From: La Manno, Dan [mailto:usgp@goldenwave.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2001 5:31 PM
Subject: How we got dozens of new customers in one day.
 
Dear VentureTech Members:
 
This is a business builder heads-up.  We at DFD Enterprises, Inc., dba Entre Computer Services, just partnered with Adtran, Polycom and Ingram at an IT conference in Southern California.  The CONNECT event tours the country and attracts those at the pinnacles of corporate and government leadership in each city.  This was the second event we participated in, and each and every project has been a SCREAMING SUCCESS!  At the event last week, we presented seven one-hour briefings in our own meeting room.  Presentations were also delivered by Microsoft, Gateway, Cisco, IBM, Hewlett Packard, AT&T, Nextel, and dozens of others.
 
CONNECT is now the world's largest touring technology conference and is presented by HorizonEvents.com based out of Minneapolis.  38 events have been delivered in 25 cities, primarily in the western states, but they are branching out all over the US.  The next events with available speaking slots are in Minneapolis, Tampa, and Tulsa.
 
Attendance is by invitation only, limited to CXOs (CEOs, CIOs, etc) and heads of government.  We met CEOs and CIOs at this event that we have been trying to set appointments with for months.  The event organizers partner with local chambers of commerce in each city to help market enrollments, and the chambers share in the revenues (attendees pay several hundred dollars each to attend).
 
Connect 2001 Ventura County had over 500 attendee's.  We presented 7 one hour briefings, three from Adtran, three from Polycom and one Panel Q&A presentation by Adtran, Polycom and us.  The presenters from Adtran and Polycom contributed co-op dollars to pay for this and were more than impressed with the professional of the event.  Because of our previous experience with this conference, we knew what to expect -- a good show!  And it was.  We have a lead list of over 500 local business and government decision makers, along with a list of the attendee's who sat in on our briefings.
 
We feel that the exposure and the leads acquired from this show will be a great value for the investment!
 
Rich McComas, of HorizonEvents, can be reached at rich@horizonevents.com.  You might want to drop him an email with your contact information and find out when he will be having a event in your area.
 
Regards,
 
Dan LaManno
Entre Computer Services
663 Mulhardt Ave
Oxnard, CA  93030
(805) 981-9186