April! How I dreaded April. Every year RIP Inc called together key managers from around the globe to revamp our marketing plan, and every year it was the same old same old.  We’d spend 3 days listening to the old boys spouting about how things were done 20 years ago and how good they are today. Some folk never got a word in edgeways and a whole lot of great ideas simply got buried under strong personalities and politics or long drawn out ever encircling discussions. Oh, and then there was the fact that half the managers were jet lagged or hung over or both.  To say I was over this whole meeting thing is at best an understment.

That is until this year.  This year was amazing, not only did everyone get a say (seriously we didn’t gag anyone), we actually stuck to the agenda, some really innovative ideas were accepted and best of all we completed all the work in just 1.5 days.

A month before the dreaded meeting I was preparing my pakcing list, and revisiting basic survivial training for small people and spouse, in view of my upcoming absence. Then, to top it off, an email arrived telling me this year a Tony Adams from groupVision was going to facilitate the meeting at the Alpine Executive Centre.

“Great not only do I have to travel 1000’s kilometers but I’m going to freeze too, Living in the Australian tropics meant I didn’t have a thing to wear!”

Looking back I am amazed at how stressed I was leading up to this meeting – this absolutely fantastic, amazing and very productive meeting as it turned out to be. We arrived in a picturesque alpine village surrounded by snowy mountains then boarded a train that went deep nto the mountain and dropped us off at a state of the art meeting centre. After picking up our nametags we were led into the auditorium and the meeting got underway.

Led by Susan one of Tony’s experienced facillitators we ploughed through the agenda. Every person there had an opportunity to have their views heard and there were some surprisingly innovative sugestons put forward that incredibly gained a yes vote. I think the unique environment somehow removed the starch and waffle, but better still got everyone thinking creatively. And boy do you have to think creatively when you’re income comes from the dear daprted.
In the past we had set aside 3 full days, but this year we had time left over to get to know each other and explore that lovely Alpine village. I learned to ice skate, sat by a campfire and chatted to peope who lived the other side of the world. The timed ski slope had me and my small group in hysterics as I tried to ski up every tree in the place and then on our last night we danced the night away with people from neighbouring communities in the underground disco. I went shopping and sent home some brand name sunnies for the kids. I also took some time out on the ice platform at sunset, played a grand piano and took the wildest photo’s.

Best of all every night I could kiss my children goodnight and spend time with my partner. Why? Well, I got a life – a Second Life that is.

GroupVisions’ eletronic meeting support (EMS) visionary TonyEMS Heying (aka Tony Adams) has taken EMS to the next logical stage and developed the Alpine Executive Centre in the Second Life virtual environment. Built by the best creative people in SL, the centre merges Real Life with Second Life almost seamlessly. The Second Life community is welcome to come and enjoy the many fun and business facilities while private meetings are not taking place. And during events, Real Life business participants have at their disposal the means of maximizing the effectivness of their meetings, conferences, training or research programs.

This year’s meeting was such a success and we got so much real work done that I’m actually looking forward to next year.

Further information:
RebelMum Slade   IM or notecard
Vanessa               Vanessa(@)rebelventures.com.au
TonyEMS Heyling  IM or notecard
Tony Adams          Anthony.Adams(@)groupVision.ch

See you in-world at the Alpine Executive Center