Following our first speaker and exhibitor announcement a few weeks ago, we're proud to announce the second wave of speakers for VR World Congress 2017. We've been incredibly fortunate to receive speaker applications from some industry-leading individuals at phenomenal companies and we'd like to share some of those with you today.

Speakers

Mike Taulty & Peter Daukintis, Microsoft

First up are two of Microsoft's Developer Evangelists Mike Taulty and Peter Daukintis. 

Mike Taulty works in the developer group at Microsoft where he has spent the past decade helping developers understand and get the best from the Microsoft platform. Prior to this, Mike worked for Microsoft’s developer consulting services for a few years after a decade in various software development/lead roles.

Pete D, meanwhile, is a technical evangelist for Microsoft based in the UK. He started out in 3d graphics and following a few years working on apps and web he has made a comeback with the resurgence of VR/AR/MR technologies. 

Mike and Peter's talk, "Developing with HoloLens: The Path to Mixed Reality" will provide a developer’s overview of the HoloLens and holographic app development in Unity and C#. If you haven't seen what Microsoft's awesome HoloLens AR headset can do just yet then this is an unmissable and rare opportunity to hear about the possibilities!

Catherine Allen, BBC

Catherine is a virtual reality director and producer, with a multidisciplinary background of apps, documentary and theatre. She specialises in creating immersive experiences for diverse audiences. Catherine's most recent project is No Small Talk, a 360 talkshow for the BBC, aimed at millennial women. Catherine also produced one of the BBC's first VR documentaries, Easter Rising: Voice of a Rebel, which has toured festivals globally, showed for six weeks at the National Theatre in London and was described by Broadcast Magazine as 'genre-defining'. 

Catherine will be joining the Women in VR panel at VRWC17, adding her vast experience to the discussion.

Tom Carter, Ultrahaptics

Tom started exploring ultrasound technology during a study in the final year of his Master’s degree in Computer Science at the University of Bristol. He further developed the initial concept to form the basis of his PhD studies, during which time he published numerous papers and filed various patents. Recognising the technology’s commercial viability, Tom founded Ultrahaptics in November 2013. He now heads up the ARC (Advanced Research Cluster) as part of his role as CTO.

Tom will be discussing the importance of touch: Mid-air haptic feedback for VR & AR with a keen focus on Ultrahaptics' own incredible technology.

Alyssia Frankland, Breaking Fourth

Alyssia Frankland is a producer / director working for Breaking Fourth, a London-based VR studio focused on long-form narrative and storytelling. Following the success of their first drama last year, and with multiple upcoming VR productions being released in 2017, she is at the forefront of immersive storytelling in virtual reality.

Alyssia will also be joining the illustrious Women in VR panel.

Will Freeman, Host

Will Freeman is a freelance journalist and critic specialising in video games, the game industry, tabletop gaming, technology and VR. Beyond The Guardian and The Observer, his writing can be found at Edge, Eurogamer, Gamespot, Develop and more. He'll be hosting the main track at VR World Congress, assuming the role for the third year straight!

Kim Majkut, Great Guns

Returning speaker Kim Majkut is a multi-media VR/360/AR expert, BAFTA nominated, award winning creative & director born in Canada and based in London. Specialising in high impact visual storytelling, her background as an illustrator and designer imbues each project with imagination and originality, while her skills as writer, director and producer ground her ideas in the reality of what works on screen. 

This year Kim will be taking part in the Women in VR panel.

That's all for now, but be sure to keep an eye on the VR World Congress Twitter and Facebook feeds for the next round of announcements. You can also view the full list of current VRWC17 speakers here.

Tickets

Tickets for VR World Congress 2017 are currently on sale, with full delegate tickets currently available at an early bird rate of £200!