WTIA Summer Celebration to Feature Xconomy's Battle of the Tech Bands

Annual networking event to showcase local tech industry's best bands.

SEATTLE, April 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Washington Technology
Industry Association (WTIA) (http://www.washingtontechnology.org) and Xconomy
(www.xconomy.com) are teaming up to rock you, Seattle. The WTIA, North
America's largest statewide association of technology companies, IT
departments and individual technology professionals, today announced that its
annual Summer Celebration tech industry networking event will feature the
Xconomy Battle of the Tech Bands. Xconomy, a localized business, technology
and life sciences news site, which holds an annual Battle of the Tech Bands in
Boston, is bringing the wildly popular event to Seattle for the first time.
The event will take place on July 30 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Pyramid
Brewery's outdoor beer garden across the street from Safeco Field.

The Battle of the Tech Bands will pit five or six bands with tech-industry
members against each other in competition for two grand prizes: Most
Innovative (determined by a panel of judges) and Audience Favorite (determined
by those in attendance).

"Each year, our Summer Celebration offers the tech community a casual and fun
outlet for networking and making industry connections," said Ken Myer,
president and CEO of the WTIA. "This year, we're excited to partner with
Xconomy to showcase some of our industry's greatest undiscovered musical
talents in the Battle of the Tech Bands. What better way to spend a summer
evening than with good company, cold drinks and great music?"

The cost for the event is $30 for members/$35 for non-members (online
registration) or $35 members/$40 non-members at the door. More information and
registration details are available on the WTIA's Web site:
http://www.washingtontechnology.org).

"We've done a Battle of the Tech Bands in Boston the last two years--and it's
been a great night, great fun and helped great causes," said Bob Buderi,
Xconomy founder and editor in chief. "We're really excited to work with the
WTIA to do the same thing in Seattle, which we understand might have a great
band or two itself."

Bands interested in competing in the Battle should send an email to
techbands@xconomy.com before Friday, June 12 with the following information:

-- Band name
-- Name(s) of the technology, life sciences or investment firms at which
the band's members work (at least one member of the band must be
affiliated with the local tech industry)
-- Names of all band members and their instruments
-- Band leader email address and phone number
-- At least one sample song (MP3 demo)
-- URL for the band's Web site or MySpace/Facebook page (if possible)

Sponsors of the Summer Celebration include Lionfish Creative (headline
sponsor) and charitable partner the Technology Access Foundation.

About the Washington Technology Industry Association
The Washington Technology Industry Association, founded in 1984, is the
largest statewide association of technology companies, IT departments and
individual technology professionals in North America. With more than 1,000
member companies representing more than 100,000 employees in Washington State,
the association is a catalyst for sharing expertise, fostering collaboration,
delivering key business services and advancing the value and global impact of
technology companies doing business in Washington. The association's global
partners are Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, Microsoft, Regence BlueShield, Sun
Microsystems, Vertafore and Wells Fargo Insurance Services. The association's
funding partners are AH&T Insurance, F5 Networks, GrapeCity, Moss Adams and
RealNetworks. For more information, go to www.washingtontechnology.org.

SOURCE Washington Technology Industry Association

Katie James of Sterling Communications for WTIA, +1-206-388-5758,
kjames@sterlingpr.com