While there are some exciting things on the horizon in terms of what technology makes possible, there are some cultural shifts that are driving the way technology will be used in these rooms in the future.
Breaking boundaries to create envelopment.
While many arts groups, schools and churches currently use technology to highlight what is happening on the platform, there is a shift to using technology to create environments that envelop. Surround sound, scenic projection, interactive devices and color change LED's all break the boundary between what is happening on-stage to what is happening in the seating areas and in some cases break the boundaries of the walls of the facility itself.
Shift from program to user-defined experience.
The digital world offers the ability to customize. Rather than linear experiences that have a predetermined beginning, middle and end, the digital world allows capacity to hack, customize and modify. Users select hyperlinks to follow things that interest them creating a non-linear, highly customized experience. Look for this desire to create a user-defined experience to influence the way programs are structured and the technology that supports them.
Shift from presentational to participatory.
Presentational rooms focus on one direction of communication–from the platform out. Participatory rooms support communication from all directions. This may be through handheld devices, bi-directional digital communication beyond the walls of the room, or it may mean a completely decentralized room where the experience is created in a collaborative fashion.
