Internet icons come together for gala evening at the CN Tower

.CA host to latest meeting of the global Internet community

OTTAWA, Oct. 17, 2012 /CNW/ - The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (www.CIRA.ca), the organization that manages the .CA Internet domain, is welcoming Internet leaders from more than 100 countries this evening to the CN Tower.

The gala is part of ICANN 45, the latest in a series of three meetings held each year by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), as part of its multi-stakeholder approach to the operation of the Internet. ICANN 45, hosted by CIRA in partnership with ICANN, is taking place at Toronto's Westin Harbour Castle hotel from October 14 to 19.

The cocktail reception-style evening will feature distinctly Canadian food, roaming artists, music and some of the biggest names in the global Internet community. In addition, attending media will have the opportunity to meet and speak with key individuals who stand on the frontline of Internet governance, including:

Fadi Chehadé, President and CEO of ICANN: ICANN 45 is Chehadé's first full ICANN meeting since he was named chief executive in June. His career has been defined by building consensus and promoting collaborative technologies and practices. He has more than 25 years of experience in building and leading progressive Internet enterprises, and in levering relationships with senior executives and government officials across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America.

Stephen Crocker, Chairman of the Board of ICANN: Crocker has been involved in the Internet since its inception. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, he was part of the team that developed the protocols for the ARPANET, the predecessor of the Internet. He organized the Network Working Group, the forerunner of the modern Internet Engineering Task Force which creates the technical documentation that guides the design, use and management of the Internet. In 2002, he co-founded Shinkuro, Inc., a startup focused on dynamic sharing of information online and on the deployment of improved security protocols.

Byron Holland, President and CEO of CIRA: Holland has developed a strong international profile for CIRA and .CA, and implemented new marketing and communications initiatives that have made .CA the fourth-fastest-growing top-level domain in the world. He is vice-chair of the Country Codes Name Supporting Organization (ccNSO), the body that represents the interests of all country-code top-level domains, as well as chair of ICANN's Finance Working group. He leads policy-development initiatives at ICANN and he is an active participant in the United Nations co-ordinated Internet Governance Forum, as well as other Internet governance forums.

The gala takes place from 7 to 11 p.m. this evening. Reporters or photographers are invited to attend for photo opportunities and brief interviews with key CIRA and ICANN representatives.

About ICANN

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is the organization responsible for the global coordination of the Internet's system of unique identifiers, including country code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs) such as .CA, generic TLDs (gTLDs) such as .COM and .ORG, and the addresses used in a variety of Internet protocols that help computers communicate over the Internet.

About CIRA

The Canadian Internet Registration Authority is the Member-driven organization that manages Canada's .CA domain name registry, develops and implements policies that support Canada's Internet community, and represents the .CA registry internationally.

SOURCE: Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA)

or to attend the gala or another ICANN event, please contact:

Leo Valiquette
inmedia Public Relations
[phone]
[email protected]