Corporate Planners Unlimited, Inc. announced a two-day educational online seminar, Experience the Future Now, marking the highly anticipated launch of its virtual mega convention center, Virtualis, on April 23-24, 2008 (9 am – 3 pm PST).

Virtualis is the largest and most meticulously-designed convention center in the revolutionary, computer-generated world of Second Life.

Mirroring lavish real-world convention centers, it boasts state of the art facilities with educational breakout rooms, a grand ballroom, and an exhibition hall.

Guests must RSVP by April 20, 2008 to experience Virtualis firsthand and be a part of the thought-provoking, free seminar. 

Corporate decision-makers and event planners who attend Experience the Future Now will gain cutting-edge knowledge about the Second Life culture and economy and discover the overall value and ease of planning and attending events in Virtualis.

The scheduled presenters include some of the most prestigious entrepreneurs, event planners, educators, and attorneys in the U.S. who will cover diverse topics such as “Virtual Event Design and Management,” “Beyond Recycling: Ten Easy Steps to Greener Meetings and Events,” “Emergent Technologies,” and "Negotiating International Contracts."

Presenters on the agenda include:  B. Joseph Pine, Author, Speaker, and Management Advisor, Strategic Horizons LLP; Jim Carroll, Trends and Innovation Expert; Barbara Dunn, Esq., Howe and Hutton, Ltd.; Joan L. Eisenstodt, Founder, Eisenstodt Associates; John S. Foster, Esq., Foster, Foster, Jensen & Gulley, LLC; James P Hogg, Adjunct Professor, Rosen College of Hospitality Management, University of Central Florida; Stuart Mann, Ph.D, Dean, Harrah College of Hotel Administration, University of Nevada-Las Vegas; Marianne McNulty, CMP, CTIE, Owner,  Clever Concierge, LLC; Gloria Nelson, CSEP, Chief Experience Officer, Gloria Nelson Event Design, LLC; Bonnie Wallsh,  Chief Strategist, Bonnie Wallsh Associates, LLC; and Loriann White, CMM, Co-Founder, Association for Green Meetings and Events (AGME).

B. Joseph Pine. II, co-author of "The Experience Economy" and "Authenticity: What consumers Really Want" thinks that business professionals are ready for a facility like Virtualis: "As the Experience Economy emerges, one thing has become clear to me: more and more of the experiences people have will be digital ones -- indeed, those people will increasingly be immersed within those digital experiences. That's why I'm so excited about Virtualis and looking forward to participating in its launch. It will be an opportunity not only to observe the latest, great experience within the Experience Economy, but to participate in it myself."

Experience the Future Now will also offer leisure activities and entertainment such as Second Life musicians Maximilion Kleen and Frogg Marlowe, a live comedic performance by Tim Wilkins in the Grand Ballroom’s comedy club, a networking gathering on the spacious yacht Victoria, a scavenger hunt for chances to win prizes, nightly pyrotechnic fireworks, and lastly, guided property tours will be available before and after sessions. 

The groundbreaking Virtualis was founded by Dan Parks, President of Corporate Planners Unlimited, Inc., after discovering initial success in Second Life with his MeCo (Meetings Community) Mansion, a 16-room property filled with a collection of information, networking opportunities and unique presentation areas of pertinent educational content for professionals in the event and meetings industry.

With rising fuel costs, corporate budget cuts, reduction of carbon imprinting and security concerns, Parks realized it was the right time to introduce a virtual solution, with real-life components, to accommodate meetings and events in a cost-effective and safe manner.

“In light of economical trends and Second Life’s global reach and technical capabilities, the presence of Virtualis is the most logical and efficient solution to augment face-to-face meetings,” said Parks.

“My team of experts and I have spent the past 15 months not only learning the technology from a business standpoint, but have built a vast database of resources that includes the ‘best of the best’ relating to talent and collaborators of all types to design and execute meaningful and memorable events.”

Second Life is a computer-generated world that is accessible through a free downloadable application - the Second Life Browser.  Using this application, people can create a graphical 3D representation of themselves, avatars, which can be maneuvered within the Second Life world. 

With the ability to use human senses (except smell and taste) and integrate PowerPoint, .jpeg  and .pdf slides along with live and streaming audio and video, presenters and attendees are able to achieve a complete meeting experience in Virtualis—without ever leaving the comfort of their home or office.

Avatars can meet and network with others, gather meaningful educational content, visit different tradeshow booths, attend live events, and even relax by a gleaming pond or retreat to an outdoor fire pit area for a private place to network or engage in group work with colleagues. 

Marianne McNulty, CMP, CITE, co-presenter of the first virtual Certified Meeting Professional Boot Camp in Second Life shares, “The absolute – and almost literal – beauty of presenting in Second Life is attendees receive focused presentations of the materials in a setting which is soothing and relaxing all while being physically in the comfort of his/her own surroundings.  This is no four square walls experience!”

Planning and executing an event in Virtualis also mirrors real-life work strategies and logistics.  With more than 29,000 square meters of meeting space, a grand ballroom for general sessions or special events, and a spacious exhibition hall for full-fledged tradeshows, the visually appealing Virtualis has the facilities to truly make meetings of all sizes successful.

The flexible meeting rooms, complete with advanced video, lighting, and audio capabilities, can also be customized for appearance or ambiance to meet clients’ needs and comfort level.

To further ensure your meeting’s success and efficiency, Virtualis is the only Second Life meeting facility managed and operated by award winning and experienced hospitality and meeting industry professionals.

“Second Life is an experiential immersion using the same best practices in the strategic design and development of meeting and event programming,” says Gloria Nelson, CSEP, Chief Experience Officer, Gloria Nelson Event Design, LLC.”

“Production technologies available in real life including staging, lighting, design/décor, special effects of fog machines, fiber optic skies and scenic backdrops, laser shows and even pyrotechnic displays are all in place for integration into strategically designed programs.” 

Each room in Virtualis has its own unique style and features. Below is a list of each room and a brief description of its fixtures and highlights.

The Convention Center:

• Traditional registration booths
• Comfortable virtual seating for networking or group assignments
• Flexible space
• Customized signage for organizational branding and sponsorship opportunities 

The Grand Ballroom

• Multiple turnkey ballroom design sets
• Streaming audio and video
• State of the art technology with movie screens, type boards, and slide show presentations
• Real-time live entertainment, full-scale staging, and lighting production

Four Breakout Rooms

• Turnkey room sets and custom designed builds (i.e. theater, classroom, chevron, and crescent)
• Live voice chat and streaming audio capabilities
• Programs can integrate pre-recorded or real-time video, PowerPoint and .PDF and .jpg formatted materials 

Exhibition Hall

• Spacious booth rentals that can be customized to compliment real-life trade show booths  
• Booths can stream video on AV screens
• Brand signage to promote organization and sponsorship 

The Eisenstodt Learning and Community Matters Center

• Removes all traditional elements of brick and mortar with environmental immersion.
• Creatively built to impact non-traditional learning environments
• Ability to integrate technology as needed.

Special Event Venues

• Outdoor Patio for Receptions, Musical Entertainment, Activities
• Virtual Yacht for Receptions and Board Retreats
• Virtual Team Building Exercises include skydiving, geo-Caching Hunts, and community Service Projects

Joan Eisenstodt, who is launching her Eisenstodt Learning and Community Center in Virtualis and whose passion for learning was recently recognized by PCMA with a Lifetime Achievement in Education honor, sees Virtualis as an extension of how web 2.0 is being used by students and those already in the meetings and hospitality profession.

Eisenstodt said, “Although I confess to being periodically intimidated by the technology, I also find it a fun way to meet and to explore ideas.  Virtualis provides a platform and method to expand one's mind and take from the experiences into f2f meetings as well as simply enjoying the experiences in Second Life.”