BEND VENTURE CONFERENCE CONNECTS ENTREPRENEURS and INVESTORS
Keynote Speakers include Bob Wood, President of Nike Golf and State Treasurer Randall Edwards
(Wednesday, August 25 – BEND, OREGON) This October, Bend will host the 2004 Bend Venture Conference (www.bendvc.com) - a forum connecting Northwest VC’s and angel investors with top entrepreneurs in the region. Co-hosted by the Oregon Entrepreneurs Forum (OEF) and Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO), the event will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, October 15 at the Tower Theater in downtown Bend.
Eight early stage startup companies will be chosen to present to a panel of venture capitalists and an audience of qualified angel investors. To be eligible, presenting companies must either be located in Central Oregon or willing to relocate to the region. In addition, several local companies will share their own success stories and talk about the benefits of doing business in Central Oregon.
“Cultivating a strong entrepreneurial community is one of EDCO’s key objectives, and the Venture Conference is a natural outgrowth of these efforts,” asserts Bill Kopacz, President of Economic Development for Central Oregon. “From an economic development standpoint, this is also an opportunity to showcase Central Oregon and potentially recruit new companies.” EDCO co-hosts the popular monthly Central Oregon PubTalk with OEF, a networking event for entrepreneurs that features early stage company presentations and keynote speakers.
Similar to OEF’s Venture Oregon conference held in Portland each fall, the day-long conference will also include keynote speakers Bob Wood, President of Nike Golf and Oregon State Treasurer Randall Edwards. Wood will discuss Nike Golf’s explosive growth from a fledgling splinter group into a $500 million company, and his goal to establish Nike Golf as the first branded business unit to be run separately within Nike. State Treasurer Edwards will introduce the state’s new $100 million venture fund. The fund, managed by Credit Suisse First Boston, will place 80% of its money with other investment firms, as well as invest directly in promising young Oregon companies that fit specific criteria.
“With assistance from Drew Child of Alpine Internet Solutions and EDCO, OEF has been able to establish a strong presence in Central Oregon over the past two years,” explains OEF Executive Director Linda Weston. “The Bend Venture Conference offers up a tremendous opportunity for networking local entrepreneurs with Northwest investors.”
For more information and to register to attend, visit the Bend Venture Conference website at www.bendvc.com.
Registration is $95 and includes a continental breakfast, lunch and a post-conference reception. Companies and entrepreneurs interested in applying to present may apply at www.bendvc.com. The deadline for these applications is September 15.
Co-host of the popular Central Oregon PubTalk, Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to building a strong and secure economic future for Central Oregon. Learn more about EDCO at www.edforco.org.
The Oregon Entrepreneurs Forum (OEF) is a nonprofit organization that helps entrepreneurs from across Oregon and southwest Washington launch and manage early-stage ventures with high growth potential from any industry. For more info, please visit their website at www.oef.org. To learn more about the Central Oregon chapter of OEF, go to http://www.oef.org/About/Central/index.html.
