They sent the Oculus Quest 2 VR goggles to a select group of media. The device was programmed to replicate the experience of being on a farm and sitting inside the cab of a tractor. The point was to show off the company’s tech advancements like using 5G to help tractors automatically plant seeds, etc…

A one-on-one Zoom call was held with a John Deere rep from their HQ while he talked through the VR experience – where to look, what buttons to push, etc…

They put a lot of thought, planning and budget into this experience and it paid off. There is no way I would spend 45 minutes on the CES show floor listening to someone talk about farming. But they had my undivided attention for a long amount of time and I could not have been more impressed.

If more companies created virtual and interactive experiences like this, I believe actual trade shows may soon cease to exist.