CENTRAL LOCATION AND CULTURAL ASSETS MAKE PORTSMOUTH, NH,  
FUTURE FORWARD’S LOCATION OF CHOICE 

NEW ENGLAND’S LEADING TECH CONFERENCE ALSO IMPRESSED BY EAGER RESPONSES FROM AREA BUSINESSES AND NH GOVERNOR’S OFFICE

PORTSMOUTH, N.H., Aug. 26, 2004 ¾ New England’s largest conference of technology executives, high-tech entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists has chosen Portsmouth, N.H., as the home for its fall forum after participants rated the city highly following last year’s event, and business and government leaders welcomed it eagerly. Future Forward will hold this year’s Oct. 14-15, 2004 event at the Sheraton Portsmouth Hotel, and has already committed to coming back in 2005, according to event officials. Last year’s Future Forward in Portsmouth was the organization’s largest program ever.

“We were impressed by New Hampshire’s commitment to the technology industry at every level, from the local level right up to the governor’s office,” said Future Forward President Shayne Gilbert. “From showing us around the city to involving us in business events, everyone we dealt with took it as a personal commitment to make Portsmouth the ideal location for Future Forward.”  

High technology is a major pillar of the New Hampshire economy. More than 400 software and information technology companies are based in the state. New Hampshire ranks third in the U.S. for the percentage of its workforce employed in information technology. The University of New Hampshire is a top technical research institution, and also supports the Interoperability Laboratory, the industry’s only non-commercial, objective facility for testing products’ ability to work together. Governor Craig Benson, a former technology executive, appeared at the event last year to underscore the technology industry’s importance in New Hampshire. Benson is also scheduled to speak at the event, among a long list of investors and “C-level” executives from New England tech companies.  

“Future Forward is one of the most prestigious events in the technology industry. Having it take place in New Hampshire gives us a chance to show companies from around the region how serious we are about nurturing our tech economy,” Benson said. “We’re looking forward to working with Future Forward and local businesspeople to make Portsmouth the forum’s permanent home.”  

Portsmouth scored high with Future Forward attendees and organizers for its easy access from all the New England states and its cultural amenities. There are more than 40 restaurants within a five-minute walk from the conference site, plus shops, cafes, spas, parks, museums and galleries. Conference participants can hook up to the Internet via wireless connections at several downtown locations. Business groups such as the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce, the eCoast and the New Hampshire Software Council worked with Future Forward to spread the word and to negotiate with hotels and meeting facilities.

About Future Forward
Future Forward brings New England’s technology visionaries together to hash out what’s next in hardware, software and life sciences. It’s a two-day conversation among movers and shakers about forces transforming the technology world. Future Forward is designed for entrepreneurs, investors, IT executives and technology innovators. It presents unparalleled opportunities to share ideas and do business with your peers from around New England to sharpen your vision of the future and accelerate your organization’s forward motion. Conference sponsors include Nixon Peabody LLC and Beaupre & Co. Public Relations, Inc. For more information go to www.futureforward.com.

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