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Largest Venture Capital Event in Georgia History to Attract Investors From Across the Country

May 8, 2008 - Atlanta, GA - Venture Atlanta 2008 will be the largest venture capital event in Georgia history, and is expected to bring outside funding to our state and stimulate economic growth. Scheduled to run from October 15-16 at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center, Venture Atlanta will bring top-tier venture capitalists, investment bankers, entrepreneurs, service providers and technology executives together with Georgia's most innovative technology companies.

"Metro Atlanta and Georgia start-up companies will be presenting their plans and investment opportunities to venture capitalists and investors from across the country," said Sam A. Williams, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. "Metro Atlanta is among the fastest growing high-technology metro areas in the nation, and continues to attract high-tech companies as our strength in this sector grows each year."

Following six successful years of hosting Georgia's premier venture capital conference (ION Venture Forum), the Atlanta CEO Council has joined forces with the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) to scale the event, moving it towards becoming the standard for venture capital events in the Southeast.

"TAG is pleased to be one of the founders of this new enterprise," said Tino Mantella, president of the Technology Association of Georgia. "Our motivation was to unify Georgia's technology stakeholders around one centralized venture forum. We are proud of our entrepreneur community."

Venture Atlanta will also partner with the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) and Georgia Tech's VentureLab to give investors a sneak peek at early-stage technologies being developed. Since 1999, companies from ATDC have raised over $1 billion in venture capital. In 2006, 10 of the top 25 largest venture capital deals in Georgia went to ATDC companies, representing 21 percent of investments in Georgia.

Metro Atlanta has over 10,000 technology companies employing nearly 200,000 technology workers.

Sponsorship opportunities for the event are still available. Currently, more than 20 marquee sponsors have stepped up to the plate to support the first year of Venture Atlanta. For a complete list of sponsors, please visit www.venturealtanta.org.

This is a can't miss venture conference this fall in the Southeast. Mark your calendars now and register early. Seating is limited and this event will sell out. Please visit www.venturealtanta.org or contact executive director Allyson Eman at [email=aeman@ventureatlanta.org]aeman@ventureatlanta.org[/email] or (770) 298-4202 for more details.

The Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce (MACOC) -- with our 4,000 member companies that collectively employ more than 700,000 workers -- is a catalyst for a vibrant metro region. The Metro Atlanta Chamber focuses on the issues that matter most to the business community: improving quality of life, promoting economic growth and making Atlanta a brand name that means opportunity.

About Technology Association of Georgia:
The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to support its members by generating opportunities for personal, professional and business growth. By forging strategic alliances, TAG serves as a primary catalyst to foster a rich environment for economic development in Georgia's technology community. TAG is made up of 4000 members representing technology leaders from over 1000 Georgia-based companies, affiliated technology and business organizations. For more information on TAG, visit www.tagonline.org.

About the Atlanta CEO Council
The Atlanta CEO Council is an exclusive organization for C-Level and senior executives that has been serving the community since 1999. The Council membership is comprised of more than 1000 CEOs and senior executives (CIOs, CFOs, COOs, CTOs,) from leading technology and related companies from across the Southeast. Members of the Atlanta CEO Council represent companies that employ more than 50,000 people in the Atlanta region and generate over $10 billion in direct annual revenue for the local economy.