Manchester Tech Festival Immersive Technology Talk: Beyond the Metaverse

In 2022, AVimmerse Creative Director Keith Myers spoke at Manchester Tech Festival, contributing to wider discussions around immersive technology, digital experience design, and the emerging narratives surrounding the so-called “metaverse”.

This immersive technology talk at Manchester Tech Festival explored how human centred design can cut through metaverse hype and focus on meaningful, real-world experiences.

Rather than focusing on hype or speculative futures, the talk explored how immersive technologies are already being used today to create meaningful, human-centred experiences across education, culture, and creative industries.

Moving Beyond Buzzwords

At the height of metaverse speculation, much of the conversation centred on scale, platforms, and novelty. This session took a different approach, asking a simpler but more important question:

What does immersive technology actually offer people right now?

Immersive tools such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and interactive environments already play a role in how we tell stories, share knowledge, and connect with place. When designed thoughtfully, these technologies can support empathy, understanding, and engagement without needing grand promises or abstract futures.

Immersive Technology Talk at Manchester Tech Festival

The talk positioned immersive technology not as a destination, but as a creative medium. One that sits alongside film, theatre, architecture, and design.

Rather than asking audiences to “enter the metaverse”, the focus was on how immersive experiences can:

• Support learning and skills development.

• Enable new forms of storytelling.

• Create emotional connection to culture and heritage.

• Offer accessible, inclusive ways of experiencing information.

At its best, immersive design is not about escape, but about attention, presence, and intention.

Human Centred Design at the Core

A recurring theme throughout the session was the importance of human centred design. Technology should not dictate experience. Instead, experience should shape how technology is used.

This approach draws on principles from game design, narrative design, and participatory media, where the goal is not to overwhelm users, but to invite them into carefully considered moments of interaction.

Immersive technology (and immersive education) becomes powerful when it is quiet, purposeful, and grounded in real needs.

Reflections from Manchester

Manchester has a strong tradition of innovation rooted in people, place, and industry. Speaking at Manchester Tech Festival reinforced the value of local conversations that challenge global narratives and focus on practical, grounded applications of technology.

The session formed part of a broader body of work exploring how immersive tools can be applied across education, heritage, and creative practice without relying on speculative futures or closed platforms.

Looking Ahead

As conversations around immersive technology continue to evolve, the need for clarity, restraint, and purpose becomes increasingly important. The future of immersive work will not be defined by platforms or labels, but by the quality of experiences created and the impact they have on people.

AVimmerse continues to explore immersive technology as a creative and cultural medium, focusing on work that prioritises storytelling, learning, and meaningful engagement.