This tech company will be 1st to use Sphere for conference event

Developers of the Sphere have long considered how the 17,000-seat venue could be used for business conference presentations.

After being open since late September for concerts and film presentations, the company has its first conference customer.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise will be the first to stage a keynote address from the venue June 18 as part of HPE Discover 2024. HPE President and CEO Antonio Neri will take the stage as part of the company’s gathering in Las Vegas.

Neither company disclosed how much it is costing HPE to use the venue.

With its beamforming audio technology that can direct sound with pinpoint accuracy and the high-definition 160,000-square-foot wraparound screen for visuals, Sphere officials have considered how they can leverage the technical offerings for business presentations. One capability that has been demonstrated is how presentations can be made in multiple languages to audiences without the use of headphones, but HPE hasn’t indicated it is doing that.

“Sphere is where the world’s biggest artists, and now the biggest brands, go when they want to create an experience unlike any other,” Jennifer Koester, president of Sphere business operations at Sphere Entertainment, said in a release.

“Sphere is a next-generation medium and a powerful platform for companies to educate and demonstrate – connecting with their audiences in a way they can only do at Sphere,” she said. “The HPE keynote will leverage the venue’s cutting-edge technologies to deliver a bespoke experience that sets a new bar for brand storytelling and corporate events.”

When it opened in September, the Sphere hosted U2 as the first performers there. Days later, the Darren Aronofsky film “Postcard from Earth” debuted.

Since then, UFC has announced plans for the first sporting event inside the Sphere in September.

Earlier this month, the Sphere announced a community collaboration with UNLV and the Clark County School District to land student artwork on the exosphere in July.

The Hewlett Packard event would be the first business conference application.

“Big moments call for bold moves,” Jim Jackson, chief marketing officer at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, said in a release. “At the core of HPE’s rapid transformation is a commitment to bringing innovative, new experiences that engage new audiences and define the future. Sphere is the perfect venue for us to declare what’s next for our brand and to bring to life the technologies that will enable enterprises to thrive in the AI era.”

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.