BEYOND MEET SPACE
A research collective interested in the future of work and play beyond the limitations of physical space.
MEANINGFUL XR
The Meaningful XR conference has roots in the Meaningful Play conference hosted at Michigan State University (MSU) since 2008, the SPARTIE Lab at MSU, and the NSF-funded Beyond Meet Space project team. The inaugural Meaningful XR Conference (MXR24), held on Stanford University campus in May 2024. We also supported remote attendance in a virtual world (in VR Chat) with a livestream of the physical conference room, with some physical attendees also in the virtual world via VR headset.
Meaningful XR 2024: A Resounding Success
The MXR24 conference brought together nearly 90 scholars, creators, and innovators from over 30 institutions for 2.5 days of vibrant presentations, rich conversations, and immersive social events—both in person and in VR. With a hybrid format that included Zoom, screen-sharing, and VRChat streaming, attendees engaged from across the globe, some even in headsets. The conference’s intimate yet dynamic scale created space for meaningful exchange while forging new connections in the XR research community.
Thanks to the support of generous sponsors, including Stanford, MSU, the Journal of Media Psychology, and the NSF, 18 students received travel scholarships to attend. MXR24 was powered by a dedicated leadership team and tireless volunteers whose collaboration made the event seamless and inspiring. With overwhelming enthusiasm from attendees, MXR is poised to become an annual tradition in the XR community.
Speaker at Meaningful Play 2024.
Guests at Meaningful Play 2024 mingling between speakers.
The Another speaker at Meanginful Play 2024.
Guests in Remote VRChat world during Meaningful Play 2024.
Guests listening to Meaningful Play 2024 speaker.
Meaningful Play 2024 guests hanging out betweeen sessions.
Meaningful XR 2025: Exploring the Future of XR Together
Meaningful XR 2025 will take place May 22–23 at the UC Davis International Center and online, offering a hybrid experience that welcomes both in-person and virtual attendees. This year’s conference builds on the momentum of past events by uniting researchers, educators, students, and industry professionals to examine how XR (extended reality) technologies—VR, AR, and MR—can create meaningful impact across fields.
The program includes an exciting lineup of keynote speakers from top institutions, sessions on emerging research, immersive demos, social events, and a special VR Game Jamathon (May 9–18) with no coding required. Submissions have been reviewed and selected projects will be featured throughout the conference.
Remote participation is supported via VRChat, accessible through headsets, desktops, or mobile devices, making the conference truly borderless.
MXR 2025 is hosted by UC Davis and made possible by an outstanding coalition of sponsors and organizing partners, including the SPARTIE Lab, SIUE, Stanford’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab, and more. Join us as we shape the future of immersive technology—together.