Summary: As organizations are searching for strategies to reduce travel and hotel budgets, virtual meetings, are becoming increasingly attractive. Meetings.net recently reported that Cisco had ended a 20 year tradition and replaced its face-to-face sales conference with a large virtual event. They aren't the only ones. Will other companies go virtual? Event planners need to stay on top of this emerging trend and consider strategies for adapting their core offerings to a virtual format.

Cisco Systems, ACCA, Kelly Services, and other Corporate Giants go global in a Virtual World

In April, 2008, management consulting firm, McKinsey and Company predicted that virtual worlds like Second Life would become "an indispensible business tool and vital to the strategy of any company intent on reaching out to the video-game generation". They strongly advised organizations to embrace virtual worlds technology.

McKinsey: Ignore Second Life at your peril

Fast forward to today. No longer a fad, global organizations are using virtual worlds technology to offer virtual meetings & transform their conferences, trade shows, and corporate events.

Virtual Trade Shows

Experience this immersive, engaging 3D trade show produced by virtual worlds events company Clever Zebra:

Virtual Conferences

See how the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants brought its members around the globe together with this immersive, 3D virtual world conference hosted by virtual worlds events company Clever Zebra:

Virtual Meetings and Virtual Sales Events

Technology giant, Cisco Systems, recently brought their sales team together through a virtual sales event. Will other sales organizations follow their lead?

Cisco Links Work and Play in Huge Virtual Sales Event

Improving the Real World Through the Virtual World

This video explores how companies can use virtual worlds to improve what's happening in their real world:

Photo: Captured in a virtual meeting room at Clever Zebra Headquarters in Second Life