Technology Day 2005 Receives Grant from Andrews Kurth to Continue Business Plan Contest

DALLAS -- The Tech Alliance of Dallas (TAD) will host the third annual Technology Day on January 15, 2005 at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTDallas) Conference Center. The event will bring together hundreds of business owners, venture capitalists and other professionals involved in technology entrepreneurship for purposes of accelerating the growth of leading edge companies in Dallas. TAD is an "umbrella" organization comprised of several leading Metroplex technology and entrepreneurship organizations with thousands of members. The program is from noon to 5 p.m. and costs $10. Advance registration is required. Details and registration are at www.tadallas.org.

A highlight of this year’s conference will be The Business Plan Competition sponsored by Andrews Kurth LLP. The competition began at last year’s event and received significant attention. Contestants will compete in small groups and will have expert coaches as they create a fictitious high-tech company, write a business plan, and make a presentation to investors and to the Technology Day audience. A prize of $1,000 will be awarded to the winning team by Andrews Kurth.

David Washburn, a Partner in Andrews Kurth’s Technology Practice, said, "At Andrews Kurth we are dedicated to supporting the long-term success of high-tech entrepreneurs in Dallas. Accordingly, we are proud that we are able to make The Business Plan Competition an annual event."

The keynote speaker at this year’s event will be Rusty Cone, President of Alliance Systems Ltd., Plano, a Texas-based company specializing in communications and computing solutions. Mr. Cone is an expert in business process excellence.

A late afternoon panel entitled How to Build a Business from Seed-Stage to Rollout of Product to First Customers will feature experts who will share secrets of success for building a high-tech business.

The event is expected to attract hundreds of technology professionals from all over North Texas as it did in the previous two years in which it was held.

Andrews Kurth LLP, founded in 1902, has more than 400 lawyers and eight offices in Austin, Dallas, Houston, London, Los Angeles, New York, The Woodlands and Washington, DC. The firm has an international client base and has experience in all major industries and areas of business law and litigation.