The first ever TIDE conference (Technology. Innovation. Design. Experience.) takes place next week in Orlando, a day-long precursor to the annual InfoComm convention in Orlando, Florida.

A bright lineup of speakers, including Pixar’s Matthew Luhn, Local Project’s founder Jake Barton, Jason Crusan from NASA and “godmother of virtual reality” Nonny de la Peña, will look at the power of AV technology and its evolution across a variety of industries. The conference, which also features breakout sessions and panel discussions, will place a special emphasis on the role of storytelling in designing technological experiences, and vice versa.

“From CG animation to big data, technology has created so many opportunities for storytellers to forge stronger, more meaningful connections with their audiences,” said Pixar’s Luhn, who holds brand storytelling workshops for clients like Disney, Adidas, Facebook and Google. “Technology inspires art and art inspires technology. After my keynote presentation, attendees will have clear understanding of how to craft impactful, personal stories that will help them connect more effectively with their audiences.”

Held on 13 June at the Hyatt Regency Hotel near the Orange County Convention Center, TIDE welcomes VR pioneer De la Peña, CEO of Emblematic Group, as keynote speaker. She has made a name for herself from telling emotional stories through the use of new technologies.

De la Peña said: “The impact that virtual, augmented and mixed reality has had on the way we see, hear and feel stories — both fiction and the news — is ground-breaking. Being in the moment transcends being an observer and connects you to the subject more than any other medium.”

Meanwhile, Barton, whose company Local Projects worked on New York’s 9/11 Memorial Museum and Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, will give a talk entitled “The Intersection of Space and Storytelling”.

Later in the day, Crusan will treat attendees to an sneak peek at what the future of space travel technology looks like and how NASA is using technology to prepare for life beyond Earth. “Humans, not technology, will determine whether we reach Mars by 2030,” he says.

With InfoComm 2017 kicking off the next day, senior vice president of expositions, InfoComm International, said: “InfoComm is proud to introduce an energetic conference that showcases AV as a truly creative profession.”

“The world of AV is getting more and more exciting with extremely fast-paced developments in technology. The speakers and program we have curated for TIDE will show our audience how to tie their creative energy with transformative technology to produce outcomes that drive business goals.”

Attendees can register for TIDE when they register for InfoComm 2017 at infocommshow.org.