1. Hallmark Events Issues: Risk and Reputation Management

In the wake of recent developments in London and Glasgow it is necessary not only to look at the economic development issues involved, but also the potential political threats that arise as a consequence of increased international travel and the staging of hallmark events (e.g. the 2012 London Olympics; Soccer European Cup in Austria/Switzerland, World Cup in South Africa 2010) where temporary events of short duration, large size and anticipated discontinuity bring dilemmas in the coordination and governance of geographic mobility of mass audiences. The event performance has no second chance, and raises an issue whether 'virtual worlds' could aid in simulating its full fledged life conditions. Given the physical infrastructure constraints, a thorough understanding of the design of the rules, regulations and guidelines, issued by various stakeholders and their appropriate governance has become pure necessity in order to manage risk and reputation.

2. Corporate Social Responsibility and Destination Competitiveness: Ecological Modernization Scenarios

Destinations that attract many visitors both for business and pleasure have to be competitive, but increasingly demonstrate a Corporate Social Responsibility culture. The tension between both these issues is becoming an important domain of enquiry explored by academics and corporations alike and requires mechanisms for their reconciliation.

3. Emerging Virtual World Technologies: A Harmonization Approach

The social processes in the overlap of 'deontics' and 'culture' have been investigated separately. 'Culture is the domain of social sciences, such as sociology and anthropology'. Deontics is studied within the philosophy of law, deontic logic, and computer science'. The approach would be how formal (deontics) and informal approaches (virtual cultural worlds) might be harnessed for the formation of a combined system to support collaboration and analysis of cross-national harmonization issues and cross-cultural learning.