LSG Group uses Augmented Reality at the WTCE

An interview with Laura Lane, Oliver Tappe and Martin Buchholtz

Oliver, Martin, could one of you please briefly explain what is behind the term Augmented Reality?

Oliver: Sure! Augmented Reality (AR) means extended reality. The reality that can be grasped directly by the human senses and is then expanded and supplemented by means of technical aids. You create a sort of virtual reality. With the help of common smartphones or tablets it is possible to complement perception selectively. You can do this with the help of a special app and the smartphone camera, for example, which allow access to an expanded reality. The device then “sees” more than the user and can display this reality on the screen.

Sounds exciting, but more like gaming and Pokémon Go than catering. What does this have to do with us, the LSG Group?

Martin: As the LSG Group, AR is particularly exciting for us when it comes to the interaction between the passenger and the airline. We can add value to information that passengers can quickly and easily retrieve. We can add an invisible package insert, for example, and make it much more attractive. This is how we can communicate our customer’s brand personality more comprehensively than ever before. We will show how this can look like at the upcoming World Travel Catering Expo (WTCE) in Hamburg.

What does that mean in practical terms? How can AR be used?

Oliver: There are no limits to creativity! Within the framework of the trade show, we have a perfect playground and can try out completely different fields of application. A wide variety of exquisite dishes can be created with the right equipment using AR, or menu cards can be enriched with virtually available content. You can display additional information about the pictured dishes and individual ingredients. In the retail sector, we can make the passenger shopping experience more robust. As I said, the possibilities are endless. We have gathered a number of high-potential examples for the upcoming WTCE and are developing them at full speed.

Laura, what added value does AR offer you as a marketing expert?

Laura: At the booth, AR can be of particular use as a bridge to communicate with our guests. We want to get into conversations. This entertaining look into the future helps us do this because it shows us different ways in which we can put our products and services into a whole new context. The result is a variety of exiting conversation starting points about our contribution to the travel experience of the future. I am very much looking forward to the feedback from our trade fair visitors and look forward to many inspiring moments with AR.

Meet us in Hamburg