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Gorgeous, clever and delightful was the way judges described the winner of the Gold Award for the best overall local Web site.
The Eastman School of Music won the award Tuesday morning at the Rochester Business Journal’s 11th annual Best of the Web competition, held at Hyatt Regency Rochester. More than 200 people attended the awards breakfast.
Regina Corso, director of the Harris Poll, gave the keynote speech on the Internet and its expanding presence in American lives.
Over the last 11 years, the definition of excellence at the annual Best of the Web competition has evolved with technology. The sophistication of this year’s finalists is obvious, Rochester Business Journal publisher Susan Holliday said.
The Web site finalists were selected from hundreds of nominations and were evaluated based on site content, usefulness, design quality, e-commerce and whether the site can draw repeat business.
The Eastman School of Music site, for example, provides significant returns to the school with the elimination of mail applications and data entry it provides.
The winning sites were determined by giving weighted scores to the judges’ rankings. Four judges, including local executives and professors, chose the winners.
The Silver Award for best overall Web site was awarded to Strong Heart & Vascular Center at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Judges awarded the Bronze Award to the Water Education Collaborative.
The Best of the Web competition also included industry-specific awards:
Business services
In this category, Mirror Show Management Inc.’s www.mirrorshowmanagement.com topped finalists LaBella Associates P.C.’s www.labellapc.com and Dixon Schwabl Inc.’s www.dixonschwabl.com.
Government
Monroe County’s site www.monroecounty.gov ranked No. 1, above finalists Greater Rochester Enterprise Inc., www.rochesterbiz.com, and Town of Pittsford, www.townofpittsford.com.
Health care
University of Rochester Medical Center’s Strong Heart & Vascular Center site won the category with its site, www.mystrongheart.com, over finalists eHealth Global Technologies Inc., www.ehgt.com, and the Alzheimer’s Association, www.alz.org/rochesterny.
Manufacturing
Sentry Group’s www.sentrysafe.com took category honors over Transcat Inc.’s www.transcat.com and Carestream Health Inc.’s www.carestreamhealth.com.
Non-profit/cultural
Eastman School of Music’s www.esm.rochester.edu took top honors. Other finalists were George Eastman House International Museum of Photography & Film, www.eastmanhouse.org, and Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester, www.mag.rochester.edu.
Non-profit/Human service
The Water Education Collaborative’s site, www.h2ohero.org, took the top spot over the Hillside Family of Agencies site, www.hillside.com, and Rochester Area Community Foundation, www.racf.org.
Real estate and construction
Home Properties Inc.’s www.homeproperties.com won the crown in this category over finalists RentRochester Inc.’s www.rentrochester.com and Schantz Homes Inc.’s www.schantzhomes.com.
Retail
Skooba Design’s site www.skoobadesign.com won this category over finalists Rochester Art Supply Inc.’s www.fineartstore.com and Adrian Jules Ltd’s www.adrianjules.com.
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02/29/08 (C) Rochester Business Journal
