Second Life Sees Renaissance With Low-Cost Events: A few years ago, virtual meeting place Second Life was touted as the next big thing in technology. Then its popularity faded away, eclipsed by more conventional social networking sites and Twitter. Now, some say the site is getting a second wind thanks to a rise in virtual meetings. Event planners say the companies turning to Second Life are growing, and IBM claims to have saved about $350,000 by hosting its October conference on the site. [WSJ]
Trade Shows Plan Tweets: The trade show floor can be intimidating for attendees, so in hopes of enhancing retailers' experiences at the upcoming Magic fashion trade show—and sibling expos Pool, Project, Slate, Sourcing at Magic, and WWDMagic—organizers are launching Twitter feeds. With the goal of getting attendees to more effectively shop the different shows, Magic organizers have recruited a handful of freelancers to tweet about trends, finds, celebrities, and parties surrounding the events. Magic kicks off August 31 and lasts through September 2. [WWD]
2010 Brings Back Big Events, Good or Bad: The current year has been something of a downer in the event industry for a number of reasons, but 2010 looks like it will help put things back on track. On the list of major endeavors: a World Expo in Shanghai, World Cup soccer in Johannesburg, and the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. But one writer at Next American City points out that these mega-events might not be what the world needs right now, as many see them as divisive, exploitative of their host cities, and out of sync with the recession mentality. [NAC]
