The highly anticipated VR Arcade Summit 2025 is set to bring together top industry experts, innovators, and thought leaders to discuss the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in the location-based virtual reality (LBVR) sector. The summit, scheduled to take place [date] at [venue or virtual], will feature an impressive lineup of speakers from across the immersive entertainment and VR arcade industries.

This year’s overarching theme, The Downloadable Theme Park, will explore the transformation of location-based VR through new innovations and business models.

Featured speakers this year include:

Brent Bushnell, founder and CEO of Two Bit Circus, is a pioneer in immersive entertainment, blending technology and storytelling to create unforgettable interactive experiences.

James Jensen, founder and CEO of Jump by Limitless Flight, leverages his experience as co-founder of The VOID to push the boundaries of VR, bringing the thrill of wingsuit flying into a fully immersive and safe virtual environment.

Sam Wang, founder and CEO of Mirra VR, is at the forefront of social VR, designing platforms that foster real-time collaboration and shared experiences in virtual spaces. 

The summit will introduce several new areas of focus:

• From Isolating to Social: Redefining VR as a Shared Experience – Forget the stereotype of VR as a solo pursuit. This panel explores how cutting-edge multiplayer mechanics, warehouse-scale high throughput operating models, and AI-driven photorealistic avatars are turning VR into a dynamic, communal space where connections thrive. 
• Beyond Gaming: The Rise of Immersive Storytelling – VR is no longer just about high-score chases and battle royales. From cultural exhibitions to cinematic experiences, panelists will discuss how immersive storytelling is broadening VR’s appeal across art, entertainment, and history. Speakers include **Fabien Barati from Excurio, David Bardos from Univrse, and Anthony Batt from Wevr. **
• Arcades as Learning Hubs: The Educational Evolution of LBVR – VR infrastructure in entertainment centers is opening doors to new markets in education. Experts will showcase how arcades are becoming classrooms of the future, offering hands-on, experiential learning in subjects ranging from history to corporate training. Panelists include Steve Grubbs from Victory XR and Aundrea Frahm from Dreamscape Learn at University of Nevada Las Vegas
• Merging Real and Virtual: The Impact of Augmented and Mixed Reality – The boundaries between the digital and physical worlds are dissolving. This discussion highlights how AR and MR are seamlessly blending with location-based virtual reality to create deeply immersive and location-enhanced experiences. Featured experts include **Karolina Matras and Terek Judi from Snap Spectacles, and Ray Kallmeyer, CEO of Enklu **

The Unconference

For the first time the summit kicks off with an interactive Unconference session, allowing attendees to shape the conversation by proposing and voting on discussion topics in real-time. Led by industry experts and guided by the collective knowledge of the room, the Unconference fosters organic discussions on the most pressing challenges and opportunities in the LBVR industry.

Networking Reception

VR Cave Presents: 👽 Pints & Probes: Close Encounters of the Irish Kind ☘️

The Monday evening Industry Networking Reception offers an evening of industry connections and immersive fun. Hosted at the Westgate Hotel and presented by VR Cave, this exclusive event features the preview of VR Cave’s new escape game, Alien Infection—a thrilling race against time to survive an extraterrestrial outbreak.

In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, attendees can enjoy Irish-inspired fare and drinks while mingling with industry leaders. Themed surprises, including a costume contest and hands-on VR demos, add to the excitement, making this an unmissable opportunity to forge meaningful connections in a relaxed, interactive setting. Early Bird tickets are limited and cost $99. 

🚀 Date: March 17

⏰ Time: 6–9 PM

📍 Location: Westgate Conference Center

🥃 Drinks, networking & immersive VR experiences

Keynotes

This year, Bob Cooney kicks off the summit with an opening presentation: The Big Picture: offering a detailed overview of how XR trends are shaping the location-based entertainment industry.

Terek Judi from Snap will introduce their new Spectacles Developer Kit and Snap OS and discuss how its uniquely suited to the location-based entertainment market.  

And returning for the first time since 2017, Brent Bushnell will close the summit in an inspiring keynote with reflections on his past decade in the market, and predictions on the future of interactive experiences.

“The technology available to build a Downloadable Theme Park is here today. VR costs a fraction of typical location-based entertainment attractions, but deliver experiences that are orders of magnitude more impactful,” commented Bob Cooney, founder and host of the Summit. “This year we designed the agenda to expose the broader market to the innovators working on the leading edge of immersive entertainment to foster further growth and collaboration.”

The VR Arcade and Attraction Summit 2025 is an essential event for operators, developers, and investors looking to stay ahead in the dynamic world of location-based VR. For a full speaker lineup and agenda, visit **www.vrarcadesummit.com/agenda **