2011 New Zealand Internet Industry Awards

This year’s Internet Award Dinner is being held on Thursday 29th of March 2012 at the InterContinental Hotel, Wellington CBD.

These Awards are New Zealand’s premier awards focused on the Internet as an enabling platform for business, education and society enhancing organisations.

The Guest Speaker will be internet legend John Perry Barlow.  John Perry Barlow is a former lyricist for the Grateful Dead and a founding member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Since May 1998, he has been a Fellow at Harvard University's Berkman Center for Internet and Society. John is famous for his views on copyright- for example this extract from his 1994 Wired piece on "The Economy of Ideas".  "In the absence of the old containers, almost everything we think we know about intellectual property is wrong. We're going to have to unlearn it. We're going to have to look at information as though we'd never seen the stuff before." John is also an American poet and essayist, a retired Wyoming cattle rancher, and a cyber libertarian political activist who has been associated with both the Democratic and Republican parties.  Follow this link for John Perry Barlow.

The evening will be a celebration of the four winners of Internet Awards each in distinct categories which have been developed to reflect the wide ranging impact of the Internet on New Zealand society. The categories are:- 

Positive Societal Impact

Development of the application, product or services provided on the Internet likely to have the most beneficial impact on New Zealand society.

Best Education Product or Service

The application, product or services provided on the Internet that is likely to have the greatest impact on learning and/or teaching in New Zealand.

Best Business Application

For those that transform their methods of doing business, or change our way of doing business with them.

Internet Innovator/Entrepreneur

Recognition for that rare breed who put capital and reputation on the line and successfully contribute to New Zealand’s wealth

Timeline for call-for-entries:-

Applications now open

Entries to be received by Monday 21st of November 2011

Finalists announced by Friday 2nd of December 2011

Winners announced at the Awards Dinner on Thursday 29th of March 2012

The Awards honor and celebrate those companies that have leveraged the transformational deliverables of the Internet.  The Awards seek to recognise excellence and showcase best practice to the wider community.

For more information email Julia Clancy julia.clancy@internetindustryawards.co.nz

About  The Liz Dengate Thrush Foundation

The Internet Industry Awards are run for the Liz Dengate Thrush Foundation.  The objectives of the Foundation are to improve people's awareness and understanding of Internet technologies, and encourage Internet entrepreneurship and other positive uses of the Internet in New Zealand.

The Awards focus on the Internet as an enabling platform for business, global, entrepreneurship, education and society-enhancing programmes.

For more information on the Foundation, please click here www.ldtf.org.nz

Overview of the Awards

The inaugural New Zealand Internet Industry Awards were launched in 2009 by the Liz Dengate Thrush Foundation (Foundation). A New Zealand registered charity, the Foundation was established with the aim of improving people's awareness and understanding of Internet technologies, and encourage Internet entrepreneurship and other positive uses of the Internet in New Zealand.

These Awards are the only Awards that are purely focused on the Internet as an enabling platform for business, education, entrepreneur and society enhancing organisations.

By honouring and celebrating those companies who have leveraged the transformational deliverables of the Internet the Awards seek to recognise excellence and showcase best practice to the wider community.

In addition to three company Awards launched in 2009 the Foundation has added a fourth company Award focusing on recognising a company who has utilised the Internet to create a borderless platform for doing business.  A rare type of person who puts both capital and reputation on the line and has developed an Internet initiative that has successfully contributed to New Zealand's wealth.