Industrial IMMERSIVE All Stars: XR Experts Talk Tech
/Some of the most popular sessions at Industrial IMMERSIVE every year are the panel sessions where we have XR pros who lead immersive tech in their organizations share their insights. We get to hear what’s working for them, how they overcame barriers, and what they think is next for industrial immersive tech.
Want to hear next year’s roundtables live? Join us for Industrial IMMERSIVE 2026. Dates will be announced soon.
Two popular panel sessions from our 2025 event were:
Eliminate POC Purgatory: Identify XR Committee Requirements
This discussion focused on what’s needed to take industrial immersive tech initiatives from proof of concept to enterprise-wide adoption.
Panelists:
Jessica Beavers of HTC VIVE
Todd Daniel of Shiny Box Interactive
Industrial IMMERSIVE All Stars Roundtable: Overcoming Barriers for XR & Integrating Immersive Tech
This discussion offered a candid look at what's holding XR back and how to propel it forward into mainstream industrial application.
Panelists:
Kevin O'Donovan, A Bit of This & That
Jennifer Rogers, Learning Technology Standards Committee, IEEE
Natasha Avelange, TNA Solutions
This panel was moderated by Sean McCoy of CBT.
Let’s take a look at what these two groups of experts had to say about their XR initiatives, as well as insights and advice they had to share.
The Human Element: Acceptance and Understanding
A strong consensus emerged around the idea that technology itself is rarely the primary roadblock. Kevin O'Donovan emphasized that: "Technology is not the problem. It's human acceptance." He pointed out the diversity of understanding, even among those within the industry, stressing the importance of establishing a "common level set" before attempting to implement XR solutions.
Natasha Avelange shared a practical approach to overcoming initial resistance, particularly with an "older workforce.” Her advice? "Make it fun." She elaborated, "We have had a lot of laughing sessions, and it's okay to have people laugh at you. It doesn't matter if you look silly." This approach helps lower the barrier to entry and reduces the fear of failure.
It was also agreed upon that XR is a team sport. Leaving out key departments early (especially IT) can doom a project before it even begins. Todd Daniel emphasized what he's learned from more than 150 XR deployments since 2014: “If you’re not pulling in folks like IT, HR, or learning and development committees, you’re in a silo—creating XR content for a proof of concept that may go nowhere.”
Jessica Beavers told the story of a large manufacturer that didn’t have success with their first foray into XR. “There was a business unit that requested XR. They designed the content without having a lot of dialogue with those business units. So what they produced was not helpful, it wasn't valuable, and XR didn't take off.”
HTC VIVE helps their customers sell the value of XR with “innovation days.” They fly in devices loaded with department-specific content to showcase the tech and get buy-in from execs across functions—from HR to manufacturing.
XR Plus Data and AI
Both groups agreed on the crucial link between XR, data, and AI. Jennifer Rogers cautioned against superficial data collection and argued for a deeper connection between XR experiences and tangible business outcomes. She said, "I think we've got to get better at thinking about what data we're actually trying to connect—the human experience and the data that the business cares about." Data must demonstrate real impact on operational excellence and efficiency.
O'Donovan echoed this sentiment. He said, "AI is the killer app for XR, and XR is the killer app for AI," meaning that AI is a potential solution to breaking down data silos, which is a common impediment to XR projects.
Defining XR and Proving ROI
In the discussions, panelists acknowledged the challenge of defining XR in a way that resonates across different departments and stakeholders. Avelange said, "XR to me is actually different depending on who the audience is—which department you're talking to and what tools from our XR toolkit might relate to what they're doing." She likened it to AI, where its meaning varies based on application.
For TNA Solutions, where Avelange is Global XR manager, XR implementation is about baby steps and aligning the technology with overarching business values and goals. Rather than focusing solely on hard ROI data initially, the push was to be an innovative company and enhance customer experience. The ROI, she explained, often becomes clearer at the end by catching errors that would have been costly on site.
When it comes to choosing hardware and software, which play a big role in the cost side of the ROI equation, the speakers had a variety of tips.
O'Donovan pointed out that the cost of headsets is often a tiny amount of money compared to the long-term costs of integrating siloed applications. He shared an example from the energy industry where the savings from reduced on-site orientation time in the North Sea far outweighed headset costs, making the ROI clear.
Daniel had tips on content creation and leveraging the assets you already have. He said, “If you can save 30% to 50% of upfront content creation costs by repurposing your existing assets, that’s a huge leg up for not only ROI, but also for getting your POCs up and running quickly.”
Beavers said, “You want to make sure your tech stack and your XR program works together and can fluctuate and move.” Companies should look for “low-code/no-code” platforms and avoid software that’s incompatible with multiple XR devices or enterprise systems. She said, “Your enterprise systems may change. What is the API integration flexibility within that XR software to move through your enterprise fluidly?”
Rogers warned against getting too enamored with the hardware. She said, "focus on what actual problems you're trying to solve from a business perspective and how you're going to prove the ROI associated with that."
Looking Ahead: A Generational Shift and Persistent Worlds
The future of XR adoption is also tied to a generational shift in learning and interaction. O'Donovan observed that the younger generation is growing up with "spatial awareness" from platforms like Fortnite Creative, suggesting they are poised to drive future innovation.
Daniel reminded the audience why XR adoption isn’t just a tech issue—it’s a workforce one. “The people entering your industry now learn very differently than we did 15 or 20 years ago.”
Avelange described how XR has transformed internal collaboration at her company, creating a "persistent world that anyone can join" and serving as a "virtual team hub." This has broken down silos and enabled live, direct collaboration between global teams and even customers.
Rogers said, "XR literally does not exist without a human interacting with it." She advocated for a greater focus on the human experience associated with XR and the data associated with it, urging organizations to measure skill acceleration and integrate XR into strategic workforce planning.
Learning from Other XR Leaders
The Industrial IMMERSIVE All Stars session made it clear that while challenges remain—particularly around human factors and strategic data utilization—the path forward for industrial XR is rich with potential.
As more enterprises adopt and scale XR technologies, sharing lessons learned is important for growth of the industry. And you only get this type of access at Industrial IMMERSIVE.
Watch these two roundtables, and more sessions from Industrial IMMERSIVE 2025, on demand here. And watch for our announcement on dates for 2026.
Playbook for Industrial XR
Ready to move your XR initiative from cool demo to company-wide success story? Here’s your no-fluff, get-it-done checklist inspired by our Industrial IMMERSIVE All Stars:
Assemble Your Dream Team Early
IT, HR, L&D, Ops—bring them in from day one. XR is a team sport, and silos are where good ideas go to die. Don’t just loop people in later—make them co-creators.
Focus on People, Not Just Pixels
Tech isn’t the bottleneck—people are. Start with empathy, not specs. Make XR approachable, fun, and a little less intimidating (yes, silly headset photos are fair game).
Define “XR” in Plain English
Tailor your definition of XR based on your audience. The C-suite cares about ROI, while your field team might care more about saved time and fewer mistakes. Speak their language.
Pilot with Purpose
Don’t do XR just to “see what happens.” Nail down the business challenge, define what success looks like, and plan how you’ll scale before the pilot ends.
Get Strategic with Data
Measure what matters. Use XR to capture data that aligns with business goals—like skill ramp-up speed, error reduction, or maintenance efficiency. Ditch vanity metrics.
Think Long Game
XR is evolving, your workforce is changing, and persistent virtual hubs are becoming the new office. Start small, but think big.
