Virtualis: Bringing meetings to Second Life
By Kristi Casey Sanders
On April 23 and 24, more than 40 meeting professionals attended a two-day convention without leaving their desks. They logged onto Second Life and created virtual versions of themselves (avatars); danced and watched fireworks; enjoyed comedy and live music concerts; attended educational seminars about greener meetings, global innovation, international law, intellectual property and emergent technologies; and networked with peers from all over North America. From the expo floor, they were able to watch streaming video about the presenters, surf sponsor Web sites and buy merchandise. If they got lost in-between sessions, they were “teleported” to the correct room. If a presenter’s screen went down, it was replaced in a matter of seconds. Rooms were reconfigured with a mouse click. The convention planners never had to worry about F&B, transportation, hotel rooms, carbon footprints or attrition.
Welcome to Virtualis, the world’s largest virtual convention and learning center, created by more than 200 people based around the world, under the guidance of Dan Parks, president and creative director of Corporate Planners Unlimited Inc., a California-based meeting, event and corporate travel planning company.
News Briefs:Hilton Americas-Houston on the blockThe Houston Convention Center Hotel Corp. has put its 1,200-room convention center hotel up for sale. Any purchase would have to be approved by the City Council, which may use sale profits to fund the construction of a second convention center hotel on the north end of Discovery Green, an idea the council bandied about earlier this year. Gaylord backs out of San AntonioGaylord Entertainment Company terminated its agreement to purchase the Westin La Cantera Resort in San Antonio, paying a one-time penalty of $12 million in lieu of the $252.2 million it offered in November 2007. Originally, Gaylord planned to expand the resort and reopen it as a Gaylord in 2010. Room crunch in RaleighWhen the $221 million Raleigh Convention Center opens this fall, its capacity will be for groups of up to 5,000 people. There’s one hitch. There may be a housing shortage. Demand for downtown hotel rooms is at an eight-year high, but increased borrowing costs have delayed hotel openings, affecting 500 planned rooms. A new, green AdvantageAdvantage Rent A Car says it will become the first major American rental company to have a 100 percent “green” fleet of cars within the next 24 months, subject to manufacturer’s assistance and vehicle availability. On a local level, companies such as Elite Green Car in Atlanta already have converted to 100 percent eco-friendly fleets; national carriers such as Enterprise are converting portions of its fleet in select cities. But Advantage aims to make a nationwide commitment. Attendees no longer stuck with the billThe Coaching Center of Austin, Texas, stiffed The Westin Las Vegas $57,000 in food, beverage and other costs it incurred for a dental boot camp in October 2007. Attendees had signed a registration agreement empowering the hotel’s parent company, Columbia Sussex Corp., to recoup the money from third parties. So in March 2008, attendees began to see hundreds of dollars of Westin charges on their credit cards. Names in the news: May 2008New hires, awards and promotions across the Southern U.S. |
Spotlight:Public serviceWhen the Hyatt Regency San Antonio decided to implement eco-friendly measures, it didn’t stop at installing CFL lightbulbs or recycling. With support from VIA Metropolitan Transit and San Antonio partnership, the hotel distributed 375 bus passes to workers, providing free public transportation to and from work through 2008. Each active bus pass is estimated to remove as many as 40 cars from the road.Public service Advice from PYM:Tips for attracting event sponsors: Part IILast month, we explored how to craft sponsorship plans. This month, I’m going to tell you how to use them. Negotiable Service Charges: May 2008 MorselHere is a situation that a lot of us have the power to do something about but don’t: service charges on F&B. |
PYM LIVE 2008 Dallas Recap
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From the Blog:
Thanks for the memories — from Christine
After six years, I am leaving Plan Your Meetings. As editor-in-chief, I have attended many meetings and events. I have visited hotels, special event facilities and convention centers, and talked with countless planners and industry suppliers. I continue to be amazed at the creativity, demands, and spread of the meetings and events business. It is a business of details that want constant attention; it is a business of change — changing fashion, changing tastes, changing tools, and changing measurements …
Meet the new PYM advisory board
Please join us in welcoming the members of our 2008 PYM Advisory Board.
