AUREA #8 at Europa-Park: VR, AR, and XR Innovations with Hollywood Flair

On Feb. 2-3, Europa-Park in Rust will once again become the gathering place for the international elite in immersive technologies. For the eighth time, the AUREA Award—Europe's leading accolade for VR, AR, and XR—will be presented there. Michael Mack, managing partner of Europa-Park and founder of MACK One, created the award to bring together visionary developers and industry leaders to redefine the boundaries between physical and digital reality.

This year's conference program stands out with high-profile international guests and strong Hollywood connections. Emmy Award winner and XR pioneer Michaela Ternasky-Holland will deliver the keynote, examining the role of immersive experiences in an era of synthetic media. Sven Bliedung von der Heide, CEO of Volucap, will demonstrate how volumetric capture and digital humans are already used in major Hollywood productions such as "The Matrix Resurrections."

Representatives from global brands including Meta, Dolby, and holoride will explore the future of entertainment in cars and aircraft through several panel discussions. A particular highlight is the exclusive live recording of the podcast "The World Beyond" featuring Michael Mack and visionary designer Keiichi Matsuda.

"With AUREA, we have created a platform that shows technology is not an end in itself but enables the storytelling of tomorrow," Michael Mack said. "Here at Europa-Park, we unite tradition and innovation: The emotional stories we have been telling for 50 years meet the boundless possibilities of the digital world. I am particularly looking forward to the creative energy that emerges when these international thought leaders come together in Rust."

Ten finalists, selected from more than 100 submissions, will present their projects live to an expert jury. The projects range from mixed-reality gaming at sports events and AI-based audio experiences to digital twins. The jury, chaired by Kathleen Cohen of The Collaboratorium, includes Christina Lee Storm of Secret Level, Thomas Wagner of VR Coaster, Julian Reyes (winner of AUREA #7), and Emily Olman of Hopscotch Interactive. For the first time this year, the audience award—the "Vox Populi" Award—will also be presented.

The AUREA Award has established itself as one of the industry's most important catalysts, combining networking, workshops, and entertainment in the unique atmosphere of Europa-Park Resort.