TiEcon 2007 -- the World's Largest Convention for Entrepreneurs Begins Today

SANTA CLARA, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- May 18, 2007 -- TiE Silicon Valley announces the commencement of TiEcon 2007, the world's largest convention for entrepreneurs in its 14th year, taking place today and Saturday, May 19 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, California.

Over 4,000 attendees:

With more than 4,000 registered attendees, TiEcon 2007 will explore today's business environment and discuss the big issues facing industry and entrepreneurs. Keynote Speakers, Distinguished Speakers, Luminary Panels, and Stories from the Front Line will focus on "The New Face of Entrepreneurship" across businesses and ecosystems. TiEcon attendees will have the opportunity to interact with numerous industry experts, corporate executives, VCs, customers, and entrepreneurs.

TiEcon 2007 Theme - The New Face of Entrepreneurship:

The face of business is dramatically changing as Generation Y, baby boomers, mid-career women, mompreneurs, and new business leaders are coming together to create the most diverse and innovative pool of entrepreneurs.

The recent startups represent the emergence of a new face of entrepreneurship. The new faces of entrepreneurship speak at TiEcon 2007 -- Ashwin Navin, President & Co-Founder, BitTorrent Inc., Alex Welch, Co-Founder & CEO, Photobucket, Jaideep Singh, Co-Founder & CEO, Spock Networks, Inc., Matt Cohler, VP, Facebook.

Laura Tyson Speaks at the kick-off Global Charter Member Reception:

TiEcon 2007 kicked off Thursday evening, May 17 with the Global Charter Member Reception which took place at the Santa Clara Convention Center.

"The great wealth here in US has been created due to Entrepreneurship, Immigration, and Education. We have to bring that spirit of Innovation and Entrepreneurship to the world," said Laura Tyson, Professor at the Haas School of Business of University of California, Berkeley and Former Chair of President's Council of Economic Advisors addressing over 300 TiE Global Charter Members. Said Tyson, "As the dean of Haas School of Business I was always on the look out for organizations that foster Entrepreneurship. I came to know about TiE 10 years ago. TiE was then a small organization and today it has grown so much, it is amazing."

Over 200 Top Speakers share their dreams, stories, and insights:

The Featured Keynote Speakers include some of the best in business and are represented by Meg Whitman, President & CEO, eBay Inc., Tim O'Reilly, CEO, O'Reilly Media, and Marc Benioff, Chairman and CEO, Salesforce.com. The Distinguished Speakers include Matt Cohler, VP Strategy & Business Operations, Facebook, Vinod Khosla, Founder, Khosla Ventures, and Takeshi Natsuno, SVP & MD, NTT DoCoMo Inc.

Leading VCs meet with emerging entrepreneurs:

With more than 200 VCs scheduled to attend, TiEcon is perhaps the best place to meet one. To further ensure this, TiEcon is hosting an exclusive event called "Entrepreneurs Bazaar," where attendees can schedule quality one-on-one meetings with industry experts from venture capital, legal, finance, and other firms. The Entrepreneurs Bazaar format is designed to provide attendees with feedback and critique for their ideas, which will enable them to take their plans to the next level.

Sessions designed to foster Entrepreneurship and discuss key Industry Trends:

Panel discussions on "How to raise your seed round?," "The New Frontiers in Entrepreneurship," and "Growing for success" set the ground work to identify and explore opportunities. Come listen to in-depth panel discussions on latest developments in Web 2.0, Wireless, Semiconductor & Networking, Software, Life Sciences, and Clean Technology.

Still Time to Register

On-site registration for TiEcon 2007 is still available for full conference or one-day passes. Full conference passes start at $295 for members and $325 for non-members. One-day conference passes are $195 for members and $225 for non-members. Students are welcome to attend at a discounted rate.

About TiE

TiEcon is TiE Silicon Valley's annual flagship event. Founded in 1992 in Silicon Valley, TiE is a not-for-profit global network of entrepreneurs and professionals. TiE stands for Talent, Ideas, and Enterprise; it is an open and inclusive organization that has rapidly grown to more than 45 chapters in 10 countries with a membership base of over 10,000. TiE Silicon Valley is sponsored by the top Venture Capital firms, Fortune 500 corporations, and professional service providers. TiE fosters entrepreneurship through mentoring, networking, and education. At the heart of TiE is its strong ecosystem, which has enabled members to facilitate and create a cohesive network of strong, viable, and sustainable chapters worldwide. The TiE brand is synonymous with entrepreneurship and wealth creation globally.

Contact Information: Conference Contact: Email Contact Phone: 408.567.0700 x231 Fax: 408.567.0777 Media Contact Information: Melisa Glasberg Terpin Communications Email Contact Phone: 310.755.8759