Press Release
Contact: Robert Albright |
Phone: 919-549-7500 ext.123 |
InfoTech 2003 Demo Participants to Compete for People’s Choice Awards
Demo Application Deadline July 11
June 26, 2003, Research Triangle Park, NC — The Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) announced today that InfoTech 2003 conference attendees will vote on “People’s Choice Awards” for the event’s most promising technology demos. Scheduled for Oct. 27 at the RTP’s Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Convention Center, InfoTech 2003 presents an opportunity to demo technology to an estimated 800 investors, potential strategic partners and IT professionals.
North Carolina-based entrepreneurial companies, University spin-outs, IT corporations and local research institutions can still apply for this opportunity to showcase their innovative information technology. The demo application deadline is July 11, and applications are available online at www.cednc.org/conferences/infotech/2003/demos. Those that apply and are selected to demo at InfoTech 2003 will be eligible for the People’s Choice Awards, which will be voted on by conference attendees at the Oct. 27 event.
InfoTech 2003 marks the first year that conference attendees dictate demo award winners. At last year’s InfoTech conference, renowned panelists – rather than all conference attendees – served as judges in selecting three award winners from among the 20 demo participants. Cary-based Pinpoint Networks, an InfoTech 2002 demo company, received an Investor’s Choice Award at last year’s conference. Jud Bowman, Pinpoint’s president and CEO, said his company benefited greatly from participating in InfoTech.
"CED's on-going recruitment of high caliber investors to examine the region's strong investment potential at events such as InfoTech was fundamental to our success in attracting premiere venture investors such as New Enterprise Associates and Intel Capital," Bowman said.
InfoTech 2003’s demo exhibit selection will be based on level of innovation, current/potential market application and "demo-ability." CED is recruiting demo participants from area universities, research institutions, major IT corporations, individual entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial companies at any stage or size.
In addition to company demos, the conference will also feature speakers and panel discussion on key issues such as brand building, government relations and IT financial markets. CED is presenting the conference with support from UNC-Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, MCNC and TiE-Carolinas. Visit www.cednc.org/infotech for more details on InfoTech 2003.
About CED: The Council for Entrepreneurial Development, located in
Research Triangle Park, NC, is a private, non-profit organization formed
in 1984 to stimulate the creation and growth of high-impact companies
in the greater Research Triangle region. CED provides education, mentoring
and capital formation resources to new and existing high-growth entrepreneurs
through annual conferences, seminars, workshops and monthly programs
on entrepreneurial management and finance. CED is the largest entrepreneurial
support organization in the nation with more than 4,000 members representing
1,100 entrepreneurial companies, financiers and professional firms.
www.cednc.org