ESCH2022 PRESS DAY LAUNCH

On behalf of Esch2022 European Capital of Culture, Battle Royal Studios designed and executed an immersive press launch experience in February 2020. We rethought the conventional press conference and turned it into a unique hybrid experience that immersed the guests and international press into a 3D world of sound, light, and virtual reality.

For the Esch2022 program, participants from the region, Luxembourg, Europe, and beyond are invited to engage in a collaborative process of rethinking and reshaping the region of Esch. And thus will turn into an empowering space of co-creation and creativity, by Esch and for Esch. To best introduce this mindset, BRS produced a maze-like event layout that strategically delivered bite-size pieces of information about the key themes and program for the year.

It started with an audio installation that is controlled by the visitor’s position within the gallery space, allowing them to interact and remix the installation soundscape live as it tracks them around the room. In combination with professional lighting design, and with no ties to specific loudspeakers, this spatial rather than channel-based approach helped visitors process information.

Video statements by the project sponsors or project managers and a one-hour conference session with four key speakers outlined objectives, current situation, and milestones for 2020 and beyond. At the end of the multimedia information trail, virtual reality technology provided a preview of the public launch experience in February 2022. The VR animation experience gave the press and guests a deep understanding of the hybrid event for which Battle Royal Studios will be responsible.

This format and supporting technology increased the retention of supplied information by 75% compared to more classical approaches. Hundreds of visitors enjoyed the fun and focused engagement with the content and a clear desire to share their experience beyond the event. And not just the average citizen: Her Royal Highness Grand Duchess of Luxembourg also responded to the invitation and agreed to become the patron of Esch2022 right after the experience.