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Life science VC and biotech confabs to fly solo this fall

Stock Option Trading By Kristin V. Johnson • 07/21/04 MADISONAfter partnering up for two years, the Wisconsin Life Sciences and Venture Conference and the Wisconsin Biotech & Medical Device Conference have decided to go their separate ways.

Due to different target audiences and themes, these autumn conferences are now being planned separately. According to John Neis, senior partner at Venture Investors LCC and member of both organizations boards, the conferences were originally combined to set Wisconsins event apart from other proceedings around the country and to boost attendance, specifically with investors. But the broad message wasnt as effective as hoped.

The Life Sciences [Conference] was spread over two days in the past and venture capitalists were only coming in for venture capital part of it anyway. From their perspective they wont even notice, Neis said. Given the fact [the conferences] were initially combined to create critical mass, the audiences were different there was no benefit from synergy. Theyre better run separately.

This year, the WBMDA Fall Conference will feature presentations on starting, developing and expanding biotechnology and medical device companies, specifically examining employee recruitment, marketing products and intellectual property. Alternatively, the Wisconsin Life Science and Venture Conference will be hosting 20 regional companies and featuring a technology showcase that will be presented by University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists.

According to Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council, the Life Sciences Conference is geared toward private investment activities and the Biotech Associations event is aiming to provide information and services to help member companies function as businesses.

In some sense there was an overlap in the market, but we discovered in the past two years maybe there wasnt much of an overlap, Still said.

The Wisconsin Life Sciences and Venture Conference will be held Nov. 16-17 at the Monona Terrace. The Wisconsin Biotech & Medical Device Conference is set for Oct. 26 at the Marriot West.

date results (nine months) for the U.S. for total VC investment were $16.3 billion versus $15.9 billion last year or a growth rate of 3 percent. For the life science sector, VC investment levels were $4.2 billion or about 26 percent of the total investment. This level compares to $4.1 billion for last year or a growth of about 2 percent. It appears that life science venture investing is picking up in the last part of 2005.

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