Press Contact for Webby Awards:
Patrick Kowalczyk, patrick@mkpr.com
Gita Chandra, gita@mkpr.com
MKPR, 212.627.8098
Press Contact for Michael Eisner:
Adam Schiff/Justine Sacco
DKC
212-685-4300
What: WebbyConnect, The Webby Awards’ First-Ever Summit
When: October 3-5, 2007
Where: The St. Regis Resort, Laguna Beach, CA
Registration: www.webbyawards.com/webbyconnect
MICHAEL EISNER TO DELIVER KEYNOTE ADDRESS AT
WEBBYCONNECT, THE WEBBY AWARDS’ FIRST-EVER SUMMIT
Eisner Joins Arianna Huffington, Vinton Cerf in Keynote Lineup
http://webbyawards.com/webbyconnect/
New York, NY (September 18, 2007) – Entertainment industry icon and Internet video pioneer Michael Eisner will deliver a keynote on the future of online entertainment at the first-ever WebbyConnect summit, Webby Awards organizers announced today.
The summit, which will take place October 3 -5, 2007, will offer guests an opportunity to interact with more than thirty Webby Award winners, Academy members, and Internet leaders from Google, MySpace, Comedy Central, MTV Networks, Twitter, Daily Candy, CondeNet, BoingBoing, Scripps, and Heavy.com. Internet co-inventor Vinton Cerf and Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington will also deliver keynotes at the Laguna Beach event.
To register now for WebbyConnect passes, visit http://webbyawards.com/webbyconnect/.
During his 21-year tenure as chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, Eisner transformed Disney from a film and theme park company into a global media empire. Most recently, he is the founder of The Tornante Company, a new media incubator whose production studio, Vuguru, created the acclaimed Internet series “Prom Queen”, which garnered more than 15 million views during its initial run.
“Nobody is in a better position to provide an assessment of the state and future of online entertainment than Michael Eisner,” said David-Michel Davies, executive director of The Webby Awards. “With his background in both traditional entertainment and new media, Eisner brings a real-world perspective and candidness to the dialogue that will be invaluable for the WebbyConnect audience.”
The three-day WebbyConnect summit, focused on the future of the Internet and emerging media, will also feature panelists and speakers such as MySpace co-founder Josh Berman, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, BoingBoing co-editor David Pescovitz, and AKQA Global Creative Director Rei Inamoto
Hailed as the “OSCARS® of the Internet” by The New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites, interactive advertising, online film and video, and mobile content.
The launch of the WebbyConnect follows The Webby Awards’ most successful year ever. The 11th Annual Webby Awards and the first-ever Webby Film and Video Awards received a record 8,000 entries from over 60 countries. The awards season was capped by a star-studded June gala attended by an eclectic group of Internet luminaries including David Bowie, eBay CEO Meg Whitman, Beastie Boys, and YouTube co-founders Steve Chen and Chad Hurley.
The summit will take place at The St. Regis Resort in Laguna Beach, the only five-star resort in California, October 3-5. For WebbyConnect details, visit http://webbyawards.com/webbyconnect/.
About The Webby Awards:
Hailed as the “OSCARS® of the Internet” by the New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet, including Web sites, interactive advertising, online film and video, and mobile web sites. Established in 1996, the 11th Annual Webby Awards received a record 8,000 entries from all 50 states and over 60 countries worldwide. The Webby Awards is presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include: Adobe; The Creative Group; Verizon; AOL Video; dotMobi; The Barbarian Group; CondéNast|CondéNet; Level3; Adweek; Fortune; Reuters; Variety; Wired; IDG: Brightcove; PricewaterhouseCoopers; 2advanced.Net; KobeMail and Museum of the Moving Image.
OSCAR® is a federally registered trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Webby Awards and the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences are in no way affiliated with or sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences or OSCAR®.
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