BioWest 2005 Expands to Feature Venture Capital Award

Denver, CO, August 15, 2005 --(PR.com)-- The Rocky Mountain Region's premier networking event and trade show for the biotechnology and medical devices industries has expanded to include the first annual $10,000 Faegre & Benson Venture Showcase Award, to be presented to the winning emerging biosciences company at the Venture Capital program on November 8, 2005. 

The award, sponsored by the law firm Faegre & Benson, is designed to help support growing biotech companies and provide visibility in front of a high-profile venture capital panel.  The BioWest organizers are expecting approximately 10 to 12 companies to participate in the competition. 

"This award truly sets BioWest apart from other industry events and is generating a lot of excitement in the community," says Chistine Shapard, director of biosciences and emerging industries for the Governor's  Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT).  "It's great to see some of our smaller companies vying not only for the $10,000 prize, but also for the visibility at the region's premier event for our industry."

"We're very excited to be able to assist early stage bioscience companies by sponsoring this award and coordinating the VC track presentations," says Dr. Richard Nakashima, a biotech patent attorney with Faegre & Benson.  "Our firm has a history of supporting not only the large players in the biotech industry, such as Guidant and Roche Colorado, but also working with a diverse group of companies, from the earliest startups to mid-level established companies.  Our continuing support of the Colorado bioscience community, such as our sponsorship of this unrestricted Award, is something that we're very proud of."

BioWest, an annual event hosted by OEDIT in partnership with the Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA), Fitzsimons, the City of Denver, the Metro Denver EDC and numerous research institutions, will take place November 8 and 9, 2005 at the new Colorado Convention Center. The event, which expects more than 700 attendees, includes 15 expert panels and five breakout tracks on topics ranging from start-up issues and regulatory requirements to international clinical trials, as well as the Annual Awards Dinner. 

For more information and to find the application, go to: http://www.biowestconference.com.

The Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) is a not-for-profit corporation providing services and support for Colorado's growing biosciences industry. With over 300 members, CBSA actively works to promote the growth of the industry by working for a better business environment, grow the state's biotech workforce, fight for policies that support a strong bioscience industry in the state and speak with a single voice on behalf of the industry.  For more information, please visit http://www.cobioscience.com.

The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade works to foster a positive business climate that encourages quality economic development through financial and technical assistance for local and regional economic development activities throughout the State of Colorado. For more information, please visit http://www.AdvanceColorado.com.

Faegre & Benson LLP is a full-service law firm with offices in Denver, Boulder, Minneapolis, Des Moines, London, Frankfurt and Shanghai, with more than 100 attorneys in Colorado and more than 450 worldwide.  Faegre & Benson is proud to support the Colorado and national bioscience industry with services in corporate law, intellectual property, labor and employment, financial transactions and a wide range of other legal services.  For more information, please visit http://www.faegre.com.
 
Contacts:

Christine Shapard, Director of Biosciences and Emerging Industries for the Governor's  Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT),  303.892.3840

Denise Brown, Executive Director, Colorado BioScience Association, 303.592.4073

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