Press Release
Contact: Robert Albright |
Phone: 919-549-7500 ext.123 |
CED Revamps Upcoming Program Line-up
Industry and Peer-based Programs to Reflect Changing Market;
September Forums Feature Promising Tech, Biotech Companies
August 28, 2003, Research Triangle Park, NC — The Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) today announced its program calendar for 2003-2004 with revamped core networking programs. CED's upcoming industry and peer-based programs will include interactive Biotechnology and Technology Forums that reflect the changing market and aim to strengthen networks between entrepreneurs.
“CED's upcoming forums bring added value because they underscore the need for entrepreneurs to get together to discuss business opportunities and pinpoint industry trends,” said Monica Doss, CED's president. “While difficult economic conditions in the past may have left some entrepreneurs in a 'bunker mentality,' CED's industry and peer-based forums will offer unique opportunities to enhance this area's business community by bringing people together.”
CED's Technology Forum, the organization's newest program offering, has been re-energized to encompass issues faced in the wide-ranging information technology market - including wireless, networking, software, hardware, semiconductor, healthcare technology, and other IT fields. The newly revamped Tech Forum kicks off Sept. 18 at the RTP's MCNC Building from 5-8 p.m. with a showcase of four local IT companies that were selectively chosen because of their strong market potential:
- ISIC - a Cary-based hardware network processor company
- Red Pelican - a Durham-based developer of Web-based marketing software
- StrikeIron - a Durham-based Web services software development company
- WindChannel Communications - a Raleigh-based wireless software company
In addition, the Biotechnology Forum, co-hosted by CED and the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, will continue its mission of providing a meeting place for executives, professionals and academic researchers actively involved in the biotechnology industry to discuss recent developments in biotechnology and gather information from experts. The next Biotech Forum, coming to the N.C. Biotech Center on Sept. 8 from 5-8 p.m., will also feature several new life science companies that were competitively selected because they show strong promise in the marketplace:
- EcoGenomix - a UNC-Greensboro spin-out focusing on water system quality that can combat bioterrorism
- Ercole - an RTP-based drug discovery company focusing on alternative splicing patterns of target genes
- Metabolon - an RTP-based startup focused on the interaction of small molecules
“Our pre-registration numbers for these events are looking better than ever,” Doss said. “This is going to be a banner year for CED and for entrepreneurs who have 'weathered the storm' and are excited about moving forward with business.”
Beyond adding value to its program offerings, CED has also updated its Web registration services. Individuals can now register for multiple programs at the same time online. Interested attendees can also sign up several others to attend these programs with them. The new system calculates the total registration fee owed, and it also checks the credit number and correct email format.
Visit CED's online calendar (www.cednc.org/cal) for more information on registering to attend upcoming industry and peer-based programs.
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
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