Written by Tim Groot, CEO and Founder of Grip, and Member of the UFI Digital Innovation Working Group.

We’re standing at the edge of something profound.

In Amazon’s TV series, The Rings of Power, Celebrimbor sits in peace, sipping tea in the sunlight, while the truth – a city engulfed in darkness and fire – lies just beyond his vision. The illusion is seamless and convincing.

And that’s exactly how I felt wearing the Apple Vision Pro for the first time at WPP Stream, an ‘unconference’ event in Athens, Greece.

This is no ordinary augmented reality (AR) headset. The Vision Pro is a major leap forward, it is capable of both augmented reality and virtual reality (VR). Picture this: as I sat in a packed session with Rory Sutherland, the behavioral economics expert, a 3D figure appeared.  It sprinted through the audience, stopped right in front of me and refused to move until I lifted my hand to give it a high-five. It was so real, I instinctively raised my hand (easily mistaken as me posing a question to the speaker!) That’s how immersive it was – and it made me think.

We’ve all experienced the letdown of clunky VR headsets that leave you nauseous and underwhelmed. The Vision Pro is different. It’s subtle and intuitive. You control it with just a flick of your eyes and a small movement of your fingers, yet the impact is massive. One second, I was fully immersed in the AR overlay, the next, Rory’s words were pulling me back into the room. The boundary between the real and the virtual blurred and for a moment, I could see a possible future for the events industry.

Imagine attending an event from halfway across the world, yet feeling as if you’re right there, absorbing every word, seeing every gesture. But here’s the thing, even with this incredible technology, there’s something it can’t replace: real human interaction.

WPP Stream is an unconference where spontaneous conversations happen, where anyone can scribble a topic on a whiteboard and host a group discussion. There was no predefined content program and the entire schedule consisted of two big boards where anyone could add a topic, which they could talk about for an hour. It resulted in highly interactive, engaging open discussions of between 10 and 40 people per session on a wide range of topics. It was dynamic, raw and personal. These interactions are the heartbeat of in-person events, and they’re hard to replicate virtually. It’s in these moments where real interactions happen, connections take place, and relationships are forged.

Here’s what excites me: technology isn’t about replacing in-person experiences, it’s about enhancing them. The more advanced technology becomes, the greater the potential for deepening engagement at in-person events. Technology like AR and AI can increase participation, foster connections, and create experiences that push the boundaries of what’s possible.

But in the end, it’s the human element that will always matter most. This was evident at the UFI Global Congress in Cologne last month. I wasn’t an augmented illusion projected into participants’ headsets. The people I shook hands with, the ideas we shared – they were as real as it gets.