bringing together the best. celebrating the growing VR & AR ecosystem.
the AUREA Award is more than an award.
it is a community of storytellers and creators
at the forefront of the latest technology in location based entertainment.
who we are
The AUREA community is a network of industry experts in VR/XR/AR and immersive tech who recognise and champion each other’s work. The community is here to champion the ecosystem’s growth continuously and are on the lookout for the most successful companies, people and ideas in the market to award their success, resilience and positive impact.
The AUREA Awards is one of the highest accolades in business achievement because entries are community-driven and are evaluated in two rounds by a judging panel comprising leading figures from the entertainment and tech worlds. Judges are looking for impactful, innovative, and truly creative experiences and cutting-edge technology that enables new frontiers of storytelling.
how it started
Since 2014, Europa-Park has been on the forefront of integrating VR on their roller coasters with VR headsets – both combined perfectly using a path measurement system for a precise synchronisation between the real ride and the virtual ride. Michael Mack, the CEO of Europa-Park, knew that this would change the way people will be experiencing thrill rides forever. He knew that creating experiences like this, depends on a community of creators.
Michael Mack initiated the AUREA Award in 2018. It was an ambitious endeavour to bring the brightest minds in immersive tech and XR together. While everybody still asked "are we there yet?", AUREA started to celebrate and award the best projects in the industry.
In 2022, the AUREA Award was presented as part of the newly established Metaverse Summit, NTR.land, an inaugural event co-hosted by the German Association for the Digital Economy (BVDW) and MackNeXT.
NTR is a unique blend of inspiring keynotes from industry thought leaders, broad knowledge sharing by experts on all aspects of X/AR/VR/MR technology and business models, as well as a bar camp style forum to discuss the impact of the metaverse on society, ethics, politics, and sustainability.
The integration of the exclusive AUREA Awards as part of the NTR Metaverse Summit aims to facilitate the collaboration between innovators from the immersive entertainment industry and experts of the broader digital economy.
AUREA#6
For the upcoming gathering on 17 - 19 January 2024, we are returning to the roots:
connecting and celebrating the best amongst the best.
By invitation only.
Want to get on the list? Nominate the best:
Community Membership
Community membership is free and available for non-winners, past winners, speakers and anyone
who wants to be actively involved in the AUREA Awards ecosystem on an ongoing basis.
The perks
Project Nominations
Early access to submit nominations for the most prestigious XR/AR projects of the past year. The AUREA Award is a nomination-only award - entries are not open to the public.
Community Events
Invitations to our online community events hosted throughout the year with exclusive interviews with past winners and finalists. We also organise delegations for AUREA community members at conferences such as SXSW and OMR.
Supportive Network
Have an idea for a project but need an expert’s feedback? Our community of experts are there to help and open to connect with aspiring XR/LBE founders.
Getting involved
The AUREA community is centred on our members’ unique contribution to our ecosystem.
Select an option where your unique talents can be best applied.
Our VIP members
Henry Bauer - Endava
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Jobst Benthues - redseven.de
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Anna Katharina Brinkschulte - Filmakademie.de
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Günter Burger - MACK Rides
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Henry Bauer - Endava │ Jobst Benthues - redseven.de │ Anna Katharina Brinkschulte - Filmakademie.de │ Günter Burger - MACK Rides │
June Hsieh - HTC
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Nils Wollney - Holoride
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Leif Petersen - Hologate
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Sebastian Kreuz - Holocafe
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June Hsieh - HTC │ Nils Wollney - Holoride │ Leif Petersen - Hologate │ Sebastian Kreuz - Holocafe │
Benjamin Heese - feelbelt
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Hans ten Cate - TiltFive
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Juliana Loh - Splashmango
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Frederik Braun - Miniatur Wunderland
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Benjamin Heese - feelbelt │ Hans ten Cate - TiltFive │ Juliana Loh - Splashmango │ Frederik Braun - Miniatur Wunderland │
Our VIP members are people who believe in the AUREA mission - that tech humanism should be at the centre of any immersive experience. They have contributed to our community events, event conceptualisations, VC outreach, and many other selfless community contributions.
VIP members receive a personal invitation to attend the AUREA Awards free of charge when they submit a nomination and it is invitation-only.
What people are saying
“"My experience at the AUREA this year was enjoyable and highly impactful. The well curated community shares a clearly defined vision of the positive potential of the metaverse. The community values were supported in the event while also supporting commercial and technological advancement." ”
— Aaron Wisniewski, OVR Tech LLC
“AUREA is a very nice event and well organised. There were inspiring talks at NTR and unique opportunities for finalists. This year’s Rollercoaster Pitch at Europa-Park was a unique highlight!
— Guido Gioioso, Weart
Community Ambassadors
The AUREA community is a forum for high level networking, exchange and fellowship among those who are working at the cutting edge of technology, gaming, storytelling and entertainment. Our two community ambassadors are there to help you connect and engage with other members of our community.
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Emily Olman is the CEO & Chief Media Officer for Hopscotch Interactive, a real estate marketing agency she founded in 2015 to accelerate the adoption of new media and technology for real estate. She has served as a Jury Member for the inaugural AUREA Awards at Europapark in 2018, and since then has continued to support the AUREA Award, the premier award for XR Excellence in Entertainment, as a speaker, pitch moderator, Community Ambassador, and this year as the Finalist Liaison. As an entrepreneur herself, she has participated in several pitch competitions, and was the recipient of the Auggie Award for “Start-up to Watch” at AWE Europe in 2018. She is an active member of the AWE Advisory Council, and also served as Co-President of the VR/AR Association San Francisco Chapter from 2016-2019. She has most recently joined the newly formed XR Guild, an association of professionals in the field of XR, Spatial Computing, Metaverse, and Web 3, who support a common set of ethical principles. She is also the recipient of a Nextant Medallion for "unlocking hearts and linking minds" through VR by the Virtual Worlds Society.
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Gabriele Romagnoli is Senior Advisor at the Berlin-based venture advisory firm, iconomy. He is also Head of Community at ShapesXR, an award-winning startup awarded "Best Collaboration Tool" at the Auggies in 2021. Passionate about collaboration and creativity, Gabriele stepped on several international stages to inspire audiences and share his vision on how immersive technologies can have an impact right now.