Snapchat CEO to Deliver Keynote at AWE 2025 as Firm Seeks to Boost XR Presence

In the upcoming AWE 2025 event this June, the CEO of Snap Inc., the company famously known for Snapchat and Spectacles AR glasses, is set to take the stage. This eagerly awaited presentation highlights Snap’s most recent strides in the realm of augmented reality. The company’s notable presence on the event schedule underscores its ambition to solidify a greater position within the expanding XR industry.

Despite Snap being among the few providing fully standalone AR glasses today, it often finds itself viewed as an outlier in the broader XR community. This perception largely stems from Snap’s unique approach to its AR objectives, which diverges from the path taken by other heavyweights in the field.

For instance, while standalone headsets like the Quest and systems like PC VR and PSVR 2 are primarily geared towards gaming, and Apple’s Vision Pro leans towards entertainment and productivity, Snap’s Spectacles arise from a social-centric AR viewpoint. This perspective is closely tied to enhancing experiences either based on specific locations or shared spaces involving multiple users in the same environment.

In June, Evan Spiegel, Snap’s CEO and co-founder, is poised to captivate the audience at AWE 2025—one of the globe’s most renowned XR conferences. His presentation aims to articulate Snap’s AR vision and deepen its connections within the existing XR space. The conference is set in Long Beach, California, from June 10th to the 12th and anticipates attracting over 6,000 participants alongside 300 exhibitors, 400 speakers, and occupying a massive 150,000-square-foot expo floor. While early-bird tickets remain available, Road to VR readers have the advantage of securing them with an exclusive 20% discount.

Spiegel’s keynote follows presentations from well-established industry players like Qualcomm and XREAL, adding a dynamic layer to the conference agenda. Interestingly, Snap’s dedication to developing an AR ecosystem from scratch is part of what keeps it somewhat on the periphery of the XR space.

Snap isn’t merely focused on manufacturing its own AR glasses; it’s also innovating with Snap OS, a tailored operating system specifically for Spectacles. Additionally, with their proprietary authoring tool, Lens Studio, developers face a learning curve distinct from standard tools like Unity. This distinct pathway for content creation makes transferring existing XR content a complex task.

However, this grassroots commitment signifies Snap’s genuine investment in the XR sphere. Scott Myers, Snap’s VP of Hardware, explained to Road to VR that the company’s vision for Spectacles extends far beyond Snapchat. Snap envisions a future where glasses like Spectacles could supersede smartphones entirely. This belief drives the standalone design of Spectacles, aiming to function without the need for a phone or any external computing device.

“We want users to engage with the world through their glasses rather than constantly staring down at their smartphones,” Myers emphasized.

Apart from championing social and location-based AR experiences, Myers also highlighted Snap’s focus on transforming its platform into a developer’s haven, thriving on top-tier tools and constant feedback adjustments. He mentioned personally using Spectacles “almost daily” to explore new features and experiences. “We are learning alongside developers to simplify the creation process as much as we can,” he added.

As giants like Meta, Apple, and Google fiercely compete to bring mainstream AR glasses to the masses, Snap must strategically maneuver to ensure its innovative endeavors chart a path towards success in the near future.

Proud of its role as the Premier Media Partner of AWE USA 2025, Road to VR is delighted to offer its audience a notable 20% discount on event tickets.