Harvard GSD
XR conference 2026
‍EVENT SCHEDULE

Date and Time
Saturday, April 11, 2026
9 AM - 7 PM
‍
Eastern Daylight Time
Time zone in Boston, MA (GMT-4)

Address
Harvard University, Gund Hall, Quincy St, Cambridge, MA 02138
https://maps.app.goo.gl/EGjiSiBF5FJTkXSz8

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Overall Schedule
Room 01
105 PIPER AUDITORIUM
Room 02
GUND 111
DEMO Booth
121, 122, 123 Portico
PIPER AUDITORIUM
GUND 111
121, 122, 123 Portico
PIPER AUDITORIUM
gUND 111
GUND 112
DEMO ROOM

9:45 am

-

10:00 am

Opening

Kick off HXR 2026 with a warm welcome from the organizing team as we introduce this year's theme: "XR+: From Pixel to Voxel".

Enter >
PIPER AUDITORIUM
gUND 111
GUND 112
DEMO ROOM

10:00 am

-

10:50 am

Keynote: Reality Always Wins

In his opening keynote, Avi Bar-Zeev—veteran of Disney VR, Google Earth, HoloLens, and Apple Vision Pro—explains why XR hype collides with reality, what AI glasses mean for privacy and trust, and how human-centered design and ethics can keep spatial computing and AI aligned with real life.

Enter >
PIPER AUDITORIUM
gUND 111
GUND 112
DEMO ROOM

11:00 am

-

12:00 am

XR + Immersive Arts, Culture & Design

Examines how immersive technologies expand storytelling and cultural expression through embodied, interactive, and spatial experiences.

Enter >
PIPER AUDITORIUM
gUND 111
GUND 112
DEMO ROOM

11:00 am

-

12:00 pm

XR + AI World Models and Spatial Understanding

Explores how AI-driven world models enable machines to perceive, predict, and navigate complex environments, reshaping spatial understanding and interaction.

Enter >
PIPER AUDITORIUM
gUND 111
GUND 112
DEMO ROOM

11:00 am

-

5:00 pm

Demo Showcase

HXR Demo Session is your chance to explore live XR, AI, and spatial projects, meet the teams behind them, and see how ideas move from pixel to voxel in practice.

Enter >
PIPER AUDITORIUM
gUND 111
GUND 112
DEMO ROOM

12:20 pm

-

1:20 pm

Pitch Competition

Twelve teams present at the HXR 2026 Showcase & Competition, hosted by the Harvard GSD XR Club, bringing exploratory and applied XR together.

Enter >
PIPER AUDITORIUM
gUND 111
GUND 112
DEMO ROOM

1:30 pm

-

2:30 pm

XR + Hardware and Intelligent Systems

Focuses on advances in hardware and intelligent systems that enable responsive, real-time immersive environments.

Enter >
PIPER AUDITORIUM
gUND 111
GUND 112
DEMO ROOM

1:30 pm

-

2:00 pm

Make it Spatial: How to Succeed in XR

A practical guide to succeeding in XR by thinking spatially, embracing uncertainty, and building meaningful experiences beyond the hype.

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PIPER AUDITORIUM
gUND 111
GUND 112
DEMO ROOM

2:05 pm

-

3:05 pm

XR in Healthcare & Well-Being

Examines how emerging technologies improve care delivery through innovation, accessibility, and human-centered design.

Enter >
PIPER AUDITORIUM
gUND 111
GUND 112
DEMO ROOM

2:40 pm

-

3:40 pm

XR + Platforms and Content Infrastructure

Explores the platforms and systems that enable scalable creation, management, and distribution of immersive content.

Enter >
PIPER AUDITORIUM
gUND 111
GUND 112
DEMO ROOM

3:10 pm

-

3:40 pm

XR In Practice

Highlights how immersive tools support experiential learning, enhancing engagement, accessibility, and new pedagogical approaches.

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PIPER AUDITORIUM
gUND 111
GUND 112
DEMO ROOM

4:00 pm

-

5:00 pm

XR + Gaming and Interactive Worlds

Explores how immersive technologies transform gameplay, storytelling, and interaction across hybrid physical and virtual environments.

Enter >
PIPER AUDITORIUM
gUND 111
GUND 112
DEMO ROOM

4:00 pm

-

5:00 pm

XR + AI Agents and the Next Interface

Investigates the rise of autonomous, context-aware systems that redefine interaction through adaptive, language-based interfaces.

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PIPER AUDITORIUM
gUND 111
GUND 112
DEMO ROOM

5:10 pm

-

5:40 pm

Closing Note: 10 Years, 10 Lessons

In this closing keynote, Agile Lens CEO Alex Coulombe distills a decade of B2B XR work—from architecture to live entertainment—into candid case-study lessons on what it really takes to build, run, and grow an enterprise studio amid hardware churn and shifting client demands.

Enter >
PIPER AUDITORIUM
gUND 111
GUND 112
DEMO ROOM

5:40 pm

-

6:00 pm

Award Ceremony + Closing

We close HXR 2026 by celebrating the Showcase & Competition winners, thanking our community of creators and partners, and sending everyone off inspired to keep building from pixel to voxel.

Enter >
PIPER AUDITORIUM
gUND 111
GUND 112
DEMO ROOM

6:00 pm

-

7:30 pm

Networking Night

To chat, clap hands, exult, shout, skip, leap, roll on, float on!

Enter >

9:45 am

-

10:00 am

10:00 am

-

10:50 am

11:00 am

-

12:00 pm

12:20 pm

-

1:20 pm

1:30 pm

-

2:00 pm

2:05 pm

-

3:05 pm

3:10 pm

-

3:40 pm

4:00 pm

-

5:00 pm

5:10 pm

-

5:40 pm

5:40 pm

-

6:00 pm

11:00 am

-

12:00 am

XR + Immersive Arts, Culture & Design

Examines how immersive technologies expand storytelling and cultural expression through embodied, interactive, and spatial experiences.

Learn more >

1:30 pm

-

2:30 pm

XR + Hardware and Intelligent Systems

Focuses on advances in hardware and intelligent systems that enable responsive, real-time immersive environments.

Learn more >

2:40 pm

-

3:40 pm

XR + Platforms and Content Infrastructure

Explores the platforms and systems that enable scalable creation, management, and distribution of immersive content.

Learn more >

4:00 pm

-

5:00 pm

XR + Gaming and Interactive Worlds

Explores how immersive technologies transform gameplay, storytelling, and interaction across hybrid physical and virtual environments.

Learn more >

11:00 am

-

5:00 pm

Demo Showcase

HXR Demo Session is your chance to explore live XR, AI, and spatial projects, meet the teams behind them, and see how ideas move from pixel to voxel in practice.

Learn more >

6:00 pm

-

7:30 pm

Networking Night

To chat, clap hands, exult, shout, skip, leap, roll on, float on!

Learn more >

2026 XR+: From Pixel to Voxel

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