FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Judie Mulligan, mulligaj@fleishman.com
Fleishman-Hillard Public Relations, 415.356.1086
THE WEBBY AWARDS® REACH NEW HEIGHTS: YEAR 2000 GALA TO TAKE PLACE
ON SAN FRANCISCO’S FAMED NOB HILL
Organizers Announce Date and Location for the Fourth Annual
The Webby Awards
San Francisco, December 15, 1999 – Reaching new heights in its fourth year – literally and figuratively – The Webby Awards announced today that the fourth annual Webbys will take place on Thursday, May 11, 2000 atop San Francisco’s famed Nob Hill, one of the City’s highest points.
The Webby Awards are the leading international honors for Web sites. The awards are presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences Academy?, a global organization dedicated to the creative, technical, and professional progress of new media.
Although San Francisco has been home to The Webby Awards since their inception four years ago, The Webby Awards 2000 mark the first time that the gala event will be held at the historic Nob Hill Masonic Center. The majestic Grace Cathedral will play host to the pre-show VIP party. The
location for the post-event bash will be announced early in 2000.
Tiffany Shlain, founder and director of The Webbys, said the larger, grander, and higher venues mirror the explosive growth of the awards themselves. She said more than 3,000 celebrities, Internet industry VIPS, and Web developers from 28 countries will attend the ceremony in the Nob Hill Masonic Center – a significant increase from the 700 people who attended the first Webbys in 1997.
“We’re thrilled that this year’s Webbys will be taking place on the magnificent Nob Hill,” said Shlain. “The Internet industry is constantly reaching new heights, so it’s fitting that the industry’s highest honors will take place at one of the highest points in San Francisco.”
Nominees in 27 categories from Arts to Commerce to Music to Sports will be announced on March 14, 2000. Nominees and winners are chosen by the 270 members of the Academy, including David Bowie, cyber guru Esther Dyson, film director Francis Ford Coppola, Oxygen Media president Geraldine Laybourne, and Talk Media chairwoman Tina Brown.
This year also marks the first time that the Academy has accepted entries from the public. Shlain said that the Academy received thousands of entries from more than 27 different countries.
Winners of both The Webby Awards and The People’s Choice Awards, which are chosen by the public online, will be revealed at The Webby Awards 2000 ceremony, which will be Webcast live at http://www.webbyawards.com.
In keeping with Webby tradition, Shlain said that winners, once again, must adhere to the awards’ trademark five-word acceptance speech.
Webby Awards categories include: Activism, Arts, Broadband, Community, Commerce, Education, Fashion, Film, Finance, Games, Health, Humor, Kids, Living, Music, News, Personal Web Site, Politics & Law, Print & Zines, Radio, Science, Services, Sports, Technical Achievement, TV, Travel, and Weird.
About The Webby Awards
The Webby Awards are the leading creative honors for digital media. Nominees and winners are chosen by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. The Webby Awards are an IDG event. Sponsors for the 2000 Webby Awards include: Intel, Hewlett-Packard, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Adobe Systems, vivid studios,Visa, Warburg Dillon Read, Xpedior, BeSeen, AboveNet, Entertainment Weekly, Access Magazine, Metropolis Editorial, Tipworld, Artbyte, MSN LinkExchange, MacWorld, commission junction and adauction.com. Balloting is audited by PriceWaterhouseCoopers. For more information, visit www.webbyawards.com.
About The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences Academy
The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences is dedicated to the creative, technical, and professional progress of new media. The goal of the Academy is to assemble a unique and brilliant panel of leading new media experts, Web visionaries, journalists, and luminaries to propel the new medium into and through the new millennium. There are currently over 200 members, including diverse experts such as film director Francis Ford Coppola, musician David Bowie, Chairman of Miramax Talk Media Tina Brown, cyberguru Esther Dyson, “Dilbert” creator Scott Adams, Infoseek Chairman Steve Kirsch, and computer
scientist Jaron Lanier, as well as writers and editors from publications such as Wired, Details, Fast Company, Elle, ARTBYTE, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, Vibe, Forbes, Premier, PC World, and Jane. For more information, visit http://www.idg.com.
About IDG
IDG publishes more than 290 computer magazines and newspapers and 700 book titles and offers on-line users the largest network of technology-specific sites around the world through IDG.net (www.idg.net), which comprises more than 240 targeted Web sites in 55 countries. IDG is also a leading producer of 168 computer-related expositions worldwide, and provides IT market analysis through 49 offices in 41 countries worldwide. Company information is available at http://www.idg.com.