APOGEE Road Show Heads West!

by Tom DuBos, Western Region Development

This fall was another first for APOGEE’s continued expansion, as we held our first two web workshop events west of the continental divide. Led by Michael Overstreet, APOGEE’s webmaster, attendee’s learned from an energy industry expert in web design. Michael has been building utilities websites since 1994 and has implemented more than 70 utility specific web designs to-date.   

Our first event in the west was in September at Sun Valley, ID, for the Northwest Public Power Association’s Annual Northwest Innovations Conference for marketing and communications professionals.  The half day session was very well received, and drew enthusiastic comments from the attendees, as a busy agenda gave them a thorough background on elements such as design basics, writing for the web, content management, measurement of results, and promoting your website. 

In October we presented at the inaugural Colorado Utility Efficiency Exchange in Aspen, CO.  Set at the new Doerr-Hosier conference facility at the Aspen Meadows resort, the toughest part of this workshop was competing with the fantastic scenery right outside the conference room.  The main conference featured a broad cross section of utilities from Colorado and surrounding states. 

Both sessions included the popular before and after views of websites that had undergone a major makeover.   Participants were also invited to volunteer their websites for review by the group and Michael Overstreet, who in his own words is “not afraid to tell you your baby’s ugly”.  All came away with valuable information, and the participants learned how they could view the history of their websites, or virtually any others, using the “Wayback Machine” featured at www.archive.org, a non-profit site that archives web pages for future viewing.  This is a great way to view the full history of your web site and learn from that past.  

APOGEE is currently offering the first 10 respondents a free 30 minute online consulting session with Michael Overstreet to review your company's website.

To apply for a website review send your web address, phone and email to kmorris@apogee.net

If you are interested in hosting a web workshop for your region contact

Karen Morris at

770-270-6501.