Press Release
Contact: Robert Caudle |
Phone: (919) 549-7500 ext.107 |
CED Announces Opportunity 2006 Conference
North Carolina’s Premier Entrepreneurial Summit Attracts Existing Companies, Start-up Ventures and Investors
August 22, 2006, Research Triangle Park, NC –The Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) today announced its Opportunity 2006 Conference: “Fueling Entrepreneurial Success,” set for Dec. 4-5 at the Hilton Wilmington Riverside in Wilmington, NC. Dr. Rosemary DePaolo, chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW), is honorary chair of this 4th annual event.
The conference will feature insights from highly successful entrepreneurs and will include a series of workshops addressing both new business formation and practical guidance for operating a business. In addition, Opportunity 2006 will include one-on-one “curbside” consulting appointments for entrepreneurs with a group of seasoned business professionals.
This year’s conference will also feature three pre-conference sessions, each four hours long with limited registration. The first, Listen To Your Business™, is for entrepreneurs interested in determining a three-year growth plan for their company and establishing the necessary milestones for success. For entrepreneurs inquiring about business formation, the Innovator’s Workshop explores the start-up process, including sources of capital. For the first time, CED will conduct Presentation Skills Training, in conjunction with UNCW. Attendees will prepare a company “pitch”, present it to a live audience and be filmed and share in constructive critiquing for improved results.
CALL FOR BUSINESS PLANS
Early-stage companies seeking angel investment are invited to submit a business plan for evaluation and possible inclusion at Opportunity 2006. Those innovative companies selected will present their business plan before the investor community in attendance. Deadline for submission is September 29. Companies from the entire Southeast region who have no institutional funding may participate. For more information, visit www.cednc.org/opportunity.
“Opportunity 2006 offers a new level of networking with fellow entrepreneurs, angel investors and service providers, in addition to very practical information from experienced resources” said CED Advisory Board president Gene Haley. “This event grows every year, and I believe people across the state understand the value of the network and quality of discussion.
Small business owners, “garage entrepreneurs,” corporate employees, early-stage entrepreneurs, university researchers, and undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged to attend Opportunity 2006.
Hosting sponsors include the UNCW Cameron School of Business, the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center, the City of Wilmington, the Small Business Technology and Development Center, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, and the Small Business Center at Cape Fear Community College.
Additional information on Opportunity 2006 - keynote speakers and panel session topics - will be announced in the coming weeks. To register online, please visit www.cednc.org/opportunity. For details on sponsorship opportunities, contact CED’s Seth Harward at sharward@cednc.org or 919.549.7500 x 126.
About CED: The Council for EntrepreneurialDevelopment (CED) is a private, non-profit organization formed in 1984 to identify, enable and promote high growth, high impact entrepreneurial companies and to accelerate the entrepreneurial culture of the Research Triangle and North Carolina. CED is the largest and oldest entrepreneurial support organization in the nation with more than 4,000 members representing over 1,100 entrepreneurial companies, financiers and professional firms. In July 2005, Wilmington’s Coastal Entrepreneurial Council merged with CED to create CED-Coastal, a divisional office focused on entrepreneurial development in Wilmington and throughout North Carolina’s entire coastal region. CED provides education, mentoring and capital formation resources to new and existing high-growth entrepreneurs through annual conferences, seminars, workshops and programs on entrepreneurial management and finance. www.cednc.org
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