BigLook360

Leveraging VR for Training in the Hospitality Industry

lisarube — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 14:00:18 +0000

The hospitality industry, driven by exceptional guest experiences, relies on highly trained and customer-focused employees. Virtual Reality (VR) is a powerful tool to enhance training, standardize procedures, accelerate learning, onboarding, orientation and the recruiting processes. It provides immersive learning experiences that prepare staff more effectively and boost engagement. Here’s how VR can transform these areas for hotels and the broader hospitality industry.

VR in Training: In Real-World Simulated Scenarios

Training hotel staff to handle a variety of situations—whether front desk management, housekeeping, or guest relations—can be challenging in traditional settings. VR allows new hires to experience these scenarios in a risk-free, immersive environment, where they can learn to respond to guest needs and solve issues before they encounter them on the job. By simulating real-world scenarios, VR enables employees to practice handling common issues, like difficult customer interactions or emergency procedures, in a way that feels authentic but carries no real-world risks.

Companies have adopted VR to train new employees in various operational roles, resulting in higher knowledge retention and improved performance. According to a PwC study, employees trained in VR can learn faster and more effectively than in traditional classroom settings, as VR engages learners through immersive, hands-on experiences.

VR for Onboarding: Immersive Hotel Orientation

Onboarding in the hospitality sector involves introducing new employees to brand standards, procedures, and workplace culture, often requiring extensive training periods. VR provides new hires with a comprehensive virtual tour of the hotel, helping them familiarize themselves with the layout, amenities, and service expectations without disrupting regular operations.

Through VR, new hires can complete virtual walkthroughs of guest rooms, back-of-house areas, and front desk operations, which reduces the need for in-person training time and accelerates the onboarding process. This approach not only saves time but also ensures that all employees receive a consistent, standardized orientation.

VR in Recruiting: Showcasing Workplace Culture and Job Roles

Recruiting in the hospitality industry can be competitive, with high turnover rates making it essential to attract and retain talent effectively. VR can play a pivotal role by allowing potential employees to experience “a day in the life” of various roles within the hotel. Candidates can virtually shadow employees in roles like concierge, kitchen staff, or event management, gaining insights into the hotel’s work environment and culture.

For example, VR can give prospective employees a glimpse into what it’s like to work in hospitality, from front desk responsibilities to culinary tasks. This transparent approach helps candidates make informed decisions, reducing turnover by aligning expectations with job realities.

Conclusion

For the hospitality industry, VR represents an innovative solution to common training, onboarding, orientation and recruitment challenges. Hotels can save time, reduce costs, and improve employee performance by integrating VR into their processes.

By creating immersive experiences that mirror real-life situations, hotels can ensure their staff are well-prepared, culturally aligned, and confident from day one. With VR technology, hotels of all sizes can leverage this powerful tool to elevate their operations and deliver outstanding guest experiences.

For more information in how BigLook360 can help your organization leverage VR for training more effectively, contact us by clicking below or emailing: contact@biglook360.com

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Virtual Reality Safety Training

lisarube — Fri, 04 Aug 2023 21:00:50 +0000

As virtual reality (VR) technology continues to improve, it is becoming increasingly attractive to businesses looking to train their employees. Industrial companies in particular have much to benefit from the use of VR training, as it can provide a safe and effective way to teach employees a range of skills.

VR training has many advantages over traditional on-site methods
Most notably, it allows companies to replicate real-world environments in a safe and controlled setting, thereby reducing the risk of injuries or accidents. Furthermore, it’s easy to scale VR training to suit the needs of any organization, allowing for the efficient, cost-effective training of large numbers of employees.
VR training simulates the exact environment in which workers will be operating
This can help to make sure that employees are adequately prepared for the job, as well as enabling them to practice a range of skills in a safe virtual environment. Training can be tailored to a specific project, allowing workers to become familiar with the environment before they even set foot on the site.
VR training enables companies to provide ongoing, up-to-date training
As technology advances, it’s important for workers to stay up to date with the latest tools and techniques. With VR training, companies can quickly and easily update their training programs to reflect the latest industry standards. This ensures that employees are well-versed in the most efficient and effective ways of completing tasks.
VR training effective and is highly engaging for workers
Unlike traditional on-site training, VR training can provide an immersive experience that allows employees to explore a virtual environment and interact with objects in a realistic way. This can help to ensure that employees are more engaged in the learning process, as well as making it easier for them to retain the information they’ve been taught.
VR training is a great way to reduce costs
By using a virtual environment, companies can save money on equipment, training materials, and travel expenses. Furthermore, VR training is a one-time investment, meaning that it can be used over and over again to train new employees or update existing ones.

In conclusion, VR training is an effective and cost-efficient way for enterprises to train their employees. It allows them to create a safe and realistic environment in which workers can practice a range of skills, while also providing an engaging and immersive learning experience. For more information on how BigLook360 can help your organization use VR for training more effectively, contact us by clicking below or emailing: contact@biglook360.com

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HOW AN INNOVATIVE 360-DEGREE VIDEO MAPPING PROGRAM HELPED SAVE A RIVER

lisarube — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 17:34:28 +0000

One of the exciting things about being a pioneer in the world of VR and Immersive Video is that we get some very interesting requests. Not only do we get to explore some interesting ideas on how to leverage these technologies, but sometimes we get the opportunity to utilize our decades of experience for projects that can impact entire communities.

The Eklutna River in Alaska has a long rich history. Over the last 100 years, the river has literally been switched off and on several times disrupting the flow of the waterway but also thousands of lives in the villages downstream. Alaskan utilities thought it would be a good idea to measure the impact the river has when it is flowing after years of being severely limited by a dam. As this waterway was diverted in 1929 to generate electricity and later to double as the main source of drinking water for Anchorage residents.

BigLook360 was engaged by its client Quantum Spatial as part of an effort to visually document the restored flow of the Eklutna River using video. They reached out to us to help create a solution to map the river and surrounding geography by employing 360 degree video while integrating GPS coordinates and other measurement analytics.

BigLook360 provided its proprietary 360° video mapping technology MapPro360 to allow concerned entities to take a 360° visual aerial tour of the river while monitoring GPS coordinates, altitude, speed and other geospatial data along the way from their desktop computers or mobile devices.

BigLook360 used a customized 360° video camera and mounting system to capture spherical video by helicopter over the span of the Eklutna River and Lake. Then afterwards, editing and integrating the footage with the BigLook360 MapPro360 web-based application.

The Eklutna River near Anchorage is now flowing continuously into Cook Inlet without a dam blocking its path for the first time in nearly a century. The Eklutna River and Lake is approximately 25 miles north east of Anchorage, AK.

For people from the Native Village of Eklutna near the river’s mouth 25 miles northeast of downtown Anchorage, the river’s rebirth was an important moment. As this effort is part of a study by the utilities that will help determine if they should supply the river with water year-round, and if so, at what levels.

They want the 12-mile-long waterway permanently restored, along with the salmon their late elders once described as abundant. The studies are looking at potential fish habitat, landscape changes from the running river and other impact.

We are proud of our contribution to the Eklutna River studies because we understand that the insights and conclusions of this research will have an impact that spans generations.

Hey! Did you know BigLook 360 has been recognized as one of the Top Texas Video Production Companies by DesignRush? Not only does BigLook360 offer industry leading VR technology solutions, we are also one of the premiere 360 video and VR production companies. Reach out and let us bid on your next project.

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The ROI of Virtual Empathy

lisarube — Mon, 27 Sep 2021 18:09:07 +0000

A new study finds that empathy might be the soft skill with the biggest impact on business results. New Catalyst research suggests that empathy can be a powerful antidote to stress and contribute to positive experiences for both individuals and teams.

Innovation. People were able to be more innovative under empathetic leadership. 61% of employees reported being more likely to report being innovative compared to only 13% of those with less than empathetic bosses.
Engagement. 76% of people with empathetic leaders said they were engaged with work tasks vs. only 32% of those with leaders that were less empathetic.
Retention, Inclusivity and Work-Life balance were all areas of performance that were measured and that had significant improvements with those reporting more empathetic leadership.

Finding successful strategies to keep a workforce engaged and happy has never been more important in a waning workforce. Keeping employees has long been proven to cost less than hiring and re-training new hires. Effectively training all levels of management on better ways to empathize with their teams is a priority.

Biglook360 has become the leader in the VR Training space, creating ground-breaking hard skill training and soft skill training for Fortune 1000 companies over the last two decades. Recently, the company was engaged by a major health care company to create an immersive VR training program specifically focused on empathy training for its managers.

The goal of this pilot program was to allow managers to become fully immersed in the emotion and stress experienced by an employee. Using proprietary techniques at multiple locations and in studio, 360-degree video was used to capture real-world footage from the likes of an employee’s home office as well as scenarios around a corporate campus. This gives Managers the ability to experience first-hand what it is like to deal with seemingly normal stressors that an employee may feel throughout a typical day but with the added stresses of an employee with struggles in their personal life.

Immersive VR training scenarios like this provide up to 4x the efficacy in retention compared to traditional video and computer based training and up to twice the efficacy of classroom training. “Because the training is delivered in a totally immersive environment and is free of any other distraction, users get a true first-person perspective of what it is like in an employee’s world that is experiencing a mental or physical challenge. They can connect at a much deeper level than traditional or other conventional types of training,” said Lance Loesberg, CEO of Biglook360. He added, “Empathy training requires the learner to really understand at an emotional level and VR accelerates that process by totally immersing the user into the environment. “

VR empathy training is just another example of how VR Training is growing in the enterprise. For more information on how Biglook360 can help your organization use VR for training employees more effectively, contact us by clicking below or emailing contact@biglook360.com

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Managing Your First VR Project

lisarube — Fri, 17 Sep 2021 18:58:53 +0000

Managing a VR project can seem overwhelming if you do not have all the required information or experience in producing a VR experience. While VR production is similar in many ways to traditional production (Flat Video), there are key differences that you should keep in mind to ensure that your project is a success.

The best place to start is with the end in mind. Once you have determined the type of project you are producing and delivering, you can better manage the variables specific to each genre or type of VR production. Requirements specific to your project will really drive each decision you need to make. For example, training and education content will have different needs than an entertainment or advertising and marketing project.

The biggest variables that will drive your decisions will be budget and project delivery deadlines. Once those two foundational elements are locked down, you are able to better produce it with a greater chance for success. Our goal at Biglook360 is to deliver the maximum amount of production value and immersive experience that time and money will allow.

Here are some of many key decision drivers every VR producer should be asking their clients:

How will the VR content be displayed and distributed (ex. VR headsets, mobile devices, desktop, web, YouTube, Facebook, a combination of these, or all the above)?
For scale, will it be targeted for the public, small business, enterprise or some other audience?
Should your content be real world environments or CG worlds (animated) or a combination of the two?
Does the content need to be acquired or produced in 3D? same as above?
Does the project require utilization of a specific location or locations and if so, what is needed to get permission and access?
Will any special effects or CGI need to be utilized or incorporated into the content?
Will it require talent (actors), extras, animals, etc.?
What kind of music and/or voice over will be required?
Will any user interactivity or freedom of movement within the experience be required, such as walking, running, driving, flying, swimming, etc.?
Does the user need to make decisions during the experience or select, handle, physically move items, etc. within the experience?
Are there any data or metrics required to be captured and disseminated from the users?

Armed with the answers to these questions, you can begin the process of scoping your VR production.

If you get those answered and end up with more questions yourself, we recommend reaching out and partnering with an experienced VR production company. With over 20 years of creating and producing VR applications, we at BigLook360 take these and many more integral aspects into account when planning and producing world-class VR projects for our clients.

Contact us. We will be happy to walk through the process and help you every step of the way to ensure delivering the absolute best VR content and applications.

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VR Training Is More Effective and Affordable Than You Think

lisarube — Wed, 26 May 2021 17:53:28 +0000

A recent PWC study on using VR for enterprise businesses, showcases just how far it has come as a viable training tool for corporations. Not only is VR being adopted by more and more Fortune 1000 companies, the costs to deploy it has dropped drastically keeping pace with the consumer VR headset market.

Novelty vs. Efficacy

Early adopters are always attracted by the tech and the promise of evolving or even revolutionizing the status quo. VR training has made it through that phase with flying colors and with some interesting data on how effective the platform can be as a training tool. PWC’s study highlighted that VR is a superior platform to deliver learning objectives when compared to the classroom. Their data suggests that the same concepts can be used in training up to four times faster than the same students in the classroom. And this only takes into account actual contact hours, not the time it takes to travel to and from the classroom. The same study showed that VR learners are 4x more focused than their e-learning counterparts and 1.5x more focused than the same learners in the classroom.

Scale Matters

VR solutions for large organizations used to be a complicated tapestry of expensive hardware, custom software, and engineering and support. Most training professionals have not considered VR as a platform due to the misconceptions around the expensive “old days” of VR. Today, the world of VR training is much more standardized and a lot easier to deploy.

In fact, PWC found that VR training is comparable in costs to classroom training with as few as 375 learners. At 3,000 learners, VR was shown to be 52% more cost effective. Even compared to e-learning, VR training found cost parity at just 1,950 learners.

Although VR training is a long way off from replacing classroom or e-learning training, it should be considered as a part of most organization’s blended learning strategy. VR training, while relatively new to the enterprise, has already proven that it can make more meaningful connections to learners by allowing them to practice skills that help them relate to new perspectives virtually.

The time to invest in VR training for your organization is now. If you would like more information on how you can use VR training in your company or organization, please reach out to an expert here at BigLook360. We have decades of experience creating VR strategy and solutions and would be happy to discuss your needs. Email a VR expert at contact@biglook360.com

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VR Training Emerges As A Top Enterprise Tech Trend In 2021

lisarube — Wed, 26 May 2021 17:52:09 +0000

Virtual reality (VR) emerged as one of the technology winners of 2020 because the dramatic shift to work-from-home forced companies to look beyond the “Zoom Experience” for remote workers.

As a result, VR is getting more consideration than ever as a distance learning and training platform. The VR industry, which has received mostly gamer focused attention over the last decade, had to mature quickly to be considered as a serious enterprise training solution.

If Formula 1 racing drives most of the innovation in the automotive industry, gaming is the catalyst for the VR industry. Thanks to a major push by Facebook (Oculus) and other headset manufacturers to reach gamers with high performance hardware, the performance to price ratio has never been more attractive for corporate leaders to leverage low cost hardware to drive compelling VR training and learning experiences.

The same engaging technology that makes a video game come to life, makes VR training a totally immersive experience that connects at a deeper emotional level than traditional video. Studies show that VR makes it easier to learn more quickly, retain more knowledge and gain a deeper comprehension of the matter at hand. A recent PWC study found that employees in VR courses can be trained on soft skills up to four times faster than traditional classroom and remote learning tools. In addition, employees proved to have greater focus and confidence in applying what they’re taught.

Because of the headwinds that the pandemic lockdowns provided, VR has become a predominant trend of 2021 across entire organizations. With mostly remote-work environments, a wide array of departments — from HR and safety and facility management to customer service and sales — can significantly benefit from VR training. Additionally, VR has shown that it intensifies the comprehension of both novice trainees and experienced workers. What makes VR powerful in the more intense training scenarios is its ability to simulate dangerous workplace scenarios without any risk to the worker or the trainer.

IT’S MORE COST EFFECTIVE THAN YOU THINK

When VR technology came onto the corporate scene in the late 90’s, it was complicated an expensive. Almost all VR projects involved brand marketing, where the budgets could subsidize the high technology, engineering and support costs. However, today the cost of admission is dramatically lower. The cost of VR headsets have dropped drastically over the last three years and managing them within the enterprise has also matured. The ability to manage a “fleet” of VR devices in a large enterprise is now as easy as managing computers or tablets.

From a content perspective, custom training modules produced using 360 degree video is the most cost-effective. While it differs greatly from traditional video production, the basic principles of it and computer-based training applies. The big difference is that VR training leverages 360 degrees of viewing freedom. Whether it is soft skill training, onboarding new employees or more dangerous training scenarios, VR provides a captivating yet cost-effective way to deliver impactful training scenarios.

There is no doubt that the future of training and learning is unfolding in the virtual world. VR’s rising popularity is driving more and more training professionals to seek out qualified partners to create solutions for their organizations. BigLook360 has over three decades of experience creating training solutions for Fortune 1000 companies and government entities. Reach out to a representative by clicking the link below to schedule a free consultation.

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Use 360 Degree VR Video to Maximize Live Events

lisarube — Wed, 26 May 2021 17:50:11 +0000

360 degree VR video is the perfect way to immerse viewers in an environment like never before. Applications for VR video are growing exponentially as VR headsets are getting more affordable. The entertainment industry is certainly among the most popular categories to use this type of video production. Using 360 degree VR video at major events is also increasingly popular among special event promoters and sponsors, presenting an entirely new viewing experience and connecting audiences at a deeper more engaging level.

Go Big with VR Video

With traditional coverage of events, viewers are limited to one camera angle at a time. This one-dimensional viewing experience, dictated by the director, restricts viewers from the freedom of how they can experience an event.

360 VR video production requires special cameras that are set up to capture everything there is to see, in a full 360-degree range of view. This unique technology affords viewers a “just like being there” experience that takes you well beyond the flat screen. Want to look around? With a 360 VR video, you can do just that by the turning your head if you are using a VR headset, or click-and-drag to adjust your view to the precise angle you desire if you are viewing on a computer or handheld device.

Feel the Power of 360 Degree VR Video

BigLook360 has been there to cover the major events from professional sports to the red carpet at major award shows like The Emmy’s, The Grammy’s, The Academy Awards Oscars, CMA’s and many more. Our cameras have put millions of viewers at home in the middle of the action. At sporting events, the viewer gets more than a sideline view, they get to experience it in an immersive environment that engages the senses in a way traditional video cannot. At red carpet events, viewers are transported to the middle of the glamorous action, eavesdropping on celebrity conversations and interviews.

The possibilities of 360 VR video for your organization are only limited by the imagination and creativity of your team. Immersive 360 VR video is truly the next best thing to being there.

At BigLook360, we are experts in producing 360 degree VR video content for advertising and promotional agencies, corporate and commercial video producers and major event planners. Give us a call today for a free consultation on your next VR project.

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360 Video Puts the Audience in the Director’s Chair

lisarube — Wed, 26 May 2021 17:34:16 +0000

When most people hear the term Virtual Reality or VR, images of video games and computerized environments come to mind. Like most tech industries, the VR world is changing fast and it is opening up new creative ways to leverage today’s latest generation of VR headsets.

There is a remarkable and rapidly evolving imaging technology in the VR space called 360 immersive video. Unlike computer generated environments that rely on polygons to simulate real or imaginary worlds, 360 video uses pixels captured in real world environments to create the VR experience. Even though computer animations have come a long way, nothing compares to capturing an environment in real life with high resolution 360 cameras. Still, today the difference between 360 video and computer generated environments is easy to recognize. 360 video is more engaging because it is real life that has been captured and played back. The high-resolution cameras of today can now capture more detail than ever before.

What makes 360 video unlike traditional video is that it puts the viewer in control. In traditional film and video, the director chooses what the camera sees. But with 360 video, the viewer is in charge of what they want to see and experience. Viewers can look left, right, up, down. They can even turn around and look all the way behind them. 360 video is more lifelike, putting the audience literally in the middle of the scene. Just as if they were standing there. The viewer is in total control and it deepens the immersive experience unlike any other technology can.

360 video opens up unlimited possibilities for marketers, training departments and therapists. Viewers can be transported into any scenario and get to experience that real world environment from the safety of their virtual reality headset.

The team at BigLook360 are pioneers in 360 immersive video. From creating the world’s first experiential marketing 360 experience, to intense immersive therapies for patients with brain injuries, the BigLook360 team has the experience you need for your VR project. We deliver innovative, creative and dynamic 360 video experiences customized for your needs.

Say goodbye to traditional videos. BigLook360 provides innovative and engaging 360 VR video content and immersive solutions from conceptual design to delivery. Visit www.biglook360/VRProduction to learn more or reach out to a VR expert at contact@biglook360.com.

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