Travel Industry Seeks Socially Responsible Second Life

March 25, 2009 - Press Dispensary - The UK corporate travel industry is this week to be told that physical meetings and conferences may not always be best – and that it's the online virtual world of Second Life that offers the most viable alternative for business gatherings.

New Business Horizons, which runs the Blue Horizons business park in the virtual world of Second Life, will be announcing this Thursday the opening of a new Second Life office for the Institute of Travel Management (ITM) and will be encouraging ITM members to revisit the idea of cyberspace as a valid venue.

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."

The ITM’s own presence in Second Life features a fully equipped association office and boardroom which its members can visit and where they can commission and plan Second Life events and other activities. It follows closely on New Business Horizons' opening of Second Life offices for the global travel company BCD Travel, which is one of the world’s largest suppliers to the corporate travel market and whose UK arm is sponsoring the ITM conference.

Paul Tilstone, ITM chief executive, says: "As an association representing professionals in the travel & meetings sector, the Institute of Travel Management (ITM) sits centrally in the debate on the use of technology and mobility services for businesses to interact more effectively. A Second Life presence will allow ITM to understand the application of this type of technology and to remain at the forefront of this debate."

The ITM cyberspace presentation will be taking place on the afternoon of Thursday March 26, 2009. New Business Horizons will again be partnering the ITM at an event in September 09 under auspices of Visit Britain and Alan Haymes will additionally be addressing the Business Travel Conference in London on September 22. Journalists interested in any of these events should contact Rob Shepherd on 0845 430 4433.

- ends -

Notes for editors
Background
The call for a greater use of cyberspace for meetings and conferences may be seen in the context of some recent research:

• Gartner, February 2009 - Virtual Conferencing to Cut 2.1M Airline Seats by 2012.

• Clever Zebra, 2009 – RIMS insurance estimate they saved 180 tons CO2 vs 1 ton virtual event.

• Virtual Worlds News, Feb 2009 – IBM Second Life Meetings - investment of roughly $80,000, estimated savings over $250,000 in travel and venue costs and more than $150,000 in additional productivity gains.

About New Business Horizons
The award-winning New Business Horizons (NBH) is a Second Life 'full service developer' with offices in London and Montreal, and is the creator of the 'Blue Horizon' virtual business park. New Business Horizons helps clients reap Second Life rewards in terms of marketing, sales, collaboration, networking and conferencing, amongst many other benefits.

In 2008 NBH extended its business park concept to include the bespoke building of a large-scale, permanent conference facility for Universal Music Group (the record label behind many of the world’s greatest music acts) and won the 'Best Use of Technology' award from the Docklands Business Club and the East London Chamber of Commerce.

NBH has just launched the most comprehensive map of locations in Second Life that represent real world places, allowing Second Life users to teleport to over 50 sites, from city centres such as London and Dublin to world regions including the Rainforest and Aztec temples in Mexico. For more information, visit www.nbhorizons.com

About the ITM
The Institute of Travel Management UK & Ireland (ITM) is the recognised body for business travel, representing over 1,000 buyer and supplier members from 7 UK & Ireland regions. Membership represents nearly 50% of the FTSE 100, major government departments and NGOs and major limited liability partnerships such as law firms and accountants, in a market is estimated to be worth in excess of £25 billion per annum.

The ITM International Conference (Liverpool, March 25-27 2009) is one of the highlights in the business travel calendar, bringing together procurement heads, intermediaries and suppliers to share best practice, network and do business. For more information visit www.itm.org.uk

About BCD Travel
BCD Travel operates in more than 90 countries on six continents, with US$14 billion in total sales and a combined worldwide workforce in excess of13,000. BCD Travel is a BCD Holdings N.V. company. For more information, visit http://www.bcdtravel.com .

For further information, please contact:
Robert Shepherd, New Business Horizons
Tel: 0845 430 4433
Email:
Site: www.nbhorizons.com