March 17, 2008 - Celebrating New York City’s thriving Internet industry, the first-ever Internet Week, a weeklong festival, will take place in venues throughout the city – from performance spaces to cultural institutions – from June 3rd to June 10th, 2008. The festival is organized by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences (IADAS), in cooperation with the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting.

“Internet Week New York will celebrate New York City’s global leadership in online commerce and culture,” said New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “It will capture the energy, diversity, and creative spirit that are a hallmark of both New York City and the Internet.”

An eclectic roster of New York’s digital-media leaders is helping to shape the inaugural festival. Members of the Internet Week New York executive council include: Katherine Oliver, Commissioner, New York City Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting; Bob Pittman, founder, The Pilot Group; Bob Greenberg, chairman, R/GA; Red Burns, Chair of the Interactive Telecommunications Program, New York University; Alan Patricof, co-founder, Greycroft Partners; Allison Arden, publisher, AdAge; Sean Mills, president, The Onion; and John Battelle, founder, Federated Media. A full list of executive council members can be found at http://www.internetweekny.com/about/executive_council.

According to David-Michel Davies, executive director of IADAS, Internet Week New York is honoring the Web’s open structure by inviting any and all organizations to participate in the festival for free. All participating organizations will have their events showcased and promoted as an Internet Week New York Official Event Partner. To sign up to participate in Internet Week New York, visit http://www.internetweekny.com.

The festival will kick off with an official Internet Week New York proclamation by the Mayor. The grand finale will be The 12th Annual Webby Awards Celebration - three days of entertainment and industry events from June 8th -10th.

Confirmed festival events range from a Billboard.com New Music Showcase to the first East Coast edition of the Conversational Marketing Summit presented by John Battelle’s Federated Media to the 2008 Advertising 2.0 Conference presented by Advertising Age and Digital Hollywood. Other committed event partners include: Nokia, The Onion, Comedy Central, Founders Club, Flavorpill, The New Museum, The Museum of the Moving Image, Hollywood Reporter, Atom Films, Thrillist, PaidContent.org, and Associated Content.

A preliminary schedule of Internet Week New York events will be announced in April.

According to the New York Software Industry Alliance, over 800,000 people have technology related jobs in the New York area, far outpacing any other city in the country. New York’s Economic Development Corporation has found that telecom carriers, cable companies, and Internet service providers comprise a $23 billion industry in New York City, employing 43,000 city residents.