Opening of Coventry Island

Coventry University opened their Coventry Island in Second Life today at the close of day one of the two-day Serious Virtual Worlds '07 conference organised by the Serious Games Institute.  Presentations from the conference were streamed in-world during the day, though this doesn't appear to have been widely advertised in advance so the number of avatars turning up seemed quite low.

The island opening itself was a nice mix of real and virtual, serious and fun.  Delegates both on the island and in the conference venue listened to short talks from Professor Madeleine Atkins, Vice Chancellor of Coventry University and  David Wortley and Professor Maggi Savin-Baden of the Serious Games Institute.  This was followed by a virtual tour of the island by Maggi (Second Wind), an impressive firework show and a small party.

Virtual beer has always struck me as an odd idea, but I managed to both pour mine down my newly created "I've been sent to Coventry" t-shirt and drop my glass on the floor making a right mess.  Oh, well.

I think this is the first high-profile Second Life island opening by a UK university?  Time will tell whether it is the first of many or a flash in the pan.  My instinct tells me the former.