Above (Top): UFC veteran and BJJ black belt Justin McCully gives the keynote speech at IMA Impact Awards in Las Vegas, NV. Above (Bottom): UFC veteran Justin McCully, Ryan Bevins of OTM, and Reagan Penn of BJPenn.com after the IMA Impact Awards.
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — While Hollywood honored the best in primetime television on Sunday evening with the annual Emmy Awards show at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California, the Internet Marketing Association (IMA) did the same for the best in their industry with the IMA Impact Awards show, which took place over the weekend at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The evening’s festivities began with a keynote speech given by UFC veteran and BJJ black belt Justin McCully. McCully spoke about how the UFC has used Internet marketing strategies and social media to help surpass Boxing promotions and make Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) a billion dollar industry. Moreover, the UFC has helped make the entire sport of MMA a profitable business for the thousands of fighters, trainers, gym owners, promoters, vendors, apparel companies, and others involved.
After talking about some personal experiences, McCully shared an MMA related story with the message that no matter how big or how tough your opposition may be, inside or outside the cage, everyone has the power to succeed when given the proper tools and surrounds themself with the right people.
This anecdote relates perfectly to MMA and business in general, which drew a big round of applause for the UFC vet as his inspiring keynote address got many of the world’s most successful and brightest minds in a great mood to start the night. One of those bright minds was none other than fellow BJJ black belt and MMA veteran Reagan Penn. Reagan is the younger brother of UFC legend B.J. Penn and is the mastermind behind the emergence and success of BJPenn.com.
Above: Justin McCully’s speech begins at the 1:00 minute mark and ends at the 7:35 mark.
Above: Melih Gökçek accepts his "BEST Social Media by a Mayor in the World". Gökçek is the mayor of Turkey’s capital city Ankara.
Many other of the world’s most respected leaders in the industry were also on hand, such as as a delegation from Turkey led by Melih Gökçek, who was on hand to receive the award for BEST Social Media by a Mayor in the World. Gökçek is the Mayor of Ankara, Turkey, which is the capital city of Turkey.
Above: Honorable Finbar Hill gives a presntation on how the Dublin, Ireland area has become the "silicon valley" of Europe with a very positive impact on jobs.
Honorable Finbar Hill, who is Consul General of Ireland in Southern California, also gave a speech and presentation on how Ireland has become a powerhouse for Internet companies and built a leadership position as a significant technology hub. The Dublin area is now the “silicon valley” of Europe with a very a positive impact on jobs. Examples include Google’s 3,000-employee base in Dublin, as well as Twitter and other major companies with major installations in that capital city.
2012 IMA IMPACT AWARDS – CATEGORY WNNERS:
BEST App Development Business to Business – USForex
BEST App Development Business to Business – Mavenlink
BEST App Development Business to Business – Microsemi Corporation
BEST App Development Business to Business – RingRevenue
BEST App Development Business to Consumer – MGM Resorts International – Bellagio Las Vegas
BEST App Development Business to Consumer – ParentingPride, Inc.
BEST App Development Business to Consumer – Nitto Tire USA, Inc.
BEST Blog Design – MGM Grand Las Vegas
BEST Blog Design – Chapman University: Strategic Marketing and Communications
BEST Blog Readership Outreach – Mavenlink
BEST Email Marketing – Knowledge Marketing
BEST Email Marketing Aesthetics – Knowledge Marketing
BEST Email Marketing Aesthetics – NuVision Federal Credit Union
BEST Email Marketing Monthly Newsletter – Knowledge Marketing/Christina Belmont
BEST Email Marketing Monthly Newsletter – NuVision Federal Credit Union
BEST Email Marketing Monthly Newsletter – Consumer Credit Counseling Service
BEST Email Marketing Monthly Newsletter – Meggitt
BEST Email Marketing Monthly Newsletter – LegacyHR
BEST Email Marketing Strategic Campaign – VE Interactive
BEST Email Marketing Monthly Newsletter – Sundried Tomato
BEST Email Marketing Strategic Campaign – Yesmail Interactive
BEST Email Marketing Strategic Campaign – Skylight Global Inc.
BEST Email Marketing Strategic Campaign – Arrow ESVN
BEST Email Marketing Strategic Campaign – Irvine Technology Corporation
BEST Facebook – University of California, Irvine Extension
BEST Facebook "Like" Outreach – University of California, Irvine Extension
BEST Facebook "Like" Outreach – DollarDays International
BEST Facebook Customization Features – Chapman Univ.: Strategic Marketing and Communications
BEST Facebook Customization Features – Nitto Tire USA, Inc.
BEST Facebook Customization Features – Excalibur Hotel and Casino
BEST Foreign Business Networking Portal – Style Turkish
BEST Foreign Internet Marketing Executive – Arda Sayiner
BEST Foreign Shopping Portal – AVMMall.com
BEST Foreign Social Media Agency – Rhino Runner
BEST Microsite – Adobe Systems South Africa PTY Ltd
BEST Microsite Most Effective Use – Fitzpatrick + Prince Real Estate Group
BEST Microsite Most Effective Use – The Mirage Resort & Casino
BEST Microsite Most Effective Use – Zinio/Jeanniey Mullen
BEST Microsite Most Effective Use – Steve Alexson
BEST Microsite Most Effective Use – U.S. Veterans Magazine/ Mona Lisa Faris
BEST Microsite Most Effective Use – Nitto Tire USA, Inc.
BEST Microsite Most Effective Use – Adobe Systems South Africa PTY Ltd
BEST Mobile Campaign – Mavenlink
BEST Mobile Text Based Promotion – Circus Circus Las Vegas
BEST Mobile Website – Nitto Tire USA, Inc.
BEST Mobile Website – Mavenlink
BEST Online Survey Business to Business – Studio Ideias
BEST Online Survey Business to Business – Local Search Optimization
BEST Sales Organization, Business to Business – Sales & Service, Inc.
BEST Social Media by a Mayor in the World – Mayor of Ankara, Turkey, Melih Gokcek
BEST Social Media Campaign – R&R Partners
BEST Social Media Campaign Community Engagement – Monte Carlo Resort and Casino
BEST Social Media Campaign Community Engagement – Vistaprint
BEST Social Media Campaign Community Engagement – Pretend City Children’s Museum
BEST Social Media Campaign Community Engagement – CityCenter Residential
BEST Social Media Campaign Integrated Strategy – Boyd Gaming Corporation
BEST Social Media Campaign Integrated Strategy – redpepper
BEST Social Media Campaign Integrated Strategy – R&R Partners
BEST Social Media Campaign Integrated Strategy – NuVision Federal Credit Union
BEST Social Media Campaign Integrated Strategy – Luxor Las Vegas
BEST Social Media Campaign Integrated Strategy – ParentingPride, Inc.
BEST Social Media Campaign Integrated Strategy – SocialRadius
BEST Social Media Campaign Promotional Strategy – Meggitt
BEST Social Media Campaign Promotional Strategy – ARIA Resort & Casino
BEST Social Media Campaign Promotional Strategy – Irvine Technology Corporation
BEST Social Media Campaign Promotional Strategy – Local Response – Foot Locker
BEST Social Media Campaign Promotional Strategy – Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
BEST Social Media Campaign Promotional Strategy – Nitto Tire USA, Inc.
BEST Social Media Campaign Promotional Strategy – SocialRadius
BEST Technology by a Construction Company – Gogus Construction
BEST Twitter Page Design – Pepperdine Athletics
BEST Twitter Use – New York New York Hotel and Casino
BEST Twitter Use – SocialRadius
BEST Webinar/Vodcast/Podcast Educational – eBoost Consulting
BEST Webinar/Vodcast/Podcast Educational – University of California, Irvine Extension
BEST Webinar/Vodcast/Podcast Educational – University of California, Irvine/Professor James Nowick
BEST Webinar/Vodcast/Podcast Promotional – UBM Studios and UBM TechWeb HDI
BEST Website – Bhava Communications
BEST Website Aesthetics – Consumer Credit Counseling Service
BEST Website Aesthetics – SAFE-BIDCO
BEST Website Aesthetics – Sea Pointe Estates
BEST Website Aesthetics – Orange County Great Park
BEST Website Aesthetics – Fitzpatrick + Prince Real Estate Group
BEST Website Aesthetics – Chapman University/Barkley REI
BEST Website Aesthetics – Bhava Communications
BEST Website Aesthetics – Toyota Material Handling USA
BEST Website Aesthetics – China Branding Group
BEST Website Aesthetics – Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino
BEST Website, Airline – Turkish Airlines
BEST Website Content Layout – Boyd Gaming Corporation
BEST Website Content Layout – Villanova University UNIT
BEST Website Content Layout – Keenan
BEST Website Content Layout – The Signature at The MGM Grand
BEST Website Content Layout – REOMAC
BEST Website Content Layout – Simeio Solutions
BEST Website Content Layout – STAjets/ Kurt Belcher
BEST Website Content Layout – Clarity Capital Partners
BEST Website Content Layout – Hunter Wise Commodities International
BEST Website Content Layout – TLC
BEST Website Navigation – Hunter Wise Commodities
BEST Website Navigation – Monte Carlo Resort and Casino
BEST Website Navigation – Sperlonga Data and Analytics
BEST Website Navigation – Marconi Museum
BEST Website Navigation – Skylight Global Inc.
BEST Website Navigation – Tilly’s
BEST YouTube Channel Strategy – DP Video Productions, LLC
BEST YouTube Informational Series – Prudential Americana Group Realtors
BEST YouTube Promotional Series – Lantronix Marketing Department
BEST YouTube Promotional Series – Mlife TV
BEST YouTube Theme/Creativity – Lantronix Marketing Department
MOST Effective Real Estate Executive – Oron Maher
MOST Progressive Use of Technology for Wealth Management Firm – Clarity Capital
MOST Successful Banking Executive – Ariel Ramirez