|
Contact: Alan Fogg, afogg@fceda.org,
703-790-0600 (office) or 571-213-5065 (mobile)
Mid-Atlantic Bio Conference germinates in Fairfax County in 2008
Meeting will spotlight county’s growing prominence in life sciences
Fairfax County, Virginia USA, October 23, 2006 – One of the area’s most prominent biotechnology conferences – the annual Mid-Atlantic Bio Conference for Industry and Investors – will be held in Fairfax County in 2008. The conference invites companies at all stages of development to make presentations to venture capital firms that specialize in funding biotechnology firms. The two-day conference also provides business development and networking opportunities for academics, policy makers, federal labs, and industry leaders.
The 2008 meeting will be held on October 23-24, at the Westfields Marriott Conference Center in Chantilly. The FCEDA is an active participant in Mid-Atlantic Bio (www.medatlanticbio.org) which is sponsored by the Virginia Biotechnology Association (www.vabio.org), MDBio and the Mid-Atlantic Venture Association.
The life sciences field is a burgeoning industry in northern Virginia. Fairfax County is home to a number of biotech and bio-IT firms, the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Studies at George Mason University, and the Fairfax County BioAccelerator, which was established in 2001 in Springfield to encourage the growth of biotech and life sciences companies. Fairfax County is also home to more than 30 venture capital firms, which are an essential ingredient to the success of many small life sciences firms.
"Fairfax County, Virginia is pleased to be named the site of the 2008 Mid-Atlantic Bio Conference,” said Gerald L. Gordon, Ph.D., CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. “Chantilly is located in the heart of northern Virginia’s world class commerce, trade and technology hub on the East Coast and will provide a fitting backdrop for this growing industry conference as it moves across the mid-Atlantic region.”
Business growth helps Fairfax County fund public services, such as the nation’s top-rated school system and library, park, public safety and human services, which contribute to the quality of life of residents. Fairfax County offers businesses a state-of-the-art telecommunications infrastructure, access to domestic and international markets through Washington Dulles International Airport, and a well-educated workforce.
The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (www.FairfaxCountyEDA.org) promotes Fairfax County as a business and technology center. The FCEDA’s Capital Attraction Program links technology entrepreneurs with potential investors. Another program supports the growth of minority- and woman-owned businesses. The FCEDA maintains offices in Silicon Valley, Bangalore, Frankfurt, London, Seoul and Tel Aviv.
# # #
| 
