After seeing the enormous success and turn-out at last year's iSummit in Second Life, we decided to expand the Second Life programme beyond simply simulcasting the real life keynotes. This year, the iSummit '08 will have a parallel summit in Second Life with workshops, community discussion sessions, an open education track, open source development track, collaborative projects, art exhibitions, concerts, machinima screenings and remix competitions. We will also be streaming the real life keynotes from Sapporo, live into Second Life.

Through various sessions and workshops, Second Life participants will have opportunities to share best practices and learn about various projects and issues in Second Life that address free digital culture. While these events will work to enrich and inspire participants, there will also be opportunities for participants to apply their knowledge and get active by participating in collaborative building projects, machinima mashup contests, and other remix competitions that will take place at the Second Life summit.

The iSummit in Second Life will also showcase various Creative Commons content and creators in Second Life, through an art and photo gallery, regular concerts, machinima screenings and an open source gadgets and tools display. Of course, crucial to any successful conference, are the social events. We will soon break ground in constructing Pub D, the official hangout for the iSummit in Second Life. There, Commoners can sip on beers from around the world while listening to an eclectic array of CC musicians. In order to sustain the progress and momentum following the summit, throughout the three days of the summit, we'll also be hosting discussion sessions about iCommons community issues in Second Life, covering issues such as:

• How to grow awareness of iCommons/Creative Commons/free digital culture in Second Life;
• How to reach out to residents who share the same values as iCommons in Second Life, but do not know that they are iCommoners yet;
• How to make it easier to license creative works in Second Life;
• How to make it easier to find Creative Commons content, Creative Commons content creators and related events in Second Life;
• How to bridge Second Life content, creators, and initiatives, events and projects with their real life counterparts.

To accomplish all this we're going to need some help. Find out how you can get involved in the iSummit Second Life preparations here.

Pics: The iSummit '07 in Second Life, USCPublicDiplomacy on flickr.com, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 and Second Life on screen, by Joi on flickr.com, CC BY 2.0