W3C Tenth Anniversary

W3C Celebrates Ten Years Leading the Web

"This special anniversary brings the opportunity to acknowledge the impact of the Web and the W3C's stewardship role. I hope it will also inspire ever more collaboration, creativity, and understanding across the globe." —Tim Berners-Lee

In 1994, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) was created to "Lead the Web to Its Full Potential." In 2004, W3C celebrated its tenth anniversary. The Consortium organized a one-day symposium on 1 December for Members and invited guests to reflect on the progress of the Web, W3C's central role in its growth, and risks and opportunities facing the Web during W3C's second decade.

W3C10 Symposium

The symposium program consisted of the following sessions about the Web from its inception to the present:

How It All Started
Impact on Science and Industry
Impact on Society and Culture

and the following sessions about the Web into the future:

Web of Meaning
Web on Everything
Web for Everyone

The symposium closed with reflections and projections by W3C Director and the Web's inventor, Tim Berners-Lee.

Press Briefing, Reception

A Press Briefing for speakers, international media and Platinum Sponsors followed the symposium. The day ended with a reception for all attendees.

The W3C10 celebration was held Wednesday, 1 December 2004, at the Fairmont Copley Plaza hotel in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. W3C Members, the W3C Team, the international media, invited speakers and dignitaries attended.