Oakland city skyline at night.  Image courtesy: thedude.com

We are excited to announce that the 7th Annual Second Life Community Convention 2011 will take place at the Oakland Marriott City Center in Oakland, CA from August 12-14, 2011, and registration is now open!

The Second Life Community Convention is three days of exciting activities, events, musical performances, machinima screenings, panels, workshops, and much more that showcases the abundant creativity of Second Life Residents.

Don’t Just Attend, Be Part of the Convention

The Second Life Community Convention is more than just what we plan – the convention is also what you want to make it, so don’t just attend, share something with the community!

Submit a Proposal

The Call for Proposals is up, and with five new track themes and fun presentation formats, you have the opportunity to share your hard work and creativity with the community that will most appreciate your efforts.  Don’t want to give a full presentation?  Consider doing a Speed Sparks session of 20 slides in 5 minutes to share the gist of your idea in a fast-paced presentation style that was a huge hit last year!

Be a Staff Member, Track Leader, or Volunteer

We still have a few Staff and Track Leader positions open, and if you want to help run the show on the ground in Oakland or in-world, we invite you to join the team.  It’s easy to ask “Why don’t they do X?” but the real fun comes when you help make it happen!  Apply for a Staff or Track Leader position, or be an Oakland volunteer or In-World volunteer today!

Sponsor the Convention

If you have a product or service and want to get your message out to the most enthusiastic Second Life Residents, or if you just want to show your support, there’s no better place to spread the word than at the Second Life Community Convention.  We have many levels of sponsorship , so it’s more than affordable to help support this non-profit, community produced event – become a sponsor!

Organize a Social Event

We purposely keep the convention schedule light on Friday, August 12th to make sure there’s plenty of time for socializing and networking, and to give you the opportunity to organize your own fun events.  Check out the Social Events & Mixers page to organize a social event or outing for your friends and communities.  Need ideas for things to do?  We’ve put together a terrific guide of things to do In & Around Oakland to help you get started!

Planning Your Trip

We’ve also worked hard this year to help keep the cost of the convention affordable, and we have a number of resources available to help you plan your trip.

Reserve Your Room at the Oakland Marriott City Center

The convention will be held at the Oakland Marriott City Center in the heart of downtown Oakland, CA – just a 10 minute train ride from San Francisco.  We’ve negotiated the best room rates we’ve ever gotten – $109 a night for up to quad occupancy, and free wireless internet access in guest rooms.  You must be registered for the convention to receive the group rate discount, and you will receive the link to reserve your rooms in the email confirmation you receive when you register for SLCC.

Note that lunch on Saturday and Sunday is included in your convention registration, as well as free wireless internet access in all convention spaces.

If you need information about flying, driving, or taking the train to SLCC, check out our transportation guide to get all the details you need to get to the convention.

Budgeting & Sharing Expenses to Reduce Costs

We’ve also created a guide to help you budget for your trip.  Visit the SLCC General Budget page to see a breakdown of convention expenses, a general budget guide to help you estimate costs for travel, and tips to help reduce the overall cost of the convention.

If you’re interested in sharing expenses on hotel rooms or travel, you can also find information to help you coordinate Finding a Roomate or Carpool.

Program Information Coming Soon

We look forward to announcing more details about the program sessions and keynote speakers in the coming weeks, and we hope you will join us for what promises to be a fun and thrilling three days of sharing, learning, and networking with Second Life Residents from around the world!

See you in Oakland!