The long-theorised concept of ‘the metaverse’ crashed in mainstream consciousness in 2021 when Mark Zuckerberg announced Facebook’s rebrand as Meta in a now infamous demonstration of a future virtual world where our digital avatar’s could play poker with robots on a spaceship whilst sharing IRL videos of their dogs.
Two years later, Zuck’s Meta utopia remains far from a (virtual) reality. With the company’s first iteration – Horizon Worlds – failing to resonate in any meaningful way and multiple rounds of staff layoffs at Meta in 2023, many take the view that metaverse was a failed marketing gimmick. A quirk for the history books, not a model for the future.
But is ‘the metaverse’ truly dead? As with many emerging technologies, only after the initial hype subsides do the true game-changing use cases emerge. And what even is ‘the metaverse’? Can a single definition be applied or is it actually many different things?
Hear from a panel of experts across different sectors discuss what the technology means to them and whether they see any future applications in their industry:
Luke Jackson, Director, Walker Morris Luke Jackson | LinkedIn
Dr Jan Smith, Chief Executive Officer, MindYourself App Dr Jan Smith, PhD, CPsychol | LinkedIn
Jonathan Rowan – BDO LLP Jonathan Rowan | LinkedIn
Ian Douthwaite – Dubit Ian Douthwaite | LinkedIn
Chris Gibson MBE – The Growth Pod Chris Gibson MBE | LinkedIn
The panel will be followed with pizza and drinks for an opportunity to network with others.
