The ‘Our Harbour 1881, Our Stories’ extravaganza at 1881 Heritage in Tsim Sha Tsui shows how technology can bring new audience engagement to familiar stories and traditional activities, says Pico’s Chairman in his Headline Finance column.
‘Our Harbour’ is the story of Hong Kong itself, told via coloured light projections on heritage buildings around Victoria Harbour rather than dull exhibition boards or video loops. The show ‘breaks the fourth wall’ to literally place audiences in a historical landscape.
In a similar spirit, the Singapore Zoo uses interactive iridescent lights, sound effects and virtual creature guides to entice visitors on a journey into the deepest forests.
Modern technology applied to the ancient marathon has given rise to ‘virtual running’ events such as those using Pico’s ‘Born to Run’ platform. Entrants register online, run where, when and with whom they choose, and simply record their data for later comparison with other runners’. ‘Born to Run’ hasn’t replaced the marathon, but rather made it compatible with busy modern lifestyles.
Event organisers using these new tools should remember that while technology can help bring new audiences and new generations into engagement, it should never supplant the essential message or activity they’re engaging with.
*The above is a summary of the original Chinese article.
