Application Criteria

CED's Tech 2007 - Immerse Yourself in Innovation
October 10-11, 2007
The Friday Center
Chapel Hill, NC

The Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) invites you to submit an application to demo at Tech 2007. Now in its 17th year, CED’s annual technology conference is one of the region's premier events showcasing new products, providing networking opportunities and featuring lively discussions on principal industry issues.

• What is the Benefit of Being a Tech 2007 Demo Participant?
• What are the Application Criteria?
• How and When Do You Apply?
• What are the Application Fees?
• What is the Selection Process?
• What are the Fees if Selected to Demo?
• Need Further Information?

What is the Benefit of Being a Tech 2007 Demo Participant?

Being a demo participant provides an opportunity to show off your applications and developments to investors, emerging company CEO's, corporate executives and technology entrepreneurs, and to see what's hot in the marketplace. Last year's conference drew over 650 industry leaders from the Research Triangle area and other Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states.

• Potential Partnerships - Major technology companies in attendance will be looking for new products to complete or complement their existing product lines. For Tech 2007, CED is recruiting and working with companies such as IBM, Cisco Systems, Red Hat, Microsoft, SAS, Intel, Time Warner, BellSouth, GlaxoSmithKline, Becton Dickinson, Cardinal Health, Abbott Laboratories, Pfizer and more.
• Funding Opportunities - Private investors and venture capitalists from across the Southeast will be attending. Demonstrations of your product will be the first step in gaining their attention.
• Potential Customers - The conference is attended by a wide variety of business executives and decision-makers who may represent your company's target market, including execs from many of our corporate partners, mentioned above.
• Media - CED's Tech Conference has historically attracted local and regional press, as well as national media.
• People’s Choice Demo Award - Selected demo participants will have the opportunity to win the 4th Annual People’s Choice Award, which will be voted on by conference attendees. This process will also increase media attention.

And, here is some feedback from past demo participants on their experience:

“Due to its blue chip attendees and diverse exhibitors, Tech 2006 proved to be an outstanding showcase for our newest technology based offerings. The selection of Sensory as the Peoples Choice Award winner also helped generate significant media interest and investor inquiries for our fast growing company.”
-- Greg Frisby, CEO, Sensory Analytics, LLC
Tech 2006 People’s Choice Award winner

“CED’s Tech 2006 event offered Preation real value in two ways: first, by providing us with a structured outlet for showcasing our new technology to local investors, partners, and technologists, and second, by walking us through the application and demonstration process which, through being so craftily prepared, required us to think deeply about our technology and business model and how we would communicate this information with our first real audience. Since the event we’ve continued to meet folks who know our name and what we do after seeing us at Tech 2006 or hearing about us in related promotional materials.”
-- Aaron Houghton, President & CEO, Preation, Inc. Web Development

“InfoTech 2004 was a great experience for Integrian and a wonderful opportunity to visit with investors and demonstrate our product. In fact, the event helped launch our series-b funding effort which was very successful. We would recommend Tech 2007 to any young company as a chance to meet investors and learn how to demonstrate product or technology to a very knowledgeable audience.”
-- Pete Durand, CEO, Integrian, Inc.

“Demo'ing was a great opportunity for Field2Base to gain valuable exposure to potential customers, investors and employees. The power of our product is best understood when seen in person and the conference provided an excellent venue for our product demonstrations. We were very pleased with the ROI for the time, money and energy spent preparing for InfoTech 05.”
-- Robert McKenzie, Chief Financial Officer, Field2Base

“I found CED's InfoTech 2005 to be a great opportunity to network and engage with many service providers, media and potential customers, employees and investors. It provided a wonderful avenue for Centice Corporation to promote and demo our new technology, along with other extraordinary companies in the area. I continue to be impressed by how CED coordinates all of their events we have participated in and will continue to be very involved. I recommend that all emerging companies in the area experience it.”
-- Stacy Stein, Sales Administrator, Centice Corporation

“CED's InfoTech was a great showcase opportunity for Inlet Technologies and our high definition encoding technology. It provided great exposure and created opportunities for business networking and introductions to potential investors. I would readily recommend CED and Tech 2007 to all emerging companies looking to generate awareness.”
-- Neal Page, CEO, Inlet Technologies Inc.

“Being a demo participant was the perfect venue for TransLoc to display our technology. Potential investors, employees, partners, and customers lined up to talk with us. Our team walked out of there agreeing that there was no better way to have spent our day.”
-- Joshua Whiton, TransLoc

[ Top ]

What are the Application Criteria?

• You must be a Southeast or Mid-Atlantic-based company.
• If you have been a demo participant at Tech in the past, you must have developed a new technology or product application of the technology since that time.
• You must be able to demo the technology capabilities at the time of applying - this can be done as a mock-up or with static screen shots if the technology is not fully developed.

[ Top ]

How and When Do You Apply?

To apply, complete the application to appear as a Demo Participant and submit your application via the secure Web site to CED with a $195 application fee (application fee applies only to non-CED members and includes a one-year CED membership). Application deadline is July 27, 2007.

Because selection is highly competitive, participants are encouraged to submit applications as early as possible to receive full consideration for all demo participation slots.

[ Top ]

What are the Application Fees?

There is a $195 application fee for non-CED members - this includes a one-year membership to CED. Members of CED are exempt from the application fee. A credit card payment of $195 must accompany all non-member applications. Non-member applications will only be processed with the application fee.

Application materials (including applicable application fee) must be received before 5 p.m. July 27, 2007 to ensure eligibility.

[ Top ]

What is the Selection Process?

A screening committee of qualified individuals selected by CED will review each application. Approximately 40 companies will be selected to demo. The selection process includes a review of the written application, a possible phone consultation with a member of the selection committee and a possible live screening of the technology.

Selection of the demo participants is competitive and based on the screening committee's assessment of the technology. You will be notified of your selection as a demo participant in as timely a manner as possible.

[ Top ]

What are the Fees if Selected to Demo?

SELECTED Demo participants will be assessed a $199 participation fee ($100 for University Demo participants) which helps defray CED's direct expenses (meals, materials, etc.). Full conference participation for four (4) company representatives is covered by the $199 participation fee. Additional company representatives may attend for $100 per person ($50 for additional University Demo Participant representatives).

[ Top ]

Need Further Information?

If you have any questions, need additional information, or need guidance in developing your application, contact Dhruv Patel via email at dpatel@cednc.org or at 919.549.7500 ext. 118.

[ Top ]