LAS VEGAS—Known primarily for its at-home appliances and consumer products, Panasonic is making its way into more and more public spaces.
For years, the tech company has maintained a large presence within theme parks, building immersive experiences for destinations like Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort, where its projectors bring Mickey and Minnie to life.
But recently, the brand has expanded its reach, working with venues, museums and cities to design captivating events and experiences. During this year’s CES, which wrapped up Saturday in Las Vegas, Panasonic announced a five-year partnership with AREA15, a 200,000-square-foot entertainment, retail and dining complex in Las Vegas that specializes in live events, immersive activations and art installations. As part of the deal, the company will provide software development, engineering, projection design, show-quality support, projectors and more to help the venue build 360-degree visual experiences.
“We saw the uptick in this immersive space even before the pandemic,” says Joe Conover, strategic manager of themed entertainment solutions at Panasonic, adding that the pandemic didn’t halt conversations surrounding the development of immersive experiences. “In fact, I think everyone had a moment to pause, to reevaluate what they wanted to bring out to their guests and to the public. And some of those conversations in 2020, during the pandemic, were some of the most thoughtful I've had because people were really taking the time to think and do something different.”
Opened in Sept. 2020, AREA15 seemingly defied the odds, launching during a time when established venues were struggling to survive. Panasonic began its partnership with the space in the spring of 2021. The first experience at AREA15 using the brand’s projectors was Van Gogh, the Immersive Experience, an exhibit that immersed visitors into the artist’s works through 360-degree digital projections, a VR experience and an atmospheric light-and-sound show. In addition, Panasonic’s projectors are able to provide bespoke backdrops for theater performances, music concerts, corporate events, private parties and more held at the complex.
“AREA15 realized that in order to put on a fully flexible show and to do as many shows as they would elect to do in a given 24-hour timeframe—they may have the Van Gogh experience and then turn to the Klimt experience a few hours later and then in the evening have some of their own content where they're showing 'Rated Red,' which is their burlesque-type show—they were looking for somebody to truly collaborate with that could provide them show-quality support and services, all the things that have to be done to achieve a true entertainment space,” Conover says.
Klimt: The Immersive Experience celebrates the legacy of Austrian Symbolist painter Gustav Klimt.Photo: Courtesy of AREA15
Similar to AREA15, the Panasonic team has also been brought in during the early stages of the design process for museums like the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs. This allows the company to help allocate funds and keep organizers up to date on emerging technologies, Conover explains. “If you're designing a museum today, it may be 36 months from now before it comes to fruition, so we can help align the budget and show them other technologies that they may want to explore.”
In September, the LUMA Projection Arts Festival in Binghamton, N.Y., transformed the city’s historic architecture into immersive visual experiences by utilizing Panasonic’s 4K laser projectors.Photo: Courtesy of Panasonic
He also says that the concept of immersive spaces is being verticalized. “I want an immersive conference room, if I'm a corporation. Houses of worship are a huge partner of Panasonic, and they're looking for immersion. If you can educate people, then let's educate students in an immersive environment. It's constantly trickling down.”
