First Belgian bank in Second Life.

Finally, Belgium has his first bank in Second Life, The Keytrade Bank, that is a part of the Crédit Agricole. Keytrade Bank opened in the virtual world his own island and has an innovative tool to extend their marketing views in SL.

A lot of companies have realized that visual advertising in Second Life does not pay off, but to add some value to their company, you have to offer something else. The Keytrade Bank has found a way to answer this need. They offer to every SL resident a HUD or heads-up display. With this tool you can easily convert Linden Dollars in every known currency.

According to the Sales and Marketing Director, Thibault de Barsy, Second Life users are complaining that all prices of the products are only displayed in Linden Dollars. Until now , users had to do the conversions themselves to find out the real value of goods or services sold in a Second Life shop. Our currency converter now saves users this task, making virtual shopping easier. Moreover, the conversion is carried out in real time in relation to financial market fluctuations, no matter currency chosen.. In the continuity of a spirit of permanent innovation, Keytrade Bank wants to be the first to explore the new territories of a tri-dimensional Web. Therefore, we felt important to provide a tool potentially useful to all present and future users of those virtual worlds. Our island in Second Life is to be considered as a field of experimentation for future products and the proof of our will to be at the cutting edge of web-based financial services.

Besides the conversion, the HUD gives you a permanent range of financial information, coming from Dow Jones Newswires. Finally, there is an information board on the Keytrade island, where you will be able to find the daily fluctuations of the Linden Dollar against all currency of RL.

“The Keytrade bank Belgian’s first 100% Internet bank, explains Thierry Ternier, CEO of Keytrade Bank. We are also the first Belgian Bank to becom e active in Second Life. Ou ambition is to bring real value all over the globe, not only to Belgian residents of this virtual world.”

This project was realized by the agency Emakina and The Bluepillgroup, who has done such a project before, by offering a HUD tool for Belgian Airlines. These companies are giving a lesson to others of how managing marketing tools in Second Life, in a innovative and interactive way.

(Also read on secondlifecrew.be)

Virtual Bruges in Second Life

Finally!!!! It is open for the public! The beautiful Belgian city Bruges in Second Life. And the result may be there. Convince yourself by visiting the place.
I you have never been to Bruges in RL, it is now the time to have a look what this town, at 20 km from the sea, has to offer through Second Life.
They have done a marvelous job. I have tried to put them in a snapshot, so you all can have a sneak preview of Bruges, the Venice of the North.

Virtual tourism in Bruges, Belgium

Press Release

Second Life, 7 Sep 2007. When planning your next city trip, you might include Bruges, Belgium, on your list this year. But before visiting Bruges, don’t forget to visit Virtual Bruges in Second Life. Virtual Bruges is a reconstruction of the historic city of Bruges. Walk around in a 3D virtual representation of a central part of Bruges and explore the old houses and monuments before planning your real life city trip.

During your visit of Bruges in Second Life, ask other Second Life residents information about what historical places to visit, which shops and restaurants to try out. You might not yet taste the food in virtual Bruges, but you can select those restaurants that are in a nice environment.

Created in 2003 by Linden Lab, Second Life is a virtual world where people all over the world meet each other to exchange ideas, property and other digital goods. Also 3D representations of houses and stores can be recreated in Second Life. Several other companies such as IBM, Sun and ABN-AMRO have opened islands. Even sports events, such as the Wimbledon tennis championship, were recreated and the matches were played again in this virtual environment.

Residents of Second Life can participate in events the will be held in Virtual Bruges, rent a house or the more business-minded residents can open a shop in one of the houses. To rent a house or shop, contact AnnSophie Maertens in-world. The island (􀀃) will be open for the general public on 15/Sep/2007.

On this opening weekend you can participate in the following events:
- 15 September 2007 :
9 am slt fashion show styled by the designers in the sim with live dj
12 pm slt live performance of the Belgian band Grensgeval

- 16 September 2007 :
9 am slt live performance of Dann Numbers
12 pm slt live performance of Phoenix Fisseux
1 pm slt fireworks

During the whole weekend there will be a egg hunt: you can win 20 x 125 linden dollars to spend in the shops in Bruges.

For being updated about the sim, the shops, the events and special offers feel free to join the secondlife group Bruges lovers.

Virtual Bruges in Second Life is created by Louis Platini, a long time resident, who recently brought vacature.com, a recruitment service company, to Second Life. Several other people have helped with this project by creating one or more houses: Peter13 Petermans, Magdalena Vella, Khady Amat and Arnout Sequent.

For more information contact Louis Platini in-world or visit the website http://www.louisplatini.com

Opening Bruges!!

Just a couple of weeks away from the great opening of Bruges in Second Life. A date to remember.
On the Belgian SIM, Metacon, a consulting company, is almost ready with this extraordinary project.
As you all know, Bruges, a town in the Flanders, is also known as the Venice of the North.
I think this is going to be the most beautiful place on SL, the most realistic one. You have to see it. I posted already some pictures of it in the early stages, and then it was already looking promising.

Bruges, the real thing!

This post has nothing to do with the previous post "A night in Bruges".

Yesterday evening I ran into AnnSophie Maertens, who happens to be the “leading” lady and owner of the Belgian sim (België).

We were talking about the photo contest, and the exposition of all competing pictures. I was told that from this weekend on, all pictures will be shown on the first floor of the Mardes club. The voting will be done on the site of secondlifecrew.be. But more news from the contest will be posted later on this blog.

AnnSophie, who has done a pretty good job so far, with the new Belgium sim, proposed to visit the second sim. As I had never heard about a second sim, I was immediately interested to find out what could possibly be a second “België”.

As soon as we came at that location, she already asked me, if I recognized the place. As there was not much to see at that spot, and as I was not from the region, I assume I let her down a bit, by saying it was not familiar to me.*shame on me*.

I tried though,… Antwerp, ….Ghent, but no, it was Bruges. How was it possible to miss that…..?

She explained to me what the plans are on the sim, and immediately, I could see what a beautiful place this will be in a few months. Together with the company MetaCon, which has realized some amazing buildings in second life already, she will built a complete Belgian “Venice”, as Bruges is happen to be named sometimes.

Real buildings of Bruges are being built as they are in RL. Amazing!

Houses, shops and so much more will be built at this location, all to be sold or to let to Sl residents, within a few months. So if anyone is interested to live or have a shop on the most beautiful location in Second Life, has to wait just a couple of months.

If, among the readers, there are Belgian builders, who are interested to be part of this major project, and want to participate in helping to have this location be noticed by the whole SL world, can contact AnnSophie Maertens or Louis Platini, from MetaCon, in world. Everything will be provided, as textures etc….

Doornroosje

They have done a great job so far, but the sim is still under construction, so, be patient, I will inform you when the next phase is finalized.
In the meanwhile you can always visit the sim, and have a look at what they, our friends, have accomplished by now, and meet new friends, or have a chat with the familiar ones.

And the story continues....Once upon a time

It was expected, it was predicted, and they have not let us down.
The builders at Doornroosje all have made special efforts to make this place into a dreamworld for all the members.
They have build a little harbor behind the corner of the castle,
where you can have a look at, sitting on the terrace of a little bar, in front of it.
But, if you want to dance, there is a huge dancefloor, with a special place for a guest DJ.
And if that is not enough, they have build a big stage, where there will be concerts of interesting groups in SL, I assume.
For the more romantic souls among us there is a very quiet, romantic spot, under the rocks, behind the waterfall.
With the pictures, that comes with this story, you will have a preview of what you can find on this small island, but you will have to visit it, to live it.
And you can take my words for it, this is still not the end. More is to come, more is to write, more is to live.
So this story is.........to be continued.

Grensgeval @ the New Mardes Club

Yesterday evening, there was a concert of the Belgian group "Grensgeval" at the new Mardes Club.

As they are becoming, or already are, one of the most acting group in second life, I thought it must be worthwile to see and be persuaded of their talents.
As I could see that Freggeltje Food, their manager, was singing every song word by word, one could think that they didn't know the words, but that was just for the show, I can imagine.:))

Once upon a time .....

For some of the Belgian visitors of Doornroosje, this is nothing new, but it might be interesting for all the others, as this place is not intend to be only for Belgian visitors, but for all residents of SL.

As from last week, the SLURL has changed, as the sim has moved to a place with more prims.

Here, Eaglewolf Kubrick, and his friends started building a new Doornroosje, where there will be more fun, more things to do, more friendship.

It all started some months ago. There was a place called the Humo Park, where every evening a couple of friends met together, and talked about their experiences on the grid.

Everyone was always ready to help someone else out. And so a relationship between those good friends was started. Once and a while, some new visitors came along, but it was always the same group, and same people who came together and found each other to chat with, and getting to know each other.

One day, I don’t remember the exact date anymore, I , and many others, received an invitation from Eaglewolf , to visit the new place, called Doornroosje.

Eaglewolf Kubrick, Dante Kish, Julio Gaudio, Koeke Stine and Inex Dix were the founders of this place, and that is where it all began……

Doornroosje (Sleeping Beauty) will still have her castle, and will still sleep quietly in her bed, waiting for the right prince to come, but we are all anxious waiting to see what Eagle is intending to do with this new place, as the best has yet to come, I think.

To be continued…..

Belgium Bikini

After Inex of Doornroosje having won the prize at the new Mardes on Monday evening, I thought it was time to put the "Belgium" Bikini in the spotlight, where it belongs. Right under the Atomium.

My friend Jazzie was so kind to show it

Thanks for the template of Vint Falken, this was a bikini I designed for Belgium.