When: Tuesday, Oct. 3
Time: 5 - 7 p.m.
Where: The Jones Library basement room, Amity Street, Amherst.

REGIONAL OFFICIALS, ENTREPRENEURS AND ACADEMICS
TO EXPLORE CONNECTING THE REGION TO THE GROWING DIGITAL MARKETPLACE

Regional economic leaders, government officials and new media entrepreneurs will meet from 5 to 7
p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 3 in the basement room at the Jones Library, Amity Street, Amherst, to
share short presentations on the growing digital marketplace and discuss how the Pioneer Valley
can leverage this sector for economic development.

The digital marketplace - also called new media - represents the transmission of digital content to
a variety of platforms from video games to cell phones, laptops to movie theaters and the classroom.
The new media represents one of the fastest-growing and most lucrative global markets.

The great news is that the region has some of the top film and new media academic departments in
the world, along with some of the top content producers and new media techies. (See
www.hidden-tech.net under "past events" and Valley Goes Hollywood for examples) Even better,
the new media represents clean industry that's conducted on PCs, servers, or in sound studios,
and often within homes and small offices sprinkled throughout the region. There may be a
new media entrepreneur next door, but you'd never know it.

Economic developers and government officials throughout the Pioneer Valley are exploring a
number of ways to breed economic development through the studio arts, if not digital arts. For
example, Franklin County is promoting a creative initiative for artists and several communities
promote gallery evenings, artist studio walks, etc. Private developers, including those at
Eastworks in Easthampton, Open Square in Holyoke, and Richard Slobody and Barry Roberts --both in
Amherst -- are already creating space for technology entrepreneurs and artists without
advertising their space for the new media entrepreneurs in their midst.

What's needed to grow this sector is a synergy between all of these players and the academic
community to connect, cross-fertilize and assist each other. Right now academics and new media
entrepreneurs rarely connect. The fact that the region is a hot-bed of new media activity is not
known to many outside of this niche. Cities and towns in this region are drowning in high
property taxes, yet this burgeoning cluster -- which could be acceptable to many with
environmental concerns -- isn't being nurtured.

The Hidden-Tech board and other regional institutions and organizations (listed below) are
backing this Oct. 3 meeting to foster learning about this sector and determine how best to
leverage it for the benefit of the Hidden-Tech network and the entire region. The event is free
and the public is invited to attend.

Amy Zuckerman, Principal of A - Z International Associates, and Amherst-based strategic marketing
firm, will facilitate. Zuckerman will represent the boards of Hidden-Tech and the Regional Technology Corporation.

--> The following new media entrepreneurs are offering short presentations:

Tom Adams - Reelife Documentary Productions Williamsburg

Raf Anzovin - Anzovin Studio - Amherst animator

Nancy Fletcher - Executive Director, Act Now! and President, Fletcher Associates
Public Relations - Media for Youth Development - Belchertown

Claudia Gere - President, Claudia Gere & Co. and Gere Publishing

Silvana Gravini - Silvana.net Web development, Holyoke/Northampton

Paul Hake - Paul Hake Productions -- Advanced Media Development, Greenfield

Mary C. McKitrick - MCM Voices - Voice-Overs, Florence

Jon Reed Vice President of SAPtips and owner of ECA books Tech/trade publishing, Northampton

Joe Minton - Digital Development Management - Video Game Agent, Northampton

Carlyn Saltman - Your Story Matters - Personal history videographer & documentary filmmaker, Greenfield/Turners

--> The following officials and/or institutions are planning to attend among others:

State Rep. Ellen Storey

The Small Business Development Center

The Pioneer Valley Regional Planning Commission

Ira Bryck, director, the UMass Family Business Center;

Craig Nicholson and Glenn Caffery of the UMass IT Program

John Coull, executive director, the Amherst Chamber of Commerce

Ann Hamilton, president, the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce

Rick Feldman, president, the Northampton Chamber of Commerce,

Robert Riddle, Development officer, Hampshire College

Leo Hwang-Carlos, Associate Dean of Humanities, Greenfield Community College

Dee Boyle-Clapp, Project Coordinator, Fostering the Arts & Culture Partnership, Greenfield Community College

Hidden-Tech

Regional Technology Corporation

--> The following officials and developers can not attend, but asked to be kept informed of the proceedings:

Ellen Bemben, President, Regional Technology Corporation

Teri Anderson, Economic Development Coordinator, the Northampton Mayor's Office of Economic Development

John Aubin, owner, Open Square, Holyoke

Contact: Amy Zuckerman, az@a-zinternational.com , 413-253-4124