/CNW/ - InfoTech, the not-for-profit industry
association that developed, organizes and manages the annual Banff
Venture Forum, has acquired the annual Canadian Financing Forum as a
means to further enhance the access to capital environment for
technology entrepreneurs while building on the current Banff Venture
Forum brand.

An essential element of the Banff Venture Forum mission is to deliver
world class educational events that provide formal training to
entrepreneurs, through boot camps, and informal training to both
entrepreneurs and investors through the Banff Venture Forums panel and
speaker content. The addition of the Canadian Financing Forum to the
Banff Venture Forum family is synergistic and will assist in improving
the opportunities for early and growth stage technology companies to
better access investment financing.

InfoTech looks forward to adding the Canadian Financing Forum to the
Banff Venture Forum program of events, says InfoTech Chairman Don
Kjosness. We welcome the opportunity to build on the stellar event that
Kathy and her team have established over the past 14 years, to further
enhance the access to capital environment for early stage technology
entrepreneurs. Kjosness added: This reinforces our commitment to
improving access to capital for innovative technology companies in
Western Canada while supporting the continued national focus on the
Banff Venture Forum.

Previous Canadian Financing Forum owner, Kathy Standeven, expressed her
excitement surrounding the recent acquisition. I am very pleased to
pass on the Canadian Financing Forum to the extremely capable InfoTech
Board and their event organizer, Marc Elrick of Critical Path Group,
said Standeven. I know that they will continue to offer a marquee event
to investors and promising technology companies alike, and I look
forward to watching the Forum continue to grow and meet the investment
needs of the technology sectors in the future.

Standeven expressed sincere gratitude to the community of Vancouver, in
particular to the Forums numerous long standing and loyal sponsors,
business partners and venture capital members throughout Canada and the
U. S. I thank you again for the opportunity, along with Dave Thomas,
Forum manager for the past seven years and the creative force behind the
Forums success, to support investment activity in Canada, says
Standeven.

Over the past 14 years, the Canadian Financing Forum has established a
strong following in the Pacific Northwest and across Canada, says
Kjosness, and on behalf of InfoTech, I would like to thank Kathy and
Dave for their commitment to both the Forum and the Canadian
entrepreneurial community.

A formal announcement of the acquisition will be made at the Banff
Venture Forum 2010, September 23 and 24, 2010 at the Fairmont Banff
Springs Hotel.

About the Banff Venture Forum:

Banff Venture Forum was conceived by InfoTech, a not-for-profit industry
association, in 1999 as a means of improving the access to capital
environment for emerging, small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) in
the technology sector. Since its inception, Banff Venture Forum has
realised an order of magnitude scale of growth in all respects, with the
2009 Forum hosting in excess of 40 venture capital firms, 37 presenting
companies and 360 delegates.

Featuring technology companies across three streams, Information
Technology, Energy & Cleantech and Life Sciences Technology, the Banff
Venture Forum provides emerging technology companies with unparalleled
visibility and an opportunity to present to leading private equity and
venture capital investors from across North America.

Banff Venture Forum 2010
September 23 & 24, 2010
Fairmont
Banff Springs Hotel
Banff, Alberta, Canada
www.banffventureforum.com

About the Canadian Financing Forum:

The Canadian Financing Forum features presentations from the best and
most promising Canadian technology companies, with over 30 technology
companies competing for attention from top tier investors from across
Canada and the United States. Focusing on both Information Technology
and Energy & Cleantech companies, the Canadian Financing Forum matches
North American corporate and venture capital investors with
entrepreneurs looking to build world-class technology companies.

Canadian Financing Forum 2011
February 10, 2011
Fairmont Pacific
Rim
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
www.financingforum.com