CBC Radio 1: Information Morning

Galveston.com and Company, Galveston, Texas

Originally published June 11th, 2007

On June 11, 2007 Galveston.com & Company won a Stevie Award in the Multimedia: Public Information category in The 2007 American Business Awards last night for its entry, Second Life Galveston Island. Galveston.com won the 2006 Award for Best Overall Website Design.

Hailed as “the business world’s own Oscars” (New York Post , April 27, 2005), The American Business Awards are the only national, all-encompassing awards program honoring great performances in business.

Nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word “crowned,” the awards were presented during ceremonies at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. The ceremonies were hosted by Larry Wilmore of THE DAILY SHOW with JON STEWART, videocast live on the Internet, and broadcast nationwide on radio. Galveston.com & Company president Lee Roane and graphic designer Adam J. Gillis were presented the Stevie before a packed ballroom by Stevie Award founder and president Michael Gallagher. In accepting the Stevie, Roane said, "Over six months ago when we decided to create the virtual world of Galveston Island in Second Life, we knew we had to hire the best person for the job we could find. We found that person in Adam J. Gillis."

Stevie Awards were presented in over 40 categories including Best Overall Company, Best Executive, and Best Corporate Social Responsibility Program. More than 2,000 entries from companies of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted for consideration.

The elegant Stevie trophy was designed by R. S. Owens, the same company that makes the Oscar® and the Emmy. “Being in Times Square with good friends and employees was a thrill in itself,” says Jim Cordell. “But to win an award of this stature with all of them present was a dream come true. We couldn't be more excited.”

The Galveston County Daily News, Galveston, Texas

Originally published May 13, 2007

GALVESTON ISLAND, Virtual World — Galveston.com co-founder Jim Cordell first heard about Second Life last November while watching a segment on "Good Morning America" about the seven new wonders of the world. “It was amazing to me, what you could do,” he said. “I knew right away I wanted it to be an extension of our Web site.”Second Life was launched in 2003 by California tech startup Linden Labs. Corporations have taken notice and household names like Circuit City, Sears, IBM, Nissan, Dell and Wells Fargo have created Second Life storefronts to promote and, in some cases, sell their products and services.

Cordell wanted in on the action. Launching tourism and multimedia firsts are nothing new to Cordell’s crew. They are recognized as among the first tourism promoters to offer podcasts of local events and downloadable city street maps for iPods. His company has spent almost $16,000 so far buying virtual land and paying a designer to re-create the island. Another $1,600 goes for monthly expenses related to Second Life.Most of the money — $10,000 — has gone to Adam J. Gillis, a programmer from Nova Scotia, Canada, who has re-created many of Galveston’s treasured landmarks without ever seeing them in real life.

Gillis said. “I can pretty much build anything as long as I have dedicated photos that show the buildings from a good number of angles.”Cordell is quick to stress that Galveston Island is not an exact replica of the real thing. But it catches the island essence, which is the most important thing, he said.Gillis, a full-time student at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, has taken the semester off to complete the Galveston Island build.The most difficult part of the project so far has been the planning.

The designer created beach and bay sides, even including a Pelican Island-like mass on one side. Gillis has only Cordell’s praise to go by so far, but later this summer, he plans to visit the original to see for himself how the two compare. The buildings do not appear in their real-world geographical equivalents. In some cases, they do not even serve the same function. But they’re all there. First-time visitors to Galveston Island are teleported to the steps of the visitor’s center in the Old Galveston Square building, complete with its giant trumpet.

.“We are reaching an audience that wouldn’t come to us otherwise,” Cordell said. “A lot of people don’t even know the real Galveston exists, until they visit us in Second Life. I think it’s going to be a good way to promote tourism.”

The Business Edge, Calgary, Alberta

Originally published April 20th, 2007

Adam J. Gillis knows what Second Lifers want. Gillis, a student at the NSCAD University in Halifax, is taking a semester off to work full time for Galveston.com and Company, a tourism company in Galveston, Texas. The company has hired him to create a virtual representation of Galveston Island in Second Life.

"It is the first simulator commissioned by an official tourism agency, recreating the city of Galveston within Second Life," he says. Gillis says Galveston.com and Company approached him after seeing a virtual representation of Ottawa's Winterlude festival that he created for Second Life last year.

"They saw it and hired me on the spot," says Gillis. Gillis, who is also a photographer, says he started out in Second Life showcasing his photography in a virtual gallery. Not only did he hope to get exposure, his motive was to make money selling virtual photos to Second Lifers who would purchase the digital images to hang in their virtual homes.

"I sold some, but not to the point where it was worth it," he says. After that, he began designing virtual homes for Second Lifers. As he honed his designing skills, more and more people approached him for custom work. In January of this year he began working on the Galveston Island project for Galveston.com and Company. "From the planning to the building, I've pretty much done all of it," he says, adding that his wage is comparable to a designer at a design firm. Gillis says the company behind the project is hoping that the virtual world attracts tourists to the area.

"They are looking for a way for people to sample the city - and to make plans to actually go there," he says. Gillis says for those who aren't ready to pack their bags, there is the option of renting a virtual home on the island for $10 per month. "We're already at 95-per-cent capacity," says Gillis. As for Gillis, he's heading there this summer. In real life. For real money.

Capturing Montreal's Urban Scape, Montreal, Quebec

Originally published July 10th, 2005

For Adam J. Gillis, visual expression and an eye for design are attributes that have always come naturally, and in photography he has found an expressive medium to express this creativity. For the past four years, he has been focusing on digital photography and urban landscapes as well as some fashion photography. With digital technology, he has greater freedom to manipulate the original image and transform it into an expressive art form.

Urban street photography has been an important focus of his work, and the second solo show he just completed at Cafe Pi on St Laurent Street was aptly names "Urban Chic." "I became fascinated with the city, the energy of the people just walking by and buildings with the graffiti caught my eye," he explains, "I always carry a camera. People can walk by something and not realize how beautiful it is."

The artist, who is originally from Halifax, and now living in Montreal, has also lived in Toronto as well as in Ottawa for seven years, and his varied urban experience has given him insight into the sociological as well as artistic differences between various cities. Besides working on urban scenes, he has also explored fashion photography and hopes to explore that aspect of the field.

During the upcoming Festival des arts du village, he is putting on a short multimedia presentation featuring his works on the same reel as "The Picture of Us", a short film produced by the Yellow Brick Studio, which will be shown at Station C, 1450-56 rue Ste-Catherine st, Montreal, QC from July 3rd to 6th, 2003.

During the summer, Adam Gillis is planning to spend some time in New York City to explore and potograph the urban scape there and prepare for a group exhibit in December, to be held at the Kilo restaraunt, 1495, rue Ste-Catherine Est.