AI Characters Engage Attendees at IMEX America 2026

Visitors in Las Vegas tested interactive LED installations featuring real-time conversational AI in 26 languages.

Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Language Learning

Visitors interact with NewMedia's AI HOST digital characters at IMEX America 2026 in Las Vegas. — NewMedia Creative Technology Studio debuted its AI-driven LED installation at IMEX America 2026, showcasing real-time multilingual avatars for customer engagement. NewMedia Creative Technology Studio Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Would you enjoy interacting with AI-driven characters to get information at a trade show or event?

At IMEX America 2026 in Las Vegas, NewMedia Creative Technology Studio showcased an AI-driven installation featuring interactive LED characters. The exhibit allowed attendees to hold real-time, multi-language conversations over the course of four days.

Why it matters

The installation demonstrates the technical viability of high-fidelity, real-time AI avatars for language-based engagement and customer interaction. By integrating complex speech-to-text and animation workflows, the project highlights current capabilities in interactive linguistics technology.

The LED wall spanned 1.83m by 3.66m with a brightness of 1,500 nits and a 7,680Hz refresh rate. The system utilized Unreal Engine 5 to produce facial animations at 60fps.

The players

NewMedia Creative Technology Studio

This design and technology firm specializes in creating immersive, AI-driven installations for global trade shows and public events.

IMEX America

This annual trade show held in Las Vegas serves as a major international platform for the meetings, events, and incentive travel industry.

The details

Participants engaged with four LED-based characters via an iPad interface and a gooseneck microphone. The system initiated speech during the processing phase to minimize latency between input and output.

IMEX America 2026 took place in Las Vegas throughout October 2026.
Interaction with the AI characters spanned a total of four days.

Culture Shift

The use of AI avatars marks a move toward highly personalized, multi-lingual digital interactions in professional settings. This trend reflects a broader cultural shift as consumers become accustomed to seamless, real-time engagement with synthetic personas across various environments.

This technology provides a template for future event displays in Las Vegas, potentially changing how attendees interact with information kiosks or brand ambassadors. Users can expect to see more of these AI-driven assistants as organizations look to bridge language gaps in high-traffic venues.

The takeaway

Real-time AI character interaction is becoming increasingly responsive, effectively reducing communication barriers in diverse settings. Implementing such technology requires careful synchronization of software workflows to maintain natural conversation flow.