The Next Evolution of XR & Shared Realities in Entertainment

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      "company": "Cosm Inc",
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      "name": "Alexis Scalice",
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      "details": "Alexis Scalice is the Vice President of Business Development and Entertainment at\rCosm, the leading experiential media and immersive technology company redefining\rthe way the world experiences content. Based in Los Angeles, Alexis builds Cosm’s\rportfolio of revolutionary Shared Reality and immersive experiences, including The\rMatrix in Shared Reality and Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory in Shared Reality,\rdriving Cosm’s mission to change the way the world experiences content by combining\rreal-time innovation with cutting-edge entertainment. \r\rWith over 15 years in live and location-based entertainment, Alexis has been\rrecognized for her ability to drive fan engagement and brand loyalty while enhancing\rrevenue streams across a variety of business units. Prior to joining Cosm, Alexis served\ras Vice President of worldwide location-based entertainment company Universal Live\rEntertainment Group, where she developed global collaborations and led landmark\rprojects such as Jurassic World: The Exhibition and Downton Abbey: The Exhibition.\rHer previous roles include as Senior Director of Worldwide Live Entertainment at\rNBCUniversal, Director of Guest Experience at DreamWorks and Director of Guest\rExperience for Caruso overseeing hospitality and experience for The Grove in Los\rAngeles and The Americana at Brand in Glendale.  \r\rIn 2023, Alexis was named as one of Blooloop’s Power 10 Immersive Influencers,\rdemonstrating her capacity to lead at the forefront of the entertainment sector. Her\rsignificant experience in both branded entertainment and guest-centric design\rcomplements Cosm’s aim of creating unmatched experiences for interpersonal\rconnection and storytelling.",
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      "name": "Candice Afia",
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      "speaker_type": "Speaker",
      "details": "Candice Afia is the Senior Director of Creative Innovation for Universal Film, where she leads initiatives at the intersection of storytelling and emerging technology. In her role, she explores how new creative tools like AI, immersive media formats and other evolving storytelling mediums can unlock fresh ways for Universal to develop, position, and showcase its IP.",
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      "company": "Meta",
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      "name": "Eric Krueger",
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      "details": "Eric J. Krueger is the Head of Platform and Developer Strategy for the Reality Labs Entertainment Team at Meta and a member of the Emmy Emerging Media Programming Peer Group and the PGA Production Innovation Task Force. He specializes in the development of new formats for XR content. Eric collaborates with top brands, developers, and production companies worldwide to deliver best-in-class metaverse content. His expertise allowed him to speak at the SXSW, Tribeca Film Festival, NAB Tech Talks, Immersive Tech Week, and the Voices of VR Podcast. With a background in live theatre, Eric is passionate about redefining the limits of presence and engagement in entertainment.",
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      "name": "Deborah Casswell",
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      "details": "As Executive Creative Director at Nexus Studios, Deborah Casswell is passionate about using creativity and technology to enhance people’s lives. Her projects range from Right Runner for UNICEF, a game that empowers kids through play, to AI: More than Human at the Barbican, an art installation that lets audiences explore uncharted futures. She crafted a storytelling installation for the World Economic Forum that celebrated AI’s positive impact on communities for Google Cloud. In 2024, she worked with Meta to launch the Headspace XR app. This first-of-its-kind virtual playground for the mind was recognised by Fast Company’s Next Big Thing in Tech, Tribeca X and the Anthem Awards for its meaningful contribution to mental health practices. Deborah brought this combination of creative vision, human insight, and technical curiosity to Blumhouse Enhanced Cinema on Meta Quest. Always looking for the true value to audiences, she collaborated with Meta and NBCUniversal to carefully balance the filmmaker's intent and the narrative benefits of spatial storytelling. All in pursuit of exploring how immersive media can expand the emotional and creative potential of cinema.\n",
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  "description": "Iconic worlds are being reimagined across XR and shared-reality formats, giving audiences new ways to step inside the stories they love. Bringing together leaders from Meta, Universal Pictures, Nexus Studios and Cosm, we’ll explore how spatial storytelling is evolving as major IP moves into these new environments – and what’s ahead as these mediums step from the bleeding-edge into the mainstream. The panel will unpack what audiences are responding to, how scalable business models are emerging across platforms, and the new creative opportunities this opens up for worldbuilders.",
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  "long_description": "Iconic worlds are being reimagined across XR and shared-reality formats, giving audiences new ways to step inside the stories they love. Bringing together leaders from Meta, Universal Pictures, Nexus Studios and Cosm, we’ll explore how spatial storytelling is evolving as major IP moves into these new environments – and what’s ahead as these mediums step from the bleeding-edge into the mainstream. The panel will unpack what audiences are responding to, how scalable business models are emerging across platforms, and the new creative opportunities this opens up for worldbuilders.",
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