Virtual Democracy Plaza: NBC News’ Virtual Town Square

To get in on this event, you’ll have to strap on your goggles.

On Wednesday, NBC News announced what might be the most interesting event strategy of the election season: It’ll be hosting a series of town-square events  (opens in a new tab) in its Virtual Democracy Plaza, including a series of virtual-reality-friendly presidential debate watch parties that’ll be unlike anything you’ve ever seen.

The group is working with the events company AltspaceVR, a firm that NBC’s parent company, Comcast, has invested in.

“We’re committed to experimentation, and virtual reality is going to be an increasingly interesting way for us to think about creating new content, new forms of storytelling and new ways of distributing it,” NBC News Digital Chief Nick Ascheim said in comments to TVNewser  (opens in a new tab). “The presidential election represents a perfect launching point for virtual reality interaction because everyone is curious about what’s going on right now, and it gives participants the opportunity to really interact with our talent in a space we are familiar with. We truly believe there will be a lot of interest in the Virtual Democracy Plaza.”

If you want to watch, you can use apps for the Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive, or the Samsung Gear VR. (And if you don’t want to strap on a helmet, it’s available on the web, Variety notes  (opens in a new tab).)

Could there be some inspiration for your future events in this idea?

Video of the Day

Perfection is a hard thing to attain. But it can quickly—and dangerously—define our goals, especially when we compare our achievements with the accomplishments of people we admire. This clip from The School of Life makes the case for letting go of those comparisons and focusing on our achievements on their own terms.

Don’t aim high. Aim for what works for you.

Other Links of Note

Give your email metrics a rethink: At Kivi’s Nonprofit Communications Blog  (opens in a new tab), Kivi Leroux Miller highlights a new email metric strategy she’s been experimenting with.

Need to drop the hammer on someone? Eventbrite U.K. has a few thoughts  (opens in a new tab) on the nature of difficult feedback and how you can give it carefully.

One downside of owning an iPhone 7? The adapter offers lower sound quality than a straight-up headphone jack, reports BGR  (opens in a new tab).

(NBC News)