By Riley Kaminer
Now in its second year, Hidden Worlds is back this February 15th to March 4th with another immersive voyage into our oceans and mangroves. The goal: to showcase the beauty of our ecosystems and inspire visitors to act to protect them in the face of climate change.
Daniel Hettwer, chief executive of Hidden Worlds Entertainment, is pioneering what he calls ‘impactainment.’ That’s a combination of ‘impact’ and ‘entertainment’ – not just giving the crowd and experience to enjoy, but also motivate them to act.
According to research Hidden Worlds undertook during last year’s event in Miami Beach, they’re on the right track. Hettwer told Refresh Miami that after attending the experience, 90% of participants claimed that they were more aware of the need to protect our environment.
Altering our food habits was a major focus of the exhibition, since it is a major driver of biodiversity loss, plastic pollution, and climate change overall. After having visited the exhibition, 70% of attendees agreed that they need to and will alter their eating habits to minimize the impact on the environment.
“You can see, however, how awareness and action are not always fully aligned, since we have 90% on the awareness and 70% on the action,” noted Hettwer. “While the trajectory is very positive, there is still this gap. So now we’re building a few more additional art pieces and art rooms that are going to drive more of an emotional connection to really translate the awareness also into action.”
While the exact details of this year’s activation are still under wraps, visitors can expect to experience an immersive projection with tech innovation at the core. This includes a unique 360 degree audio and a photorealistic environment. “From a technical perspective, what our team has pulled off is unrivaled,” Hettwer asserted.
Hettwer, who has a background in economics and consumer decision making psychology, also shared that his almost 50-person team is interested in exploring the neurochemistry side for how people experience events such as his. “It’s very interesting to understand what really triggers emotional responses,” he said. “We’re expanding our research and we’re looking to put that into science journals as we move forward as well.”
There are three ways people can experience this year’s event: one as through the immersive art experience during the daytime with adult tickets starting at $29, an evening 10-course fine dining experience that costs $240, and a $50 cocktail masterclass exclusively for Mastercard cardholders. This multi-course ocean-positive menu is created by chef Scott Linquist of Como Como Miami and Coyo Taco.
This year’s experience, which will take place at Ampersand Studios in Downtown Miami, is presented in conjunction with the government of the Bahamas. Hettwer said the island nation has been very active in the fight against protecting the ocean from climate change.
WHAT: Hidden Worlds Miami 2023
WHERE: Ampersand Studios
WHEN: February 15th to March 4th
HOW: Learn more by visiting their website, or purchase tickets through this direct link.
PHOTO at the top of this post is by Broken Palate
READ MORE ON REFRESH MIAMI:
- Hidden Worlds Entertainment brings ‘impactainment’ to Miami Beach
- Are smart cities the key to sustainability? At local conference, global leaders weigh in
- Catching up with environmental reporting startup SustainaBase: ‘Companies of all sizes are starting to really care about this issue’
- Mytaverse brings businesses into the metaverse by building immersive digital environments
