For more information contact:
Scott Reigstad, 608.261.2506
Over 60 Wisconsin industry leaders traveling to Philadelphia for BIO 2005
MADISON – – The home of that famous southpaw Rocky Balboa, the Liberty Bell and the Cheese Steak sandwich will soon become the temporary quarters for Wisconsin life science executives, economic developers, state government officials, lawyers, venture capitalists, researchers, technology licensing representatives and higher education professionals. Wisconsin will send a delegation of over 60 people to the Philadelphia Convention Center for BIO 2005. BIO 2005 is the largest biotechnology-related conference in the world. More than 18,000 biotech executives, investors, journalists, policy makers and scientists from 61 countries and 48 states are expected to attend. Forward Wisconsin President Pepi Randolph will lead the Wisconsin contingent to the event that will take place on June 19-22.
“Forward Wisconsin is pleased to partner with the Wisconsin Department of Commerce, the Wisconsin Biotechnology and Medical Device Association, the Wisconsin Technology Council and dozens of biotechnology leaders from around the state to help coordinate the Wisconsin presence at BIO 2005,” said Randolph. “We appreciate very much everyone from the state that is working to share Wisconsin’s tremendous biotech success story and their own company success stories on the international platform at BIO 2005.”
BIO 2005 is organized by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and is the primary annual educational conference for the life science industry. A large Wisconsin exhibit pavilion area will highlight the state’s marketing program. Among the Wisconsin organizations participating in the exhibit pavilion are:
BIOPONS/ Fitchburg Technology Neighborhood
Bio-Technical Resources
Cambridge Major Laboratories
ConjuGon
Clonex Development
EMD Biosciences/Novagen
EraGen Biosciences
Forward Wisconsin
The Marshfield Clinic
The Medical College of Wisconsin
Mirus Bio Corporation
NeoClone Biotechnology International
Next Generation Clinical Research Consulting
Pierce Biotechnology
PointOne Systems
Promega Corporation
QRG Bioscience
Scientific Protein Laboratories
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
Wisconsin Biotechnology & Medical Device Association
The Wisconsin Technology Council
“Biotechnology is a strong and emerging sector for Wisconsin with resources that can compete with any state in the U.S., ” said Randolph. “However, it is important that we attract more businesses, investment and talent to the state so we can fuel even more growth and more employment opportunities. Our challenge is to let people outside Wisconsin know that our state is becoming a major player in the life sciences and we can do that through an aggressive presence in Philadelphia.”
Attendees of note at this year’s BIO include golfing legend and patient advocate Arnold Palmer, Grammy Award winner and breast cancer survivor Melissa Etheridge and actor and breast cancer survivor Richard Roundtree. Wisconsin officials are already planning for an even larger presence at BIO 2006, which will take place April 9-12, 2006 in Chicago.
