Technology gets attention at holiday events, but attention isn’t the same as connection. AR, VR, and projection mapping can wow a crowd, but if they don’t create an emotional response, they’re just spectacle. Guests don’t remember screen resolutions or headset specs. They remember the awe of standing under a ceiling that changes with the seasons, or the pride of seeing their company story unfold across a wall. That’s why the question for planners isn’t what tech should we use? but what should people feel, and when?
The most straightforward approach is to follow three steps: define the emotion, select the medium, and map it to the program. Do you want to spark wonder as guests enter the room? Build belonging during dinner? Re-energize the crowd before late-night entertainment? Once you’ve locked in the emotional beats, you can pick the technology that best delivers them.
Projection mapping is a good example. Used as background, it’s just moving graphics. Used with intent, it becomes a storytelling device. Imagine a dinner that begins with soft winter visuals, shifts into brand colours during the awards program, then evolves into bold patterns for the dance floor. The changing visuals don’t just decorate; they guide the room’s energy and mark transitions. That’s strategy, not spectacle.
Toronto’s IMRSV is designed for this. The venue itself is an immersive canvas, with built-in projection and LED walls that can transform instantly. For planners, that means you can deliver multiple emotional environments in one night without the cost of tearing down and rebuilding sets. Guests don’t talk about the technology; they talk about how the room felt alive as the evening unfolded.
The Design Exchange shows another approach: layering digital projection onto heritage architecture. A space that already carries cultural weight becomes even more powerful when it merges past and future. For corporate clients, that balance communicates both credibility and innovation. It’s not just decoration; it’s alignment with brand values in real time.
Budgets vary, but the principle remains the same. Smaller activations can still create strong emotional impacts if they’re well-placed. One wall mapped with seasonal motion, a VR lounge offering a five-minute shared adventure, or an AR scavenger hunt that sparks networking conversations can each serve as high-impact touchpoints. The scale matters less than the clarity of the emotion you’re designing for.
The payoff is measurable. Guests post more when they feel something worth sharing. They discuss the event the next day when an experience resonates, not when they see another piece of hardware. For companies, that translates into longer brand recall, stronger associations, and proof that the event delivered more than a party; it delivered connection.
So choose tech last. Start with the feeling you want in the room, then pick the tool that makes it real. That’s how AR, VR, and projection mapping stop being novelties and start being assets. Emotion is the ROI. The technology is just the delivery system.