Zealand VR and AR Association (NZVRARA) and is pledging to advocate for greater collaboration within the local industry to build the scale necessary to secure international projects. “We need to come together to showcase our work internationally, work on our compatibility and capability, and work together to present a consortium of VR/AR skills to the outside world,” she says.

ABOUT M THEORY
M Theory is the specialist AR and VR arm of leading creative innovations agency Method, based in Auckland, NZ. M Theory focuses on delivering interactive, immersive and awe-inspiring experiences through a range of AR and VR services. This includes 360 video post-production, 3D modelling and digital storytelling, along with computer-generated imagery, app and game development. One of the earliest adopters and practitioners in New Zealand’s AR and VR industry, Method has been producing cutting edge AR/VR projects for local and international clients for several years and the launch of M Theory has enabled the agency to increase its capacity and further invest in the technology.

ABOUT THE FUTURE OF STORYTELLING
The world’s leading immersive storytelling event, The Future of Storytelling will be held on Staten Island, NY, on 4-8 October 2017. A showcase of the very best interactive, cutting-edge storytelling experiences from around the world, the festival includes over 100 exhibits – many of them world premieres – including the best in VR, AR, mixed reality, haptics, AI, games, and interactive films, alongside the latest immersive technologies from Microsoft, Oculus, Samsung, and others. The event kicks off with an invitation-only Summit, gathering a mix of leading thinkers and practitioners from diverse fields who are shaping the art, science, and business of storytelling in the 21st century. https://futureofstorytelling.org

The NZVRARA (The New Zealand VR/AR Association Inc.) is to release a 120-page report titled ‘VIRTUAL GETS REAL’ about the current New Zealand Cross Reality ecosystem at a launch event from 4pm, Thursday 19th October 2017, at the Industry Connect facility within the AR/VR Garage in Auckland’s Mt Eden suburb.

The first of two commissioned reports, VIRTUAL GETS REAL reviews the global sector and what’s happening in New Zealand with a deep dive into each of the three main centres: Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. It provides an oversight to some of the current research and development activity underway and takes a particular look at the role of VR in architecture. It also includes the aggregated results of the first survey undertaken by the sector. The survey enjoyed a high response rate, thanks to active contributions by Association members and industry participants, many of who are highlighted throughout the text.

This book will be available to download from the NZVRARA website from the 20th October, with a small number of hard copies available to those attending the launch function. To register for the event, please go to http://bit.ly/2wX7xZF .

The second of the two reports, GOING NEXT LEVEL, is slated for release at the end of November 2017. This book will include a comprehensive independent assessment of the potential value of the sector to New Zealand and consider the value of cross reality in delivering productivity gains to other sectors. In addition to this robust analysis, the report includes a deep dive into games & entertainment, the role of the screen sector, education, and engineering. The second report will provide insights into potential channels for securing international business for Association members, and highlight possible gaps to be addressed in order to secure the sector’s future.

VIRTUAL GETS REAL was commissioned by NZVRARA and authored by Chair, Michael Gregg, in partnership with the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE), NZTech, Jasmax, WREDA, ChristchurchNZ, ATEED and Callaghan Innovation. Produced for the Association by Blackeye VR, the report follows the style of the initial BlackpaperOne™ self-published and released by that company in March 2017.

The timing of 4pm on Thursday 19th October allows those attending the New Zealand Innovation Awards in Auckland to first enjoy a celebratory glass to toast VIRTUAL GETS REAL at the AR/VR Garage before heading down to the Awards evening.

NZVRARA Executive Director, Courteney Lomas, who has enjoyed early access to the first volume, is confident that there’s something interesting in the book for all those working or studying in the sector, or seeking services from sector organisations. “The numerous case studies about sector start-ups, research projects and local innovation should give pride to this nascent immersive technology industry,” says Courteney.

These reports represent a strategic investment into promoting the fast-growing New Zealand wider VR/AR/MR sector and accelerate adoption of virtual and augmented reality technologies within New Zealand organisations – at the heart of the objectives of the New Zealand VR/AR Association.

The New Zealand VR/AR Association was established to champion, support and grow innovation in the virtual, augmented and mixed reality sectors throughout New Zealand with objectives of promoting collaboration, education, R&D and economic development for the benefit of its over 100 sector members. These reports provide a cornerstone resource to educate potential clients of sector companies, to inform local and central government agencies and department staff of the scale and potential of the cross reality sector, and to assist sector organisations to identify possible partners for project collaborations.

UPDATE: Visit here to download a copy of the VIRTUAL GETS REAL report.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE LAUNCH OF VIRTUAL GETS REAL:

CONTACT:
Courteney Lomas
Executive Director, NZVRARA
Mobile 027 738 9340 or [email protected]

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The NZVRARA (The New Zealand VR/AR Association Inc. – that’s us!) has reached agreement with New Zealand VRAR (New Zealand Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Association Inc.) to bring New Zealand VRAR members into the NZVRARA and to combine their digital and social media assets.

The NZVRARA is the official New Zealand chapter of the global VRARA (www.thevrara.com) and formally incorporated in September 2016. The New Zealand VRAR’s incorporated society formed in November 2016 with similar objectives, which made it logical to bring the two entities together.

The NZVRARA was established to champion, support and grow innovation in the virtual, augmented and mixed reality sectors throughout New Zealand. Its objectives include promoting collaboration, education, R&D and economic development for the benefit of its sector members.

“Both organisations agreed that it was not sensible to have duplicated resources, so from today, members of New Zealand VRAR are excited to join and participate in NZVRARA activities as a single organisation,” said Tom Reidy, current Chair of New Zealand VRAR, which is embarking on the process of winding up its entity.

NZVRARA Chair, Michael Gregg, is delighted to have the industry unified as a single voice. “Our Board has an ambitious plan of membership activity in place for the rest of the 2017/18 year and launches its sector report: Virtual Gets Real, in September. To be able to offer these events, workshops and opportunities to the entire local VR/AR community is pleasing.”

Members of the disbanding group will be transferred into the NZVRARA. This, and the rapid growth of the Association’s national Student Chapter, plus planning for October workshops and a summer Speaker Series, is all keeping the NZVRARA’s Executive Director, Courteney Lomas, very busy. “It’s a great time to be part of our virtual and augmented reality community,” says Courteney. Prospective members are encouraged to join the Association at www.nzvrara.nz.

FOR FURTHER COMMENT:

Michael Gregg
Chair, NZVRARA
Mobile 021 83 85 83 or [email protected]

Tom Reidy
Chair, New Zealand VRAR
Mobile 021 77 92 98 or [email protected]

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The NZVRARA (The New Zealand VR/AR Association Inc.) and Auckland-based AR/VR Garage have signed a wide-ranging strategic partnership to accelerate the growth of the virtual and augmented reality sector in New Zealand.

The AR/VR Garage, facilitated by Auckland Tourism, Events & Economic Development (ATEED) on behalf of Auckland Council, opened in September last year as a collaborative AR/VR and mixed reality, project-centric, R&D facility in Auckland, New Zealand. Within the broad digital realities sector, the Garage is designed to align tertiary talent with industry needs, develop local solutions for global challenges and connect New Zealand talent internationally.

The New Zealand VR/AR Association is the official New Zealand chapter of the global VRARA (www.thevrara.com) and formally incorporated in September last year. Established to champion, support and grow innovation in the virtual, augmented and mixed reality sectors throughout New Zealand, the NZVRARA’s objectives include promoting collaboration, education, R&D and economic development for the benefit of its sector members.

This strategic partnership formalises the roles of both organisations to work together to accelerate the education, development and evolution of this creative sector for the benefit of New Zealand. The AR/VR Garage – which has more than 20 high-growth company tenants – joins the Association as a corporate member and will facilitate access to event space and AR/VR related equipment, as well as providing a hot-desk for Association members. The partnership allows for Association members’ innovative technology solutions to be showcased in Auckland. The NZVRARA will run its Auckland operations from the AR/VR Garage and access the venue for some of its member events.

NZVRARA Chair, Michael Gregg is enthusiastic about the arrangement saying, “The New Zealand VRARA is delighted to bring on the AR/VR Garage as a strategic partner, and as an Auckland home for our Association. I encourage our members and other strategic partners to make the most of this opportunity to build scale, create and drive innovation, and engage offshore through the facilities, networks and events that the Garage offers.”

Head of the AR/VR Garage, Brett Telfer is also excited at the opportunity: “The spirit of the partnership is to break down barriers to communication and collaboration between New Zealand’s regions and pockets of AR/VR capability, and to showcase our nation’s capability more effectively to international partners, delegations and visiting investors. The partnership provides a framework to collaborate on commercial VR and AR projects that drive economic outcomes for New Zealand companies,” he says.

NZVRARA Executive Director, Courteney Lomas is already working from the Garage to expand its Auckland student chapter and will host its first Garage event later this month. “The AR/VR Garage launched in the same month as the New Zealand VR/AR Association, so this is an exciting way for both to celebrate their respective first anniversaries ­– with a joint event,” states Courteney.

For more on the AR/VR Garage: www.arvrgarage.nz
Lester Thorley
Mobile 021 829 741 or [email protected]
Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development
Senior Communications Advisor, Business Attraction and Investment

For NZVRARA information, or to arrange member access to the AR/VR Garage:
Courteney Lomas
Executive Director, NZVRARA
Mobile 021 779 298 or [email protected]
www.nzvrara.nz

For more on the NZVRARA:
Michael Gregg
Chair, NZVRARA
Mobile 021 838 583 or [email protected]

The NZVRARA (The New Zealand VR/AR Association Inc.) Student Chapter kicked off mid-July with a series of events to inform the establishment of University Clubs on each major University campus, and plans to expand further into Polytechnics and private training organisations.

Members of the University Clubs will be offered reduced cost annual membership to the NZVRARA, with their Association membership fees covered by strategic partners of the NZVRARA.

This significant initiative is tasked with building closer links between the burgeoning VR/AR industry and students moving through the education and training system, to deliver on a wide range of benefits. These include:

A chance for students to attend and gain tangible benefits from NZVRARA meetups, workshops and member events;
A conduit for internships and workplace training via student access to employers and entrepreneur’s seeking undergraduate and postgraduate expertise;
More communications between industry, students and tertiary staff will influence learning pathways and continue to align skillsets with industry demand;
Student have access latest technology and collaborative R&D venues via the NZVRARA’s strategic partnerships;
Based on the successful VRTX model already operating on the Massey Wellington campus, and following a meeting between the NZVRARA and VRTX, the Association organised a meeting of interested Victoria University Wellington campus students who collectively agreed to form their own club.

The call has gone out to VR students and staff from other University campuses to contact the NZVRARA if there is sufficient support for forming an on-campus club at other locations.

Masterminded by NZVRARA Student Chapter President, Courteney Lomas, who is also employed by the NZVRARA as their Executive Director, the idea of the various campus clubs’ meeting, competing, and celebrating the VR/AR sector resonated with both NZVRARA members and students.

“We’re really excited about working collaboratively from multiple locations, across the various Uni clubs,” said Courteney Lomas, NZVRARA Student Chapter President. “We’ve got some fun events already in the pipeline, and a VR challenge that will benefit an important charity planned for early 2018.”

Professor Brian Lucid, Head of Massey University’s School of Design and NZVRARA Board Member, is confident this initiative will deliver positive and exciting results. “The VRTX concept created at Massey is already delivering benefits through meaningful engagement between students, faculty researchers and the wider VR sector,” said Brian, “Forming other campus clubs will only make this initiative stronger”.

The NZVRARA is the official New Zealand chapter of the global VRARA (www.thevrara.com) and formally incorporated in September 2016, and was established to champion, support and grow innovation in the virtual, augmented and mixed reality sectors throughout New Zealand. Its objectives include promoting collaboration, education, R&D and economic development for the benefit of its sector members.

Students or staff from New Zealand’s tertiary institutions are encouraged to contact Courteney at the NZVRARA via [email protected]

GET A CLUB UNDERWAY ON YOUR CAMPUS:

For Student Chapter information:
Courteney Lomas,
Executive Director & Student Chapter President, NZVRARA
Mobile 027 738 9340 or [email protected]

For more on the NZVRARA:
Michael Gregg
Chair, NZVRARA
Mobile 021 83 85 83 or [email protected]

The NZ VRARA launched their new event series, Virtual Skies, on August 8th. The first event of the series,VR: Who owns the future?, saw a diverse mix of people gather together to discuss the utopian and dystopian possibilities of the VR/AR future.

42 people came together to spend an evening debating questions of ethics, ownership and sexuality, within a futuristic VR/AR context . From students to content creators, educators, and business women/men, there was a healthy representation of the Wellington VR/AR community, with a balanced ratio of young, old, male, and female.

A brief presentation on the future predictions for VR/AR was followed by facilitated group conversations set around a series of questions that ranged from the ownership of virtual “tags” to debating the ethics and ramifications of dangerous sexual practises being enacted in a virtual world.

NZ VRARA Executive Director, Courteney Lomas, says “I think that it is really important for the association to be leading this type of conversation alongside promoting, supporting and advocating for our NZ members working in VR and AR. By debating the hard questions and sharing viewpoints amongst the community we are in a better position to build a healthy VRAR future, that harnesses and champions the best of human nature.”

Virtual Skies will be an ongoing event series that deep dives into the hard questions, focusing on different themes each month.

To find out when the next one will be near you, head over to the FB page, NZ VRARA, and stay in the loop!

The New Zealand VR/AR Association Inc has appointed Courteney Lomas to the position of Executive Director. Courteney is the NZVRARA Student Chapter President and studied industrial design at Massey University Wellington, before joining the Association.

NZVRARA Chair, Michael Gregg, is delighted to welcome Courteney to the role and to the Executive Committee.

“Following our recent AGM, the new Executive Committee undertook to deliver a busy programme of Meetups and member workshops across the three main centres, as well as ramping up our communications and membership activities this year. Having an Executive Director with the high enthusiasm and energy that Courteney displays will be an important part of this delivery,” says Michael.

Courteney is based within Wellington’s PROJECTR Virtual & Mixed Reality Centre, as part of a strategic partnership between Projectr VR Ltd and the Association.

The New Zealand VR/AR Association was incorporated in September 2016 to serve its members operating in the virtual, mixed and augmented reality sector.