Thousands of students at dozens of city schools received real-life lessons in running a business Thursday at a virtual international trade fair in Manhattan. NY1's Roger Clark filed the following report.

The 13th annual Virtual Enterprises International Trade Fair at the 69th Regiment Armory on the East Side hosted 143 businesses Wednesday, but not one product was sold. Rather, it was the end result of a program that allows city students to create and manage a fake business and virtually trade with worldwide customers through an online bank.

The Office By Design Company, made up of students from Manhattan's Art and Design High School, offers to create work environments.

"We customize your space, provide artwork for them that we create here at our school," said Office By Design Chief Executive Officer Rose Crespo.

While the students do not offer real products and services are not real, the business experience they develop is truly tangible.

"Students are learning about finance, about careers, about economics. Students get economics credit through this program," said Iris Blanc, the director of Virtual Enterprises International.

At the fair, students showed off their goods and marketing campaigns. One group from Lincoln High School in Brooklyn decided to form a business called "Chocolicious" and sell chocolates.

"We sell them in different shapes, different imprinted logos and different messages," said Chocolicious employee Botir Kholbabyev.

Another team from the Bronx High School of Business created "Scentsational Affairs," which features natural bath and body care products. CEO Naiomi Tumbaco said the program gave her new skills.

"I really didn't know anything about business until now. I learned how to use Excel, PowerPoint, I learned how to do the payroll," said Tumbaco.

The students were not really paid, but they received invaluable experience of teamwork and business skills.

Several budding entrepreneurs from Sheepshead Bay High School started an embroidery company called "Embroid Me" enjoyed their lessons.

"I learned so much, like how to interact with other people, communication skills, computer skills also. It's a great program, I just love it," said Gabriella McCurchin of Embroid Me.

The fair is the culmination of the program, which began in the individual high schools in September.

"We came together, and we're a unified front, we picked our name, our logo. It was a challenge, but we made it," said Art and Design High School teacher Karen Hollander.

Virtual Enterprises started in the city public schools in 1996, and there are now 50 schools and 2,000 students in the program.