Corporation Pop gives BP executives a Second Life
Senior BP executives from around the globe will gather in Manchester Business School's Second Life to take part in the UK's first virtual awards ceremony, created by Manchester design company Corporation Pop.
On 17 February the first cohort to complete BP’s project management course at Manchester Business School will be awarded their certificates in the virtual world of Second Life, complete with specially designed graduation gowns, lifelike avatars of dignitaries, an academic procession and speeches.
The virtual awards ceremony is the culmination of the year-long programme which enables BP executives from the UK, USA, Canada, Angola, Indonesia, Alaska and Russia to apply the latest business thinking to practical challenges they are facing in their business life.
The ceremony will take place in the Whitworth Room of Manchester Business School’s Second Life Island. Created by Corporation Pop, the Whitworth Room forms part of the School’s space-age tower structure in the virtual world and takes inspiration (in name only) from Whitworth Hall where the University holds its real-life graduation ceremonies.
Corporation Pop will be managing the event and audio streaming on the day. Dom Raban, managing director explains: “It would be almost impossible for 18 of BP’s senior executives, who are spread across the globe, to take part in a traditional awards ceremony. By holding it virtually, we have made it possible for them to be rewarded for their achievements with minimal disruption, saving time and money as well as reducing environmental impact.
“Manchester Business School has always been interested in the possibilities that virtual worlds offer for rich engagement and new forms of service delivery. From the beginning, they wanted a Second Life presence that could develop in a modular fashion, becoming sticky enough to encourage long-term interaction. The space has evolved from a place to share ideas, to a location for training courses, and now a place for students to take part in award ceremonies. This has been a momentous project for us and provides a benchmark for future academic virtual world developments.”
During the ceremony the student controlled avatars will climb the stage to receive their certificates and scripted handshakes will enable them to be congratulated by the Dean, as in real-life. They will also be given a hyperlink to a website where certificates can be downloaded and following the event will receive a machinima (filmmaking in a virtual space) souvenir film of the ceremony.