Mayor Tomás Regalado & City of Miami Celebrate Oct. 2 Official Launch of .MIAMI

MIAMI, October 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

• City of Miami Mayor and Commissioners receive first honorary web addresses 
• Thousands of dollars in .MIAMI domain names dropped from the sky via "dot drop" to mark domain name launch 

Today, City of Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado and Commissioner Francis Suarez joined hundreds in Bayside Marketplace to celebrate the official public launch of .MIAMI, the city's new dedicated top-level domain. The ceremony included the award of the first .MIAMI web addresses to the Mayor and Commissioners and a balloon "dot drop" in which thousands of dollars' worth of .MIAMI domain names were given away to the crowds.

     (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150917/267673LOGO )

"Today is a proud moment for Miami as we solidify a strong global online identity for the city, our businesses and communities through the launch of .MIAMI," said Mayor Regalado.

.MIAMI domain name addresses officially went on sale on Oct. 2 on a first-come, first-served basis. Initial indications predict that thousands of .MIAMI domain names will be sold during the launch through GoDaddy and other leading registrars. .MIAMI domains offer short, memorable and local names, and act as a powerful tool for businesses to connect to customers and position themselves as credible, relevant enterprises. Search engine algorithms place significant value on web addresses when determining search results, and a .MIAMI domain name can help increase search engine optimization (SEO) and click-through rates.

Miami is only the third city in the U.S. to have a dedicated top-level Internet domain name. Notable supporters of the .MIAMI launch include the City of Miami; the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which supports the arts and entrepreneurship in Miami; and the premiere private venue, The Temple House.  

Another key partner of .MIAMI is GoDaddy, the world's leading registrar and the platinum sponsor of the launch. GoDaddy has adopted the address, http://www.GoDaddy.miami, to support the campaign.

"The enthusiasm we are seeing for .MIAMI is infectious," said Antony Van Couvering, CEO of Minds + Machines, the official partner of the City of Miami for .MIAMI. "We have every confidence that .MIAMI will establish itself as a natural badge for all businesses, communities and individuals that want to identify themselves with the city, its creativity and commercial energy. We look forward to helping awareness grow."

Minds + Machines is a leading registry operator and has launched 18 new top-level domains in the past year, including .london in the U.K. and .bayern in Germany. A significant portion of the revenue generated from the sale of .MIAMI domain names will be disbursed back to the City.

.MIAMI is a new generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) established as a part of the historic expansion of the Internet naming system administered by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). More than seven million domain names have now been registered across several hundred new top-level domains.  

To buy a .MIAMI domain name, go directly to http://www.GoDaddy.miami or to the registrar of your choice. To learn more about .MIAMI and how it can help promote your business or activity, please visit http://www.my.miami.

About Minds + Machines 

Minds + Machines (LSE:MMX) is a leading owner and operator of new generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs) including .london, and provides registry services to a range of high-profile clients. The Group also provides domain name services to consumers through its wholly owned registrar operations in the U.S. and Europe. For more information on Minds + Machines, please go to: http://investors.mindsandmachines.com.

Media Contact 

.MIAMI

Stacy Merrick
rbb Communications
+1-305-445-9750
[email protected]

Minds + Machines Corporate PR

Toby Hall
+44-(0)7713-341072
[email protected]

SOURCE Minds + Machines