Virtua Hospitality launched UgoVirtual, an online platform designed to meet the virtual travel and event management/hosting needs of the global travel and hospitality sectors. Leveraging the most recent advancements in virtual reality, web conferencing and e-learning technology, the UgoVirtual platform allows event organizers and meeting planners to virtualize a variety of events, such as industry trade shows, corporate meetings and conferences, replicating the experience and content available at on-site events.
The flexible and highly configurable UgoVirtual platform can be used to host a standalone online event or alternatively, to augment an on-site event by creating a virtual version of it for remote attendance, participation and learning.
“As both an event organizer and a hospitality industry executive 'road warrior' myself, I can tell you that there is growing demand for event technology that can provide an online version of the multitude of events that we need to attend each year in order to stay relevant,” Mike Blake, CEO of Hospitality Technology Next Generation, said in a statement. “Virtual events are the future of our industry since they can be used to expand both the attendance and reach of on-site conferences and meetings. With the advancement of digitization, virtual concepts are poised to become the new reality for the hospitality and travel sector.”
UgoVirtual events create an experience inside a digital environment of dedicated rooms and spaces, similar to a physical convention center or corporate campus. Registered attendees can access the event via any internet-enabled desktop, tablet or device to visit various locations and participate in a range of activities, such as live keynotes and breakouts, on-demand sessions, 1:1 chat, social networking, peer collaboration and much more. Any mix of rooms and spaces can be included in the virtual environment, depending on desired activities. Examples include a lobby, an information center/help desk, an auditorium, a lounge, a resource center, a classroom, a video wall, an exhibit hall and a press room.