2008 was a big year for CPAs and Second Life!
We held over a dozen events, 13hours of free CPE (Continuing Professional Education), had demos at 4 colleges & universities and did a presentation to the AACSB International conference. We had thought leaders from all segmentsof the CPA profession speaking from the podium in our BLI Conference Center on CPA Island.
We were featured on the Metanomics show with Beyers Sellers, interviewed by the Mike O'Hara of the iinternational Virtual Worlds Business Cast, and even made the Journal of Accountancy.
We had Bob Laux of Microsoft, John Zdanowski of Linden Labs, Chris Newman of Restoration Hardware. We covered hot topics like Fair Value, XBRL, Enhanced Business Reporting, using social media for job searches, and more. Who could forget the Maryland Business & Accounting Expo where Intuit came and did the Future of Small Business session live and in Second Life, followed by John Zdanowski projected to the EXPO floor from his office in Silicon Valley.
The biggest highlight for me gets to the whole point of social media. It is not about the technology at all, it's all about the relationships!
We met lots of new friends and built new relationships with cool people. There ie the San Francisco Financial Executives Networking Group, the Bay Area chapter of the Financial Executives International who worked to hold several "mixed reality" sessions. Mixed reality is an event that is both live (in the real world) and live in the virtual world (see our recap here). Special thanks to Gladys Lam (SF FENG & SF FEI) and Richard Acton-Maher of Linden Labs.
We met three innovative accounting educatorsand CPAs, students, accounting educators from all over the world. We even connected with CPA Australia as they held their inaugural event in Second Life this past October and all of our friends that took the risks and ventured into the virtual world with us.
2008 was indeed a great year and we are already making plans for an even better 2009. Check back for updates and special events.
Mark your calendar now for the Maryland Business & Accounting Expo on June 16th & 17th, 2009 where we will feature more Second Life and social media sessions.
