AUGMENTED WORLD EXPO UNVEILS ICONIC SPEAKER LINEUP INCLUDING SNAP CO-FOUNDER AND CEO EVAN SPIEGEL, ATARI FOUNDER NOLAN BUSHNELL AND HUNDREDS MORE

AWE USA 2025 also launches Builders Nexus for creators, startups and leaders to drive XR into the mainstream

LONG BEACH, Calif., April 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- AWE USA 2025, the world's leading AR+VR conference and expo, today announces its most impressive speaker lineup yet for its 16th edition - including some of the world's most legendary leaders and innovators. Get ready to be awed - at AWE USA 2025 - June 10-12 in Long Beach, CA.

Evan Spiegel, co-founder and CEO of Snap, is joining the AWE stage for the first time ever. Since launching Snapchat in 2011 alongside Bobby Murphy, Spiegel has led Snap's vision to improve the way people live and communicate through AR. In his keynote at AWE, Spiegel will spotlight the latest advancements of Snap's AR platform, including their fifth-generation Spectacles, powered by its natural and intuitive operating system Snap OS, and authoring tool Lens Studio. AWE attendees will be able to try out Snap's latest technologies, experience AR Lenses on Spectacles built by developer partners, meet experts from the Snap team, and apply to join the Spectacles Developer Program. 

Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese, will deliver a one-of-a-kind talk on the main stage with five of his children, who are continuing his pioneering vision in gaming through XR. They will discuss the evolution of gaming through the generations, from golden age arcades to immersive worlds in VR, theme parks and more.

Naysy, one of the world's top VR content creators will also join the AWE USA 2025 speaker lineup. Meet Naysy and many other content creators in the all-new AWE Gaming Hub, a dedicated platform designed to empower and accelerate the success of XR game creators, developers, and studios.

These legends join an already iconic speaker lineup, including:

• Palmer Luckey – Founder of Oculus and Anduril
• Vicki Dobbs Beck – VP, Immersive Content Innovation, Lucasfilm & ILM Immersive
• Ziad Asghar – SVP & GM XR, Qualcomm
• Brian McClendon – Chief Technology Officer, Niantic Spatial, Inc.
• Jason Rubin – VP, Metaverse Experiences, Meta
• Hugo Swart, Senior Director of XR Ecosystem Strategy and Technology, Google
• Jacqui Bransky – VP Web3 & Innovation, Warner Records
• Chi Xu - CEO and Founder, XREAL
• Dr. Helen Papagiannis – AR Pioneer and XR Hall of Famer
• Tom Furness – Grandfather of VR and Founder, Virtual World Society
• ...plus 400 more XR industry leaders.

See the full speaker lineup here.  Additional speakers will be added before June.

"This truly is game-changing news for AWE USA 2025 - luminaries like Evan Spiegel and Nolan Bushnell will inject more excitement and mainstream feel than ever into our event," said Ori Inbar, co-founder and CEO of AWE. "Thank you to all our fantastic speakers for being part of AWE 2025. I can't wait to see you all there!"

Early bird rates end April 30th - now is the time to grab tickets for AWE 2025!  

Announcing AWE Builders Nexus

The AWE Builders Nexus is an all-encompassing program for new and accomplished XR builders designed to connect and empower them to succeed - onsite at AWE 2025.

Whether you're a startup founder, developer, designer, product manager, or business leader, you'll get the resources you need to:

• Build something extraordinary
• Generate awareness
• Get advice and funding
• Scale through partnerships
• Attract customers

From speed networking to matchmaking, talks, competition and industry recognition, there are pathways for growth, exposure, and meaningful connections. To learn more and apply to join the AWE Builders Nexus Program, go to this link.

"The XR revolution is ready to conquer the mainstream - but to get there, we all need to create head-turning content that MUST be experienced," explained Ori Inbar, co-founder and CEO of AWE. "That's why we created the AWE Builders Nexus - an all-encompassing program for new and accomplished XR builders designed to connect and empower them to succeed. Startup founders, developers, designers, product managers, and business leaders alike will get the resources they need to build something extraordinary, get advice and funding, scale through partnerships, and win customers. Don't miss out!"

AWE USA 2025 - You'll Feel Spatial. We Promise.

AWE USA 2025 will welcome over 6,000 attendees, 400 speakers, and 300 global exhibitors at this year's leading immersive event.

Today's announcement of the AWE Builders Nexus is only the latest new addition to AWE. We recently unveiled the AWE Gaming Hub - visit this link for more information.

Early Bird tickets are now available (through April 30, 2025), with big discounts on a 3-day pass. To register for the conference, go here. 

Members of the media or content creators that wish to request a media pass can do so at this link: https://awexr.com/press-pass

About AWE:

AWE (Augmented World Expo) is the world's leading AR+VR conference and expo with events in the USA, Asia and Europe. AWE events consistently bring together a mix of CEOs, CTOs, designers, developers, creative agencies, futurists, analysts, investors and top press in a unique opportunity to learn, inspire, partner and experience firsthand one of the most exciting industries of our times. 

AWE USA 2025 marks the 16th edition of the must attend global XR industry event; now for the second time in our new home in Long Beach, California.

The 3-day AR VR conference is packed with sessions from 400+ top speakers across 14 tracks; covering tech and applications in many verticals. The Expo Hall features over 350 exhibitors offering hands-on experience with the latest spatial computing technologies.

Pre-conference workshops, community meetups, and networking opportunities give guests numerous ways to connect, learn, and grow their XR businesses at AWE USA.

For more information please contact:

Alyssa Maslowski
Lightspeed PR/M
[email protected]

SOURCE AWE (Augmented World Expo)