How about booking a meeting space for your avatar?

Check out the video link from the title

Coming across this video on YouTube concerning a company that provides software for virtual meetings, it was inevitable not to think about the concerns that it may rise. By using Second Life technology the company can create a totally secure virtual space to host a meeting, event or training program, providing controlled access and ensuring for a unique experience. All that requires is a PC and fast internet connection.

So, what is it that comes to your mind while watching the above video?

“The end of face-to-face meetings”… “The end of corporate travel”…”The end of meeting planning professionalism”…

Actually, it is the beginning of a tremendous usage of technology in implementing new ways of creating experiences in the meetings industry.

The MICE Industry is so far well adopting new technologies, as part of adding value to its business and functionality. However, what is of great importance is that technology has played a unique role in the experience given to the participants/ attendees of the event or meeting.

Despite the fact that the above can seem like an advertising campaign, this is not the reason for uploading it. More than that, it raises issues that many professional event and meeting organizers may look at as a threat coming from the online world.

Virtual reality can add an alternative to face-to-face meetings and events when those last cannot happen for various reasons.

First of all, setting up a virtual meeting is much less expensive than a face-to-face. Cost is saved by the non-existing venue rent and equipment, catering supplies and accommodation, nonetheless, by time and of course the lack carbon emissions.

At this point it is crucial to mention the meeting planner’s role. Everyone agrees that an event is successful as long as it fulfills its objectives, meeting the attendees’ needs and sometimes goes even beyond their expectations. This is the job of the meeting/event planner; to understand and deliver a project that will gratify these needs even through an online virtual reality.

Concluding, event planners should see this as opportunity as well as a tool in their hands to generate experience through their events and meetings, while it would be really interesting to conduct a survey among those who have already attend a meeting in their virtual reality, asking them how wiling they are to actually meet their co-attendees in real life। If the majority marks the box “very willing”, then we have to get our heads down to organize the face-to-face meetings.

Image retrieved on March 27^th, 2011 from http://www.seltra.org/index.php