The centrepiece on Vio is a circular auditorium called The Crucible, with seating for over 70 people. Facing it is a giant whiteboard which can be used for any of several purposes. In front of the whiteboard is seating for the speakers. The auditorium is the middle of a five-part layout. The four outer squares house sweeping arches which support a huge exhibition hall, over 20 metres up in the air, with more than 20 exhibition stands. A wide corridor takes you round the hall which is spaced in such a way that you do not feel crowded, a welcome difference to many exhibitions I have attended in the past.
Separating the four outer squares and running under the auditorium are waterways flowing out to the sea. This is a business centre with a beautiful heart. Three of the outer squares are open spaces to enjoy. The fourth is grassed over and is surrounded by information panels, telling you all you need to know about Vio, the place and the concept. Surrounded by these, is the “Cool Wall” a bank of panels dedicated to each Vio resident, telling all about them, each panel gives out information created by the residents themselves.
Through the trees that surround the whole of the centre, you can glimpse several superbly designed single-storey buildings. These are the offices of Vio. There are more on Vio II.
On Vio, there are twelve complexes, as each building is known, and they all back on to the sea. How wonderful to be able to take a break from the day’s work and take in such a view! Each one has the facility to offer up to four different layouts. Depending on your needs, you can have a quarter of the building, separated from the rest for L$ 700 with 150 prims a week. Next up is a half at L$1400 a week with 300 prims. If you want more, this can be negotiated with the estate manager, Esvee Fallen or the owner Xander Newman.
On Vio II, there are four areas separated by water ways, running to the sea. In the centre is a beautiful water feature. There are large, two storey offices available at L$1900 a week offering 360 prims as well as the one storey buildings. The whole aspect of Vio II is more mixed than that of Vio, which is the hub of the island group. It is beautifully landscaped and has a serene atmosphere to it, enabling you to make those important decisions in tranquil surroundings. An interesting touch is the lighthouse, in one corner.
If that’s not secluded enough for you, may I present the Skyboxes? There are eight single storey buildings and four two storey buildings, over 500 metres in the sky. Standing on one of the balconies, I can see the others suspended in a bright blue sky. Majestic!
Vio offers a wide range of office facilities, from 200 sqms to 1660 sqms, from 150 prims to 450. And the rest… The rest? Conference facilities, networking as part of the business culture, the use of the Crucible for discussion, seminars and meet & greet. There are secure meeting facilities available to hire and so on. There is definitely more to Vio than meets the eye.
“But, Kim, you mentioned two things”, you ask. Yes I certainly did.
The concept. Vio is much more than a group of offices, however well designed and however beautiful the surroundings. It is a community.
Take a look at the information panels and you will see what I mean. Seriously, after you have read this article go to Vio, 145, 146, 27. Or look in Search for Vio and that will take you there.
You will find yourself at the heart of the Vio central hub. Go straight to your left and read the panels from 1 to 20 and be prepared to be amazed. I’ve worked on business parks in RL and SL. But this is different. Based in Second life, Vio brings you the best of both worlds.
You can have your own private office, where you can work in peace and privacy, you can reach out to two worlds with your message from here. People will come to you in their numbers to hear what you have to say and to see what you have to offer.
I work from home in RL (Real Life) but I have access to the whole world because of what Vio and Second Life offer me. I can do this because I am not alone. There is the Vio community.
Ask a question in the Vio Business Group window and the answers are there, not immediately, not every time (I don’t want to paint a false picture of perfection. Perfection doesn’t exist, but Vio does a good approximation!).
Then there’s the website http://www.getvio.com/ , full of information and a calendar of events. It has the business directory, to which you would be added, if you became a Vio networker. There are links to sources of information and help.
To use their own words, I will answer the title question and introduce you to their concept, which makes Vio so very, very different.
“What is VIO?
VIO (VIRTUAL INNOVATIVE OPPORTUNITIES)
VIO is a collaborative business incubator bringing together virtual world and real world companies to work together to accomplish their goals. VIO is also the name of the SIM or island in the virtual world of Second Life developed to serve as a resource for the RL and SL business community.”
Here are the contact details again: Estate Manager, Esvee Fallen, owner Xander Newman. Website: http://www.getvio.com/ , Landmark; Vio (146, 147, 27).
Come and join us, this could be the beginning of something big!
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