No boundaries to commerce - virtually speaking

Now you can attend that overseas conference - without leaving your desk.

A novel way of attending distant conferences - without even going there - will be unveiled to New Zealand businesses tomorrow.

Wellington software company Virtual Expos NZ (VENZ) has created a program that allows conference delegates to visit a virtual 3D world where their trade event is taking place.

Once there, they can wander around the booths, and pause for a video-chat with any exhibitor.

VENZ chair John Lumsden, immediate past president of the Wellington Regional Chamber of Commerce and former CEO of MetService, is enthusiastic about the potential of the technology.

"Especially during these challenging times, going virtual is an innovative and cost effective answer for our exporters. It gives you instant global presence – no more tyranny of distance", he said.

"You can be in the same space as the decision-makers of your major trading partners without leaving your office."

And by staying exactly where you are the whole time, there's also a positive spin-off for the environment.

"Going virtual enables traders to maintain and develop new relationships in a productive way - that also reduces their carbon footprint", added Lumsden.

Those sentiments were echoed by VENZ CEO Frances Manwaring.

"Our platform enables new and more productive ways of doing business through the creation of realistic online environments – trade shows, job fairs, conferences, shopping malls, seminar series, training and instant video conferencing – where real business happens, with real people connecting in real time, achieving real results," she said.

VENZ was established by four Wellington business people last December to generate some 'new thinking about how New Zealand businesses connect with each other and the rest of the world to attract trading partners, investors, job seekers, learners and visitors'.

VENZ is launching the virtual events platform tomorrow at 9am. The launch will be held online with invitees 'attending' by logging in to the demo website.

"All people have to do is go to the demo website, register, and they're free to explore the technology, listen to and chat with our speakers and team without having to leave their desks", said Manwaring.

"We don't need to get the catering company in for this type of launch", she joked, "and there's no limit to how many people can come along."

Demo of Virtual Expo