To: Internet Society Chapter Delegates / Organization Members
From: Ted Mooney
As we close out 2012, we can look back on a truly exciting year in the Internet Society’s history! We celebrated 20 years of commitment to providing leadership on issues spanning technology and policy, and to furthering the global Internet’s continued growth and evolution as a platform for innovation, economic development, and social progress.
Part of our 20th anniversary celebration included the launch of the Internet Hall of Fame with an outstanding induction ceremony and gala celebration during the Global INET. As an annual program, the Internet Hall of Fame will welcome a new class in 2013. Our nomination period is set to open on January 11, 2013, and we anticipate an unprecedented number of nominees.
We will host the Internet Hall of Fame in Istanbul in June 2013. Dates for the program will be June 25-26, 2013, and will include a number of additional, co-located Internet Society events including: Regional INET, Business Roundtable and Regional Chapter Workshop.
We wanted you to be informed as we hope you will be active participants in helping us find worthy candidates. Our goal is to build an Internet Hall of Fame that truly reflects the global nature of the Internet. We ask that you work with your colleagues and with local and regional contacts to encourage nominations from your region. The Internet was built with tireless efforts of a global community and we need your help in ensuring we recognize those individuals who made significant impact.
This year’s Internet Hall of Fame will continue the important tradition of celebrating Internet visionaries, innovators, and leaders from around the world who have made significant contributions to the development and advancement of the open, global Internet.
This year’s nomination process is open to the public and the nomination form will be available on the Internet Hall of Fame website, www.internethalloffame.org, starting January 11, 2013. Nominees are considered for induction into one of the three categories:
· Pioneers Circle: recognizing individuals instrumental in the early design and development of the Internet.
· Innovators: recognizing individuals who made outstanding technological, commercial, or policy advances and helped to expand the Internet’s reach.
· Global Connectors: recognizing individuals who have made major contributions to the growth, connectivity, and use of the Internet, either on a global scale or within a specific region or community.
The planning for these events is already underway, and we are looking forward to another outstanding induction ceremony, and drawing a diverse audience to Istanbul, June 25-26, 2013, to participate in all our co-located events.
Later this week we will issue a press release announcing the 2013 Internet Hall of Fame nomination cycle (see below for the full text).
Please let us know if you have any questions.
Best wishes for a prosperous 2013,
Ted Mooney, Senior Director - Membership & Services
Internet Hall of Fame Celebrates Internet Leaders: Second Annual Induction Ceremony Set for June 2013 in Istanbul, Turkey
Inductee Nominations Open January 11
[Washington, D.C. and Geneva, Switzerland – XX December 2012] – Building on the historic foundation it established earlier this year, the Internet Hall of Fame will once again help make history in 2013 when it honors individuals who have been important to the Internet’s open development and growth. The Internet Society today announced that nominations for the second annual awards will open on January 11, and the 2013 inductees will be announced and honored at a ceremony held June 26, 2013 in Istanbul, Turkey.
This year’s Internet Hall of Fame will continue the important tradition of celebrating Internet visionaries, innovators, and leaders from around the world who have made significant contributions to the development and advancement of the open, global Internet.
This year’s nomination process is open to the public and the nomination form will be available on the Internet Hall of Fame website, www.internethalloffame.org, starting January 11, 2013. Nominees are considered for induction into one of the three categories:
· Pioneers Circle: recognizing individuals instrumental in the early design and development of the Internet.
· Innovators: recognizing individuals who made outstanding technological, commercial, or policy advances and helped to expand the Internet’s reach.
· Global Connectors: recognizing individuals who have made major contributions to the growth, connectivity, and use of the Internet, either on a global scale or within a specific region or community.
“The Internet Hall of Fame recognizes the extraordinary people who have helped to shape the Internet into the most successful global platform for communication, social, and economic development ever seen,” said Internet Society President and CEO Lynn St. Amour. “We look forward to the second year and recognizing individuals from across the world for their passions, innovations, and commitments to the Internet and its role in making their communities – and the world – a better place.”
The inaugural Internet Hall of Fame inductees were announced in April 2012 in Geneva, Switzerland, in conjunction with the Internet Society’s 20th anniversary celebration and Global INET event, which brought together Internet experts and enthusiasts to discuss the Internet’s future. The Internet Hall of Fame will be held annually on a global rotation. The 2013 Internet Hall of Fame ceremony will be co-located with several other Internet Society regional events in Istanbul, Turkey, June 25-26, 2013.
About the Internet Hall of Fame
The Internet Hall of Fame is an annual awards program that has been established by the Internet Society to publicly recognize a distinguished and select group of leaders and luminaries who have made significant contributions to the development and advancement of the global open Internet. More information on the program can be found at www.internethalloffame.org.
About the Internet Society
The Internet Society is the trusted independent source for Internet information and thought leadership from around the world. With its principled vision and substantial technological foundation, the Internet Society promotes open dialogue on Internet policy, technology, and future development among users, companies, governments, and foundations. Working with its members and Chapters around the world, the Internet Society enables the continued evolution and growth of the Internet for everyone. For more information, see: http://www.internetsociety.org .
Media contact: Wende Cover, cover@isoc.org, +1-703-439-2773