Galveston.com Awarded by Interactive Media Awards

[Fall 2006] - Galveston.com & Company is pleased to announce that it has been awarded Outstanding Achievement in Website Development by the Interactive Media Awards for its work on Galveston.com, the official website of Galveston tourism.

The honor recognizes that the all-new Galveston.com met and surpassed the basic standards of excellence that comprise the web's most professional work. The site was honored specifically for excellence in Travel/Tourism.

The judging consisted of various criteria, including design, usability, innovation in technical features, standards compliance and content. In order to win this award level, the site had to meet strict guidelines in each area - an achievement only a fraction of sites in the IMA competition earn each quarter.

Jim Cordell, Vice-President of Galveston.com & Company, said, "It's an honor to have our work recognized by the Interactive Media Awards. We feel strongly that Galveston.com is a world-class example of how the Internet can be used to enhance a destination's message and branding. This accolade is further proof of this fact. "

Created by the Interactive Media Council, Inc. (IMC), a nonprofit organization of leading web designers, developers, programmers, advertisers and other web-related professionals, the competition is designed to elevate the standards of excellence on the Internet and offer winners a boost in marketing and exposure. IMC serves as the primary sponsor and governing body of the Interactive Media Awards™, establishes the judging system and provides the judges for the competition.

Judges represented a host of respected organizations from around the globe, including American Express, Helios Entertainment, Producers Guild of America, CNNMoney.com, eRSVP.com, Emotional Pictures Corporation, The History Channel, Medialink Worldwide, McCann Erickson Worldwide, MTV Networks, New Line Cinema, The New York Times, Ogilvy & Mather, Time Warner Inc., and Verizon Business.

Earlier this summer, Galveston.com & Company won a Stevie Award for Best Overall Website Design in The 2006 American Business Awards, the only national, all-encompassing business awards program honoring great performances in the workplace.In winning the Stevie, Galveston.com & Company beat out other finalists including Polo Ralph Lauren, Entergy Corporation, Delphi, EDS, Edison International, URS Corporation, Kelly Services, and Kluber Skahan and Associates.

Rich with interactive polls, site-wide custom Google search, a robust message board, audio and video podcasts (the first Convention & Visitors Bureau-related website in the world to offer such), tourism-related rss feeds, the Galveston.com NewsWire featuring news sources from around the globe, tourism-related member pages for local businesses, enhanced continuously updated AccuWeather, city-wide megapixel webcams, personalized itinerary builder, "one-click" expandable navigation, and complete interactive reservations for lodging, cruises, cruise parking, and airport transfers, the recently-relaunched Galveston.com was produced over a two-year period by a team of designers from both Texas and the United Kingdom.

About Galveston.com & Company...

Galveston.com & Company, Inc. is a destination marketing corporation based in Galveston, Texas. Additional website ventures by Galveston.com & Company include Galveston.org, GalvestonCruises.com, HoustonAreaHotels.com, and Kemah.com. The company specializes in destination portals, as well as online lodging, cruise, parking, and transfer reservations via its proprietary DestinationNext_^TM reservation module. For more information, contact Galveston.com & Company at via phone (409)763-8676 or email at websites@galveston.com.