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HP set to wow at Coachella with experiential art, music and technology installations

By Sarah Murry, Newsroom Managing Editor, HP Inc. — April 14, 2017

A peek inside the 360-degree projection theater, the centerpiece of HP's Antarctic Dome at the Coachella Valley Music and Art Festival.

A peek inside the 360-degree projection theater, the centerpiece of HP's Antarctic Dome at the Coachella Valley Music and Art Festival.

While this weekend some 300,000 people are set to descend on the quiet California desert town of Indio for the not-so-hushed Coachella Valley Music and Art Festival, HP will be there to bring a different kind of experience to the mostly-Millennial crowd.   

Desert scene unfolds inside the Antarctic Dome.

Desert scene unfolds inside the Antarctic Dome.

Distinct from other generations in the way they use technology to chronicle and revisit their memorable moments, Millennial festival-goers this year will have the opportunity to create, reinvent and share their discoveries in what’s set to be a truly unforgettable Coachella experience.

HP, the official technology sponsor of Coachella, installed a much-talked about 11,000-square-foot dome, called “The Antarctic” and the smaller HP Lounge, where festival-goers can immerse themselves in innovative experiences using HP powerful computers.

Ahead of the show, HP announced the latest Pavilion lineup of PCs.  The Pavilion x360 convertible comes in three sizes, an 11.6-inch 14-inch and 15.6-inch diagonal screen versions that can be used as traditional laptops or with a touchscreen and Active Pen, as a tablet for designing, drawing and notetaking.

Read the press release and view all the specs here.

New Pavilion x360 in tablet mode with Active Pen.

New Pavilion x360 in tablet mode with Active Pen.

What’s different about the Pavilion x360 lineupbesides that HP has turned up the amp on performance, processing and graphics—is that it has several features and design elements that were borrowed from HP’s Premium consumer laptops.

“Our research tells us that our customers want a PC that does everything and can handle a variety of tasks simultaneously,” said Renata Gaspar, director of product marketing for consumer personal systems at HP. “But what’s also exciting about the Pavilion x360 is that they’re designed for personal expression.”

Digital artist Android Jones

Digital artist Android Jones

The theme of self-expression and creativity runs throughout HP’s Coachella installations.

The Antarctic dome, which is about 120 feet in diameter and 60 feet tall, houses a 500-seat projection theater that plays 360-degree audio/visual, sensory experience powered by HP workstations. Inside, viewers can go on an adventure created by Obscura Digital and powered by HP technologies, with art from Android Jones, a maker of cutting-edge digital art, animation and music for immersive “journeys.”

Inside the smaller, sister dome, the HP Lounge, festival-goers can take HP’s newest Pavilion x360 convertible PC for a spin and try out its Windows Ink feature to design their own bandana, and then print their custom art with an HP large-format printer. There’s also a chance to pose with photographer Eric Pare’s light-sculptures in a 120-degree photo to share on social media.  

This type of experiential, high-touch marketing is new for HP, which is looking to introduce its brand to a new generation of technology consumers, Gaspar said.  

“This is a big departure from traditional advertising,” she said. “We are driving an emotional connection by bringing immersive experiences into new physical spaces.”

Eric Pare's "light painting"

Eric Pare's "light painting"

Other installations include “Light Ink,” where attendees can design a real-life kaleidoscope with the HP Inking Laser Show, created on HP’s Spectre x360 laptop. They can also manipulate what’s being displayed in the Antarctic dome with VR-enabled OMEN X desktop gaming rig.

HP is positioning itself at the apex of music, art and technology, with product innovation underpinning all three, according to Gaspar.

“HP wants attendees to be able to experience for themselves how these come together to enable them to express their unique creativity in new ways,” she said. “We want to ‘wow’ people and show them things that they never thought they could do with HP technology.”

Weekend 1 of Coachella continues through April 16th. For exclusive content, follow along on Twitter with the hashtag #HPCoachella and @HP.