The Australian Metaverse Advisory Council (AMAC) launches this week with a clear vision to help Australian industry, government and consumers to effectively harness and navigate the immense potential of the next digital revolution.
Pictured above: Angus Stevens – chair of AMAC and CEO of Start Beyond
AMAC will have its official launch at SXSW Sydney, International Convention Centre, Thursday 19 October at 3.30pm.
In an era where a recent PWC study shows that 64% of Australian businesses are planning to invest in the metaverse in the next six to 12 months and according to Deloitte’s June 2022 The Metaverse in Asia Report the metaverse’s potential impact on Asia Pacific GDP is estimated to be between US$0.8 trillion – US$1.4 trillion each year by 2035, AMAC will advocate, educate and advise on matters relating to inclusivity, ethical considerations, and practical application, with a commitment to demystifying the metaverse, making it accessible and beneficial for businesses, government entities, and the broader Australian public.
AMAC is a collective voice of some of Australia’s leading minds and practitioners in the metaverse industry with an objective to grow the Australian metaverse industry through articulating its benefits and potential pitfalls, and building relationships within the industry, as well as with the business, academic and governmental communities. From virtual and augmented reality, through to Human Computer Interaction, Artificial Intelligence, crypto & blockchain systems, the council will provide expertise, commentary and analysis.
AMAC’s definition of the metaverse is; “A network of immersive experiences that merge digital and physical realities; enabled by technologies such as virtual and augmented reality and AI. It represents the next generation of the internet, offering new avenues for social connection, entertainment, economic, collaborative and creative activity”.
Angus Stevens, the CEO and cofounder of award-winning VR and AR studio Start Beyond and AMAC Chair, said, “As businesses, multi-national organisations, educational and government agencies encounter a wide range of opportunities and challenges relating to the metaverse, the founding members of AMAC recognised an urgent need for an independent advisory group to represent and advocate for Australian interests”.
“The founding members of AMAC each provide a unique and rich understanding of the metaverse. To be able to bring a group together and provide Australian industry with such an informed depth of knowledge is incredibly exciting and invaluable to both the local as well as the international market”.
“We believe it is vital to have the industry’s leading figures offering independent advice to the broader community, particularly as the Australian metaverse industry continues to mature, expand and innovate, and to this end we are excited to launch AMAC at the SXSW Sydney Metaverse MeetUp on the 19th of October”.
The Founding Members of AMAC are:
- Angus Stevens: Chair of AMAC and CEO of Start Beyond
- Darshini Ayton: Associate Professor and the Deputy Head of the Health and Social Care Unit at
Monash University. - Daniel Cariola: The ANZ XR Lead for Accenture’s Metaverse Business Group.
Trent Clews-de Castella: Trent is the Co-Founder and CEO of PHORIA, and Forbes 30 Under
30 honouree’ - Simone Clow: CEO & Co-founder of Creative Technology company, Zebrar.
- Ben Ferns: Founder of Variant3d.com
- Patricia Haueiss: Leading metaverse, web3 and AI consultant, one of Australia’s Top 100
Innovators - Mikaela Jade: a Cabrogal woman of the Dharug-speaking Nation of Sydney and the Founder
and CEO of Indigital, Australia’s first Indigenous Edu-tech company. - Oliver Weidlich: Founder and Director of Design & Innovation at Contxtual, and Adjunct position
at the University of Sydney.
As the Australian metaverse industry expands and continues to evolve, AMAC will be responsive to the
needs of the wider industry as a focused, not-for-profit group with industry experts volunteering their
time to shape the conversation and drive growth for the industry.
