In today’s evolving corporate landscape, where working from home is as popular as working within the office, EAs are increasingly tasked with facilitating seamless collaboration between executives and teams across multiple locations. “Extended Reality (XR) technologies are emerging as powerful tools that can revolutionise how EAs coordinate meetings, presentations, and executive communications,” says Tim Stackpool, tech expert and media professional.
Beyond the headset: accessible XR
While many associate XR with cumbersome headsets, today’s technology offers numerous headset-free options already within reach of most corporate environments. Most executives already carry smartphones with built-in XR capabilities and apps that create immersive 360-degree environments that they can navigate simply by moving their device. For EAs, this presents an immediate opportunity to enhance presentations and virtual office experiences without significant investment.
Projection-based XR systems are also gaining traction in forward-thinking organisations. These systems project virtual environments onto office walls or floors, allowing executives to interact through intuitive hand and body gestures. For EAs arranging critical meetings or presentations, products such Microsoft RoomAlive or Adobe Aero can transform ordinary conference rooms into dynamic, interactive spaces that elevate standard presentations into memorable experiences.
Revolutionising remote collaboration for busy execs
For EAs supporting executives with demanding travel schedules and distributed teams, XR technologies offer capabilities far beyond traditional video conferencing. Instead of flat screens with disconnected participants, XR services like Microsoft Mesh, Cisco Webex Hologram, Meta Workrooms, and Teamflow all create shared virtual spaces where executives and team members can interact naturally with each other and with 3D models or data visualisations.
“When arranging executive meetings across multiple time zones, I’ve found XR environments create a sense of presence that significantly improves engagement and decision-making,” notes Sarah Chen, EA to the CEO of a multinational technology firm. “My executives can now ‘sit’ together in the same virtual room and collaborate on projects in real-time, regardless of their physical locations.”
The evolving office: creating XR-ready spaces
As the EA is often responsible for office planning and meeting space allocation, understanding how XR technologies affect workspace requirements is becoming essential. Companies are increasingly designating specialised areas for XR-based activities, requiring EAs to coordinate with IT and facilities teams on implementation.
These dedicated XR collaboration spaces typically require:
- Flexible furniture arrangements that can be quickly reconfigured
- Enhanced lighting and sound systems for immersive experiences
- Adequate space for movement and gesture-based interactions
- Strategic placement of projection surfaces or screens
For EAs responsible for scheduling and coordinating executive meetings, familiarity with these specialised spaces ensures optimal use of company resources and more productive sessions for leadership teams.
Practical applications for the EA
Forward-thinking EAs are already leveraging XR technologies to:
- Create virtual office tours for remote candidates or clients
- Facilitate immersive product demonstrations across multiple locations
- Transform data-heavy presentations into interactive visualisations
- Enable executives to “walk through” proposed office redesigns before implementation
- Coordinate virtual team-building activities for distributed workforces
The technology ambassador
Beyond simply utilising these tools, savvy executive assistants are positioning themselves as technology ambassadors within their organisations. By developing expertise in XR applications, EAs can bridge the gap between technical capabilities and practical business applications.
“I’ve found that being the first to understand and demonstrate new technologies like XR gives me valuable strategic input with our leadership team,” explains Michelle Brennan, executive assistant to the COO at a financial services firm. “When executives see how these tools can save time and improve decision-making, technology adoption accelerates across the organisation.”
As corporate communication evolves toward more immersive and interactive formats, the EA who understands and champions XR applications becomes an essential strategic partner in driving organisational efficiency and executive effectiveness in an increasingly digital business landscape.
Products mentioned in this article are included for information only and are not necessarily endorsed nor recommended by the author or publisher.
Tech expert Tim Stackpool is the technology writer for Executive PA Media. He can be heard on talk radio in Australia and is a tech presenter who speaks at conferences and trade shows about technology’s impact on work and lifestyle.
