For all the talk about technology-driven immersive experiences, there are plenty of low-tech things you can do that don’t require VR, a bunch of screens or expensive installs.

One of the best is “Sensory Layering” – three or more senses telling the same story at once.

All it takes is intentional sensory cues linked to a clear story and brought to life with a few well-timed moments. For example, imagine red lighting, a rising alarm sound, and a paper “Mission Critical” memo in attendees’ hands. The brain says, “Something urgent is happening.” That’s immersion.

Let’s look at how all five human senses can provide complementary inputs to create truly immersive experiences.

Lately, almost every event planning session starts with a request that it be experiential or immersive. Sometimes, the two words are used interchangeably, but they are different. And it’s more than syntax.

There is some overlap, and many companies are taking that into account, designing and budgeting for immersive as a subset of experiential.

It comes down to this: Experiential is engaging; you’re doing something, and remembering it intellectually. Immersive is visceral; you’re feeling something, and remembering it emotionally.

Here’s a basic explanation of what each term means in the context of corporate, customer and team events (or experiences), and how they are playing out both at one-time events and in corporate facilities.

Companies have embraced immersive experiences for marketing and business communications. It’s the driving force behind the steady rise in the overall category of experiential communications.

Immersive experiences are becoming more embedded in everyday life, with experiential entertainment centers opening across the US and attracting visitors by the millions.

Whether in marketing, sales or internal comms, audiences expect to be participants in experiences not just passive viewers. And enterprises are stepping up, investing in the hardware, software and services that make it possible.

It’s becoming table stakes for premium and complex brands, directly affecting their revenues and data strategies.

Early movers are building defensible experience IP and platforms, while late movers will likely experience lost opportunity costs until they catch up.

Here, we explore the trends that are shaping the future of immersive comms.