Plan the perfect Meta Connect experience.
Meta Connect 2022 is just days away and excitement is building. According to Meta, this year’s event will focus on the company’s XR goals and how inclusivity through user experiences and avatars will play a major role moving forward.
Along with a keynote led by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Meta Connect 2022 will also feature three key speakers for the Developer State of the Union, 30 different developer sessions, and an unscripted conversation with John Carmack about the future of technology.
This year the annual event will be hosted by Emmy-award winner Melinda Davenport, Director of Internal Communications for Meta, and well-known Instagrammer Karen X Cheng, who has been named Inc 30 and Adweek’s Creative 100 for her work in AI and AR.
To help you plan the perfect event, Meta has put together a list of some of the can’t-miss sessions that will be featured at Connect 2022. Of course, you can go through the schedule yourself by clicking here and see what sessions resonate with you.
Developer State of the Union
Anand Dass, Chris Pruett, and Yardley Pohl will focus on the latest developments in Meta’s VR ecosystem and how they can help you build and manage your business. They’ll also talk about the various tools and programs that Reality Labs has available to help bring those ideas into your workflow with the least amount of disruption.
Carmack Unscripted
Whatever you do. Do not miss this one. Reality Labs Consulting CTO John Carmack will take the stage for an unfiltered, unscripted conversation on technology. Carmack joined Oculus in 2013 and worked with Palmer Luckey to develop and launch the original Oculus Rift.
He stepped down as CTO in 2019, saying, “I’m going to work on artificial general intelligence (AGI). I think it is possible, enormously valuable, and that I have a non-negligible chance of making a difference there. So by a Pascal’s Mugging sort of logic, I should be working on it. For the time being at least, I am going to be going about it “Victorian Gentleman Scientist” style, pursuing my inquiries from home, and drafting my son into the work.”
Building Bridges to the Metaverse
In this talk, Alex Hopmann, the software engineer for Meta Software, and Andy Shenton, the head of studio at Unit 2 Games, will talk about how it’s possible for you to create compelling and meaningful connections between the user-generated content creation platforms Horizon Worlds and Crayta.
Designing VR for Women
Ellen Utrecht, the founder of MikeTeevee, Meta Content Launch Manager Richard Duck, and Ting Wang, the head of shared production at Resolution Games, will discuss what features and systems best engage and retain female-identifying audiences across a variety of genres. They’ll also talk to the developers of Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pig, The Last Clockwinder, and The Shores of Loci.
Growing Communities in VR with Integrity and Trust
In this talk, John Connell, head of business development for Modulate, will be joined by WebPurify Founder Joshua Buxbaum, Meta Games Producer Mari Kyle, and Hive Sales and Business Development Director Simon Lebsekal, to talk about how VR developers can build and manage thriving online communities.
Inclusive Design and Building for Diverse Audiences
Attendees will walk away with a deeper understanding of how to design applications that are inclusive and how to use feedback from players to improve their games.
Mari Kyle, a producer at Meta Games, will talk about the various considerations that go into making a game more welcoming to diverse audiences. Tom Ivey, the Executive Producer of Resident Evil 4, will also join the conversation to talk about the various mechanics and features that are designed to make the game more inclusive.
The Creator Journey—Bridging to the Metaverse
Meta Director of AR Partnerships, Chris Barbour, will introduce attendees to different skills they can learn to grow their business while continuing to develop their technical knowledge. In addition, Metaverse Artist Denis Rossiev, Dude Studios Tech Artist and Founder Eugene Soh, VMLY&R Spatial Designer, Speaker, AR Consultant Luke Hurd; and Seeds Creative Director Mitsuko Ono, will also be on-hand to add to the dialog.
Use Spatial Audio to Build More Immersive Experiences with Presence Platform
Through the Meta Platform, developers can now create more immersive and engaging experiences by leveraging spatial audio capabilities. In this talk, Brett Gildersleeve, product manager at Meta, and Henry Halvorson, sound designer of Meta, will be talking about the various features and capabilities that are available to help them build more effective and engaging experiences.
Other sessions to mention here are:
- Creativity, Collaboration, and Community with Aaron Sorrels, Daniel Martín García, and Natalie Griffith
- Embracing a New Identity: Integrating Meta Avatars in Already Established Product with Jolyon Webb
- Inclusive Design and Building for Diverse Audiences with Mari Kyle and Tom Ivey
You can check out the entire Meta Connect schedule here. To watch Meta Connect 2022 in VR, register here and then log into Horizon Worlds on October 11. You can also watch the event on the Reality Labs Facebook page.
Image Credit: Meta
