Travel Industry Seeks Socially Responsible Second Life

In 2007, I met with Management at Suntec Exhibition Centre in Singapore regarding virtual worlds and the opportunity for Real & Virtual World events to be run in Unison with each other. Singapore recently held the IT Show at Suntec, 770,000 people packed the centre and SGD58.5 million was spent in four days – how much more could have been spent if they held a virtual event for those unable to make it to Singapore over the 4 stipulated days – i wonder ?

Excerpt from Travel Industry Article below:

At the ITM’s 37th annual conference in Liverpool this week, the people responsible for spending an annual £34bn ferrying business executives and staff around the world will hear that physical attendance is not always the ideal way to convene conferences and confabs. Instead, the technology of online virtual worlds can bring delegates together in an equally productive, immersive, businesslike environment which is also socially responsible, greatly reducing the impact of corporate travel on the environment.

Alan Haymes, director of London-based New Business Horizons – which provides Second Life offices, meeting and conference facilities for other clients as diverse as Universal Music Group and the London Chamber of Commerce – will be leading the ‘Meeting in Cyberspace’ session at the ITM conference, explaining the business benefits of events that take place in a virtual world and comparing the experience not only to physical meetings but to the ‘traditional’ virtual option of teleconferencing.

Haymes comments: “Virtual world conferencing is a more complete experience than the webcam or teleconferencing suite, which means that the ITM’s initiative extends beyond saving money and improving CSR. In a virtual world, delegates can immerse themselves fully in the conference environment and truly feel part of a big event. Breakout and one to one sessions can be easily incorporated, there’s less pressure on performance and appearance … and it can be more fun.”

via Travel Industry Seeks Socially Responsible Second Life.

I also shared this idea with Twinity management….

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Virtual Worlds Forum Europe, conference and expo, London, 6-8 October 2008

Virtual Worlds Forum Europe 2008

Back in London for the second year; VWF08 is three days of congress, expo and optional workshops, brought to you by the regular Virtual Worlds Salon hosts. VWF08 is the place to make serious business connections (we still hear about deals done last year), be inspired by three streams of content, participated in the extended expo and demo theatre. Don’t forget, exclusive registration benefits and we like to party (we’ve got some cool announcements up our sleeves).

Virtual Worlds Forum Europe, conference and expo, London, 6-8 October 2008.

MAN Manpower Inc. Celebrates First Anniversary in Second Life

Manpower Inc. announces the worldwide celebration of the company’s one-year anniversary in Second Life. The celebration kicked-off with a multi-media convening of virtual world gurus on Manpower Island to reflect on the ways leading brands can attract a creative and diverse pool of talent and leverage virtual worlds to further real-world social responsibility programs.

MAN Manpower Inc. Celebrates First Anniversary in Second Life

Secret Location – Secret Plans – Virtual Delivery – itsReal

Last evening at 2100hrs a secret meeting took place in a secret location in Second Life.

Virtual Conferences not YET but the Reality is coming – itsReal

‘Avatars’ offer virtual alternative at climate summit

More than 10,000 people are in Bali thrashing out action on global warming, but those who couldn’t make it in person are here virtually — some in the form of dragons and action heroes.

Hoping to widen the debate and cut down on carbon emissions from air travel, Oneworld.net, a left-leaning website, has taken the UN conference here on climate change to the online virtual world Second Life.

The website has brought together everyone from a US congressman, who travelled virtually as a 3-D animation, to anonymous participants hailing from Japan to Turkmenistan and Romania.

Second Life, which has drawn millions of users since it was created in 2003 by San Francisco-based Linden Labs, is a fantasy land in which users mingle under assumed identities as “avatars.”

While most delegates in Bali opt for formal attire, users of the site, http://www.oneclimate.net/, pick the virtual likeness of their choice — ranging from purple hair to outfits befitting action heroes.

more at MSN