Six groups join together to promote largest gathering of business, technology, and education professionals in the North Bay.

SAN RAFAEL, CA - Six major business and technology professional groups have joined together to produce the first-ever multiple association event in the North Bay. This networking celebration takes place on Wed., June 4, from 6 to 9 pm, at the beautiful Unity Center, 600 Palm Drive, Hamilton Center, Novato.

Participating groups include:

• North Bay Multimedia Association (NBMA)
• BayCHI - http://www.baychi.org/
• Business Specialists: Business Development Forum (formerly the Market Place) - http://www.marketplaceexperts.com/
• North Bay Technology Roundtable (NBTR) - http://www.nbtr.org
• Professional Videographers of the North Bay (PVNB) - http://www.pvnb.org/
• Softech - http://www.softech.org/

SUMMER BREAKOUT 2003 is a direct response to the sluggish economy and difficult circumstances oppressing Bay Area businesses and associations. Professional groups have long promoted events aimed at bringing together people for contacts and networking. In recent times, however, these events have too often become "fishbowl experiences" for the participants: The same faces showing up all the time, the same group of people all hoping to make new connections to increase their business.

SUMMER BREAKOUT 2003 dramatically mixes up the networking equation. By drawing upon the membership and communities of a diverse group of organizations, SUMMER BREAKOUT 2003 offers professionals in the fields of business, technology, and education the opportunity to connect across boundaries and meet a wide range of new contacts.

Everyone who depends on connections for their professional survival should attend. You do not need to be a member of any of these organizations. This is networking amplified!

This unique "networking celebration" will be held in the beautiful setting of the Unity Center in Hamilton. The three-hour event will provide pro-active networking activities, organization showcases, book raffles, and food and drink. Members of the sponsoring organizations are admitted free. General admission is $10. Everyone is urged to bring plenty of business cards!

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONS

Since 1992, the North Bay Multimedia Association (NBMA) has been a meeting ground where people from all parts of the media community can exchange ideas, see new work, find business support, and socialize in a productive and friendly atmosphere. Our mission is to encourage the growth of the interactive multimedia industry in the San Francisco North Bay. We bring developers into contact with financial advisors, investors, and distribution channels. We provide and facilitate training opportunities, symposiums, and information resources. We promote the use of multimedia tools and on-line learning as a part of the education for tomorrow's work force and entrepreneurs. Our membership includes developers, programmers, artists, film and video producers, writers, instruction technologists, educators, attorneys, tool providers, Web site designers, internet service providers, and others. No single label describes us all.

BayCHI is the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction (SIGCHI). BayCHI is organized and operated exclusively for educational and scientific purposes in the area of Computer-Human Interaction. ACM SIGCHI brings together people working on the design, evaluation, implementation, and study of interactive computing systems for human use. ACM SIGCHI provides an international, interdisciplinary forum for the exchange of ideas about the field of human-computer interaction (HCI).
http://www.baychi.org

The Business Specialists Business Development Forum is a partnership among business owners and independent entrepreneurs to promote their services to the community. Business Specialists was founded in 1995 as the Market Place. It is a targeted network of successful professionals. Each member is an expert in his or her profession and represents that profession exclusively within the group. Each person has passed a rigorous application process which includes evaluation, peer review, and referral research. We are committed to enrolling only the highest caliber people in each profession with whom we can place our trust and referrals. We sponsor networking events, offer qualified leads to our members, and provide expert advice in a wide variety of business, marketing, consumer, and technology categories.
http://www.marketplaceexperts.com/

The North Bay Technology Roundtable (NBTR) is comprised of executives from over twenty-five local technology-driven companies as well as representatives from local educational institutions. The group, staffed by the Sonoma County Economic Development Board, was founded in 1999 to foster a supportive business environment for North Bay technology companies and to provide a forum for the development of public/private partnerships. NBTR addresses issues such as education, the environment, community infrastructure, and public awareness.
http://www.nbtr.org

The Professional Videographers of the North Bay first came together in June of 1997 as a not-for-profit organization and is currently the only networking and mutual support organization exclusively serving the needs of video professionals in the counties of Marin, Sonoma, and Napa counties in Northern California. Our mission is to expand the skills and professionalism of our members through networking support and educational opportunities, and to raise the consciousness and level of respect in our community for the skill and creative effort that goes into video production at all levels.
http://www.pvnb.org

The North Bay Software & Technology Association (SofTECH), is a non-profit trade organization committed to fostering communication and cooperation for business and technology professionals in Marin and Sonoma counties. We develop programs, evangelize community leaders, and provide meaningful networking opportunities for our members. Our goal is to identify and showcase technology leaders and support the technology user community. Given the key role that technology plays in virtually all organizations today, SofTECH's efforts help our members to master existing tools/applications, and wherever possible, identify emerging opportunities that new technology tools promise.
http://www.softech.org

Unity in Marin, the management organization of the Unity Center, is also a sponsor of the event.