Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. have
collaborated with InterContinental Hotels Group to pilot a solution
that uses augmented and virtual reality to reinvent the event
planning experience.
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005194/en/
Developed by the Accenture Extended Reality (XR) practice, in
collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies, the XR Event Planner
solution places event planners, buyers and hotel sales staff
side-by-side in a virtual reconstruction of an event space,
allowing them to remotely envision and configure the layout in
real-time. Piloted at InterContinental® Los Angeles Downtown, the
proof-of-concept recreates the hotel’s iconic Hollywood Ballroom in
3D, including accurate reflections of architectural features,
layout, lighting, carpet design, table settings and fabric
patterns. Users can modify room layouts, toggle between table and
chair configurations, stage placement, decorations and lighting—all
while collaborating remotely and adding notes for colleagues or the
hotel set-up crew.
The solution represents an important step toward addressing
challenges within the meetings and events industry, a $330 billion
annual market in the U.S. alone. Currently, booking event spaces
can be a slow and expensive undertaking, requiring event planners
to scout geographically distant locations. The lengthy timeframe to
close a sale results not only in lost opportunities, but also
increased booking costs for both property owners, event planners
and end buyers. Feedback from focus group testing and market
analysis that Accenture conducted shows that the XR Event Planner
could increase hotel revenue by up to eight percent. In addition,
hoteliers estimate it could reduce sales cycle time, decrease
booking costs and improve brand loyalty and brand affinity,
particularly with millennials.
“Collaborating with Accenture and Qualcomm Technologies on the
XR Event Planner pilot has demonstrated the power of augmented and
virtual reality technologies in hotels,” said Jeff Edwards, senior
vice president, Global Hotel & Owner Solutions,
InterContinental Hotels Group. “This tool equips hotels, such as
InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown, to close event sales even
faster and increase productivity, while simultaneously helping
clients experience event spaces without having to travel, in a new,
dynamic way that brings the event to life during the planning
process.”
Designed to be used across multiple devices, including mobile
phones and tablets, the pilot solution extends the traditional
consumer digital journey from smartphone AR to a more immersive
head worn device, including Nreal AR glasses and HTC Vive Focus
Plus VR headsets – both powered by the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™
Platform.
Raffaella Camera, global head, Innovation & Market Strategy,
Accenture Extended Reality, said, “The Accenture XR practice is
continuously exploring ways to reimagine how people and
organizations alike interact with the world around them through the
latest immersive technologies. Our XR Event Planner is a prime
example of this principle in action, with the potential to
fundamentally transform how the event planning industry
operates.”
As a strategic initiative of Accenture, the Accenture Extended
Reality (XR) practice uses human-centered design principles, deep
industry knowledge, global scale, and expertise in combinatorial
technologies such as AI and IoT, to help global 2000 companies
imagine, create and deliver impactful XR experiences to unlock new
business value.
Brian Vogelsang, senior director of product management, Qualcomm
Technologies, Inc, added, “Qualcomm Technologies invents the
technologies and tools that transform industries and lives. We
believe that XR has the potential to revolutionize the enterprise
and we’re proud to work with Accenture and InterContinental Hotels
Group to bring the benefits of immersive computing to the event
planning industry by harnessing the power of our Qualcomm
Snapdragon Platform.”
For more information on the XR Event Planner, please click
here.
About Accenture Accenture is a leading global
professional services company, providing a broad range of services
and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and
operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills
across more than 40 industries and all business functions —
underpinned by the world’s largest delivery network — Accenture
works at the intersection of business and technology to help
clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for
their stakeholders. With 505,000 people serving clients in more
than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way
the world works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com.
About Qualcomm Qualcomm invents breakthrough technologies
that transform how the world connects, computes and communicates.
When we connected the phone to the Internet, the mobile revolution
was born. Today, our inventions are the foundation for
life-changing products, experiences, and industries. As we lead the
world to 5G, we envision this next big change in cellular
technology spurring a new era of intelligent, connected devices and
enabling new opportunities in connected cars, remote delivery of
health care services, and the IoT - including smart cities, smart
homes and wearables. Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing
business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio.
Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated,
operates, along with its subsidiaries, substantially all of our
engineering, research and development functions, and substantially
all of our products and services businesses, including our QCT
semiconductor business. For more information, Qualcomm’s website,
OnQ blog, Twitter and Facebook pages.
Qualcomm and Snapdragon are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated,
registered in the United States and other countries. Qualcomm
Snapdragon is a product of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its
subsidiaries.
About IHG IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG,
NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organisation with a broad portfolio of
hotel brands, including Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, Regent
Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts,
Kimpton® Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo®, EVEN® Hotels,
HUALUXE® Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts,
voco™, Holiday Inn® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®,
Holiday Inn Club Vacations®, avid™ hotels, Staybridge Suites®,
Atwell Suites™, and Candlewood Suites®.
IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns nearly 5,800 hotels and
approximately 865,000 guest rooms in more than 100 countries, with
over 1,900 hotels in its development pipeline. IHG also manages
IHG® Rewards Club, our global loyalty programme, which has more
than 100 million enrolled members.
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group’s holding company
and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and
Wales. More than 400,000 people work across IHG’s hotels and
corporate offices globally.
Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations and
www.ihgrewardsclub.com for more on IHG Rewards Club. For our latest
news, visit: www.ihgplc.com/media and follow us on social media at:
https://twitter.com/ihgcorporate, www.facebook.com/ihgcorporate and
www.linkedin.com/company/intercontinental-hotels-group.
Copyright © 2020 Accenture. All rights reserved. Accenture and
its logo are trademarks of Accenture.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200122005194/en/
Christina McDonald Accenture +1 415 537 7997
christina.mcdonald@accenture.com
Neil Hirsch InterContinental Hotels Group +1 770 604 5775
neil.hirsch@ihg.com
Amy Funke InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown +1 213 274 0041
amy.funke@ihg.com
Macey Davis Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. +1 760 420 3904
macedavi@qti.qualcomm.com
Accenture (NYSE:ACN)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2024 to May 2024
Accenture (NYSE:ACN)
Historical Stock Chart
From May 2023 to May 2024