Smart City CEO Martin Rubin Selected as Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL, July 7, 2005. Smart City CEO Marty Rubin earned recognition as a regional Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young at the 18th Annual Florida Region Entrepreneur of the Year Awards Gala held on June 23 at the Peabody Hotel in Orlando.
Rubin won the award in the Technology category and is now entered in the National Entrepreneur of the Year Award competition. Winners will be announced at the National Conference on November 17-20 in Palm Springs, Calif. and will continue to Monte Carlo for the World Conference held in May 2006.
As a regional winner, Rubin will be inducted into the Entrepreneur of the Year Hall of Fame, which celebrates the achievements of the entrepreneurs and enables the general public to see their local and global contributions.
A panel of judges, comprised of entrepreneurs and prominent leaders in the fields of business, academia and the media, selects regional and national awards recipients from more than 100 nominees. Based on the number and caliber of entries received, each judging panel selects the categories and award recipients.
Smart City is a full-service family of telecommunications companies, based in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Known internationally as a leader in convention services, Smart City also offers solutions for business, hospitality and master-planned communities in Central Florida.
Through its various operating companies, including the mpiNET Internet service in Maitland, Smart City provides five-star voice/data, Internet, Wi-Fi, DSL, co-location, Web hosting and managed network services to more than 10,000 businesses and residences in Central Florida, including the Orange County Convention Center and several major theme parks, resorts and hotels.
The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year competition recognizes business leaders who personify entrepreneurial excellence and the spirit that drives growing businesses. An award nominee must be a business owner or manager who is primarily responsible for the recent performance of a private or public company and be an active member of top management. Previous winners include Jeff Bezos (Amazon.com), Howard Schultz (Starbucks Corp.) and Wayne Huizenga (Blockbuster Entertainment and Waste Management Inc.). Huizenga was the 2004 national winner and went on to win the 2005 World Entrepreneur of the Year in Monte Carlo this past May.
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