Th3rd Coast Launches Two Extended Reality Experiences

Furniture World News Desk on 8/30/2018

Th3rd Coast Media Solutions, a business solutions company in the world of emerging technology, reports that it has launched its foray into the furniture industry at NeoCon 2018 with two extended reality (XR) experiences: the Trendway AR Office Builder and Haworth’s NeoCon 2018 Virtual Reality Experience. With more than 20 years of experience solving business problems with cutting-edge media, Th3rd Coast made augmented and virtual reality applications available for clients looking to get ahead of the swelling tech tidal wave.

“When we founded Th3rd Coast, we knew media agencies were a dime a dozen,” said Joseph Van Harken, co-founder and technology & business development lead. “So we’ve positioned ourselves as a ‘solutions’ company that empowers our partners to be better through new media. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are newer technologies with mystery and buzz right now, so we find practical applications that help our clients work efficiently, reach customers, and ultimately increase the bottom line.”

The Trendway AR Office Builder, an iOS and Android app which allows sales representatives and customers to pre-visualize Trendway’s furniture solutions with AR, was launched at NeoCon 2018 for attendees to test within the show floor.

“The problem with office furniture sales has been the vast, unwieldy catalog that’s difficult for potential customers to imagine within their space,” said Jeff Joanisse, Th3rd Coast Media Solutions co-founder and chief creative officer, “This app allows Trendway representatives to bring their entire furniture portfolio on customer visits and place pieces within their space in augmented reality.”

The app, available on Google Play and the Apple App Store, provides users with three ways to learn about Trendway’s offerings: by watching product explainer videos, searching the full online catalogue, and laying out 3D models of furniture solutions using their smartphone’s AR capabilities. The models lock in place so users can walk around each to get a feel for what the pieces would look like together as a whole new office. The results can then be saved or shared with customers or colleagues.

“Using augmented reality is such an amazing way for our customers to visualize Trendway products in their space,” said Nancy Stryker, Director of Marketing at Trendway, “Our dealer sales teams are thrilled with how easy it is to drop furniture into the space to combine, configure, move around and share with the customer. We’re really excited about this tool.”

Haworth Wows Customers With Its VR NeoCon Showroom

While bringing product to a customer’s own space is crucial to the modern sales workflow, fully immersing clients in a specifically designed showroom also has its benefits, such as with Haworth’s NeoCon 2018 VR Experience.

“Every year, companies spend countless hours planning, designing, and building showfloors for NeoCon - but when the week is over, that vision only lasts through photos and memories,” said Van Harken. “This year, we worked with Haworth to capture their showroom to create an immersive VR tour, reaching attendees beyond the showfloor.”

Haworth’s NeoCon 2018 Virtual Reality Experience provides those who couldn’t attend the trade show an opportunity to explore the workplace environments that aim to foster creativity, nurture culture, and support well-being. The physical showfloor, led by award-winning architect and interior designer Patricia Urquiola, was solidified in virtual reality through high-resolution 360-degree photo and video, so that users can obtain insights about Haworth’s product offerings.

“When developing a virtual experience for our industry’s largest event, the Th3rd Coast team nailed it from concept through to delivery,” said Christine Powers, Corporate Marketing Programs Director at Haworth. “Being able to work with one group who quickly understood our goals, was able to work around our very fast time frame, and ensured our IT team had everything they needed was key to the success of our project. Plus, they’re a fun group!”

While the current general perception of VR and AR is aimed towards a consumer market, the demand from enterprise has grown to address organizational needs and goals. According to the XR Industry Survey 2018, presented by VR Intelligence and SuperData Research, 67% of respondents reported stable to very strong growth.

“We’re seeing more and more case studies everyday from our customers that require these types of solutions, from AR for large machinery training to VR for patient onboarding in healthcare,” said Joanisse, “The talent is here in West Michigan to become a mecca for technology development. It’s an exciting time to be a media solutions provider.”

For more information about Th3rd Coast Media Solutions, contact Tiffany Neuman at tiffany@th3rdcoast.com or (616) 752-0300.

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More about Th3rd Coast: Th3rd Coast Media Solutions is a multimedia company that partners with clients to solve business problems by leveraging all forms of media.. They believe access to emergent, immersive interactive VR & AR experiences can change the way businesses interface with customers and how employees learn and perform on the job. They partner with industry-leading businesses in manufacturing, bioscience, aerospace, office furniture, and more to create, deliver, and implement XR solutions to tackle issues facing modern workforces.