Abstract: A system for conducting a video conference and methods for making and utilizing the same. The system can generate a first virtual stage for a first participant in the video conference by selecting one or more items of personal information associated with the first conference participant and disposing the selected personal information items in a predetermined arrangement. The first virtual stage can be transmitted with a first visual image of the first conference participant to a computer system associated with a second conference participant for visual presentation during the video conference. The system advantageously can enable the computer system associated with each conference participate to visually present a visual image with an associated virtual stage for each of the other conference participants.