HispanicBusiness

The Florida Venture Forum is calling for participating sponsors and outstanding private companies in all industries from the state of Florida interested in applying to be presenters at its 22nd annual Florida Venture Capital Conference, to be held Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2013, at the Marriott Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, Fla.

The principal purpose of the Annual Conference is to showcase 20-25 later-stage, high-growth private companies before an international audience of venture capitalists, private equity investors and investment bankers. These entrepreneurial companies should have talented management teams, proprietary technology and high growth potential.

Although presenters are typically seeking later-stage funding, they are encouraged to present at the Conference even if they are not seeking funding, so they can showcase their company for marketing purposes. The selected presenters are not only profiled before an international venture capital audience, they also receive substantial and valuable education in areas such as business plan writing, public speaking (and "pitching") and venture capital negotiations.

The presenters of the last 21 Florida Venture Capital Conferences have been very successful from a funding standpoint, raising a total of $2.6 billion to date. Approximately 700 people attended the 2012 Conference, of which 200 were venture capital firms from across the U.S., Europe and South America representing billions of dollars to invest in Florida.

The Florida Venture Capital Conference has become a "must attend" networking opportunity for venture capitalists and other investors interested in emerging Florida businesses.

Companies wishing to submit an application to present at the Conference must apply online at http://apply.flvencap.org (Note: Right click on your mouse and select open hyperlink then create a log-in I.D. and password and use Internet Explorer as your browser) by the early deadline of Nov. 16, 2012. Please note the final deadline is Dec. 31, 2012.

The Florida Venture Forum does not accept hard copy submissions. These applications will be reviewed by a selection committee comprised of venture capitalists and private equity investors.

As part of its continued efforts to extend its outreach throughout Florida and the southeastern U.S., officials with the Florida Venture Forum are working to develop an effective entrepreneurial network to assist with sourcing and ongoing support of high growth companies.

Sponsorship Levels range from the Sustaining Level at $3,500 to a Platinum Sponsor at $12,000. Companies wishing to be a Sponsor at the Conference can view sponsorship levels on the website at www.floridaventureforum.org or contact the Florida Venture Forum directly.

For any questions regarding the Conference, please e-mail Pat Schneider, the Florida Venture Forum's Program Director at pat@floridaventureforum.org or call (813) 335-8116. For additional information about the Florida Venture Forum, please visit the website at www.floridaventureforum.org.