Apart from being a dire year for the economy, and one in which several A-list celebrities shuffled off this mortal coil (RIP MJ), 2009 will probably be best remembered as the year social media really reached its tipping point.

Facebook added 150 million users to its database from January to September alone, doubling its following to 300 million, while Twitter's traffic grew immensely, capturing the attention of the event industry and resulting in industry-specific 'TweetUps'.

The social revolution is upon us, or so we're told. So what's in store for 2010? Well, apart from another good year for social media sites, one trend that could usher in a further fundamental change to the way we communicate is the emergence of virtual events.

Events in a computer-simulated environment aren't anything new - "We've been talking about them since the dawn of the internet. Yes, decades ago," says Jack Morton Worldwide director of technology solutions Chris Haff - but months of shrinking budgets have led to them becoming 'newly urgent'.

"There's an old saying that necessity is the mother of invention," Haff adds. "Faced with tough times, people have a knack for creating breakthrough innovations to meet new challenges."

Most of us will have at least heard of Second Life, the 3D virtual world developed by Linden Lab, but there is a veritable treasure trove of 'virtual experience platforms' out there, just as there is an array of firms that specialise in producing events within them.

Immersive spaces specialist Rivers Run Red is one such firm. In 2007 it created Secondfest, the world's largest virtual festival, on behalf of clients Intel and The Guardian.

Using Second Life as its platform, Rivers Run Red built an immersive festival environment incorporating several stages, chill-out areas and even a mud pit where revellers could have a virtual mud fight. The event attracted more than 15,000 visitors over three days and featured more than 60 acts, including headliners Pet Shop Boys, New Young Pony Club and Groove Armada.

The Guardian encouraged readers to attend online by giving advice on how to set up their own Second Life digital persona (known as an avatar), while Rivers Run Red advertised it through other forms of digital media.

More recently, in September this year mixed-reality events pioneer Virtually Linked hosted a Virtual London Fashion Week event in Second Life, to coincide with the actual event in the capital. The former incorporated a catwalk show by British designer Maria Grachvogel, who created 3D graphic versions of her collection to be modelled on avatars.

Outside of Second Life, major companies such as Jack Morton Worldwide and United Business Media (UBM) have set up their own virtual experience platforms in which to host events. UBM now has a portfolio of four virtual exhibitions, at which visitors can explore booths, attend seminars and chat to exhibitors and peers in real time, just like at a real exhibition, but without all the associated costs of travelling.

With so many big names jumping on the bandwagon, it begs the question whether virtual events are the next step in this so-called social revolution. Ian Hughes, founder of virtual world consulting company Feeding Edge, seems to think so. At a seminar at this year's Event UK, hosted by the Institute of Travel and Meetings (ITM) and Eventia, he pointed out the benefits of virtual experience platforms such as Second Life for events.

"There has been a huge social change in the way we communicate," says Hughes. "People are gathering online to solve problems; it is part of the evolution of human communication. We have to take virtual events seriously. The virtual world might require a bit more effort than Facebook, but it allows you to put a memory to it - it's still about people and is much more personal than sending emails."

Fellow panellist Justin Bovington, CEO of Rivers Run Red, agreed: "Some platforms require a download, which can be frustrating. By its very nature, navigating a 3D space is harder; it's not something we're used to."

Yet he was adamant the results far outweigh these initial inconveniences: "Virtual events allow you to create a sustained communication. They enable organisers to prolong an event's life, keeping the dialogue going so visitors can go back again and carry on where they left off."

As an experiment, the same seminar was held in Second Life the next day. The results showed that delegates found it more straightforward to register and obtain feedback from the live event, but easier to interact with other delegates and speakers in the virtual event. The results also suggested that those 'attending' the virtual event saved approximately 690kg of CO2 by not going to the real EventUK seminar.

"There are clearly some lessons to be learned on the engagement with delegates prior to the event, and people preferred hearing from real-life speakers in the flesh," says ITM chief executive Paul Tilstone.

"The statistics on interaction, however, are interesting because they demonstrate that virtual technology actually aids interaction rather than hinders it as one might expect, so clearly this aspect could drive the technology application for certain types of event."

The virtual event, then, does seem an attractive option, but according to Haff we'd be mistaken to think it could ever replace human interaction. "Virtual events address a need for people and brands to connect in a way that enhances and amplifies, but will never replace connecting face to face," he says.

For him, the exciting prospect is bringing each of these channels together to make one 'super event': "There is an exciting opportunity to wed the benefits of face to face with the huge potential of online and social media channels, to create 360 degs experience campaigns that span from the virtual to the physical, dramatically extending the reach and impact of both."

BENEFITS OF THE VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE

Chris Haff, Jack Morton Worldwide

- Decreases costs Creates a balanced portfolio of live and virtual experiences

- Increases reach Brings a live experience to people who cannot participate in person, due to reasons such as location, timing or cost

- Amplifies impact Builds on other forms of communication to enhance conversations and broaden networks

- Customises experiences Provides a virtual experience in which stakeholders can participate in ways that are relevant and effective for them

- Maintains relationships Takes advantage of the lower costs and shorter format to connect with key audiences more often than normal

- Leverages marketing assets Allows stakeholders to use content from live events or add rich media from other marketing sources, as well as use new materials that are generated virtually for future needs and campaigns