Over 100 VC and 1000 Entrepreneurs expected

 at World's Largest Entrepreneurial Conference

(Santa Clara, C.A.) March 25, 2003 -- TiE -- today announced that its 10th annual flagship conference on entrepreneurship will be held at the Westin Hotel and Santa Clara Convention Center on May 16 and 17, 2003. TiEcon - http://www.tiecon.org -brings together leading venture capitalists, academics, investment bankers, law firms, entrepreneurs and top technology executives from around the world to educate, challenge and inspire the business and technology leaders of tomorrow. More than 3000 attendees are expected this year.

“In today’s economic climate, new entrepreneurs need to work harder than ever before to get an investor’s attention,” said Vish Mishra, Convener of TiEcon 2003 and partner in Clearstone Venture Partners. “TiEcon is the one place where over 100 venture capitalist firms will be all under the same roof with over 1,000 entrepreneurs in information technology, biotechnology and communications markets. The opportunity for successful partnerships and investment deals skyrocket under such excellent networking conditions.”

To reflect the new economic climate, the theme of TiEcon 2003 is “Succeeding with New Realities.”  Despite considerable restructuring, most businesses face uphill battles in 2003 in order to thrive in the years ahead. The expertise and provocative thought leadership shared by the speakers and panelists at TiEcon 2003 will help entrepreneurs, leaders of large, mid-sized and small companies, as well as leaders from the investment and professional services communities, gain the insight and strategies they need to succeed in the new times.

Day 1 will set the framework of today’s business environment and establish the success criteria for entrepreneurs at all stages of their corporate evolution. It will help them understand the realities of today’s global economic environment, and to see what some of the most savvy industry veterans are doing to succeed.

Day 2 will provide a forum for intense sessions focused on ecosystems in bioinformatics, biotech, digital media, life sciences, networking, semiconductors, security, software, storage, and wireless/broadband communications.

On both days, plenary sessions will address overarching themes of value to all attendees. More so in today’s market than ever before, networking is important.

TiEcon’s agenda and conference environment provide quality networking opportunities.

About TiE:                                                            

TiE  is a not-for-profit global network of entrepreneurs and business executives focused on building an entrepreneurial ecosystem that drives innovation and success in business. TiE is a vast global resource for top talent, work shops and experience. Founded in 1992 TiE is now the world's largest organization of its type, with 40 Chapters in nine countries, with 800 Charter Members and 10,000 Members. 

For more information about TiE visit http://www.tiesv.org