Qorvis Wins Webby for Best Mobile App

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - June 9, 2009) - Qorvis Communications, one of the largest independent, integrated communications firms in the U.S., has won the 2009 Webby Award for Best Mobile Application in the "Listings and Updates" category. The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences selected Qorvis' "Navigating Washington" app for iPhone and BlackBerry from nearly 10,000 entries from all 50 U.S. states and more than 60 countries. The 13th Annual Webby Awards, held last night in New York City, is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet.

"This Webby affirms that if you can imagine it, the Qorvis team can create it," said Qorvis' Managing Partner Michael Petruzzello. "Our integrated capabilities -- representing the complete communications toolbox -- allow us to bring innovative, award-winning ideas to life, as we've seen time and again this year."

In addition to the Webby, Qorvis this year has been named by Holmes Report as Public Affairs Agency of the Year, was declared a finalist for PRWeek's 2009 Midsize Agency of the Year, has won four 2009 Advertising Club of Metropolitan Washington ADDYs for television advertising, and recently won a National PRSA Award of Excellence.

Qorvis developed the Navigating Washington mobile app to help the record-numbers of people who came to Washington, DC for the Inauguration of President Obama. To ensure visitors could find their way in the nation's capital and to honor America's first tech-savvy President, the Qorvis team, including partner firm PointAbout, created the free mobile app for iPhone and BlackBerry, delivering a virtual guide to the city and Inauguration week events.

Qorvis designed the web application using in-house capabilities -- as the firm has for numerous clients -- and partnered with PointAbout to "wrap" the web application with its thin-client springboard to mobilize Navigating Washington on multiple mobile platforms, including iPhone and BlackBerry, as a hybrid web and native application.

The Navigating Washington app, heralded by The New York Times as its "Phone App of the Week" (December 19, 2008), was delivered -- from design to download -- in only three weeks. The Washington, DC city government endorsed the app, and CNN, ABC News, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post all praised its usefulness. Tens of thousands of people downloaded the app in the weeks leading up to and following the Inauguration.

Besides Qorvis, nominees in the Webby "Listings and Updates" category included NYTimes.com, Zagat Survey, Petfinder/Discovery Communications and Parents Connect.

About Qorvis Communications, LLC

Qorvis Communications is one of the nation's largest independent, integrated communications firms. Formed in August 2000, Qorvis provides its clients with expertise in the areas of public and media relations, advertising, public affairs, investor relations and financial services communications, grassroots campaigns, Internet-based campaigns, social media strategies, and research and opinion surveys. For more information, visit www.qorvis.com or contact info@qorvis.com.

About PointAbout

PointAbout mobilizes brands. Our thin-client springboard application allows for fast and efficient distribution of web content across multiple mobile platforms in a location-aware manner. For more information, visit www.PointAbout.com.