Emerging Robotics Technologies and Applications Conference
a Resounding Success

First Time Business and Product Oriented Robotics Conference Sells Out,
Uncovers Leading Issues and Serves as a Backdrop for the Launch of RoboNexus

WESTBORO, MA AND FRAMINGHAM, MA - MARCH 18, 2004 – Robotics Trends and IDG World Expo today announced that the Emerging Robotics Technologies & Applications Conference: New Business & Product Opportunities in Personal, Service & Mobile Robotics (http://www.roboticsevents.com) sold out, greatly exceeding the estimated attendance levels by drawing a worldwide audience, and generated widespread media attention. The first time conference, held at the Hyatt Regency Cambridge in Cambridge, MA on March 9-10, 2004, brought together in one place many of the world’s leading robotic manufacturers and entrepreneurs with business, investment and government executives interested in tracking the emergent personal, service and mobile robotics markets.

According to Dan Kara, conference chairman, president and co-founder of Robotics Trends, Inc., “The quantity and quality of attendees who came from around the world to learn about opportunities in the personal, service and mobile robotics market is the clearest evidence that we are indeed witnessing the birth of a new industry. Academics, investors, manufacturers, OEMs and resellers joined scores of business development professionals, representing virtually every vertical market segment, to discuss the huge opportunities in this new market. The resounding success of the Emerging Robotics Technologies and Applications Conference should serve as a wake up call to the business community that a new market for personal, service and mobile robotics is emerging from its academic and R&D nascency and proliferating into a large number of diverse consumer and business-to-business markets.”

“The overwhelming success of the Emerging Robotics Technologies and Applications Conference speaks volumes about the market potential for personal, service and mobile robotics,” noted Eliot Weinman, CEO and co-founder of Robotics Trends. “The event addressed many important issues related to standards, development and design, partnering opportunities, market sizing, the use of robotics in education, business, the military and other areas. As the only professional full time media firm in the world focused on these emerging markets, Robotics Trends will continue our efforts to grow these markets through our three integrated media platforms – events, market research and consulting, and our roboticstrends.com website."

The Emerging Robotics Technologies and Applications Conference featured more than 20 of the world’s leading business, academic and investment experts on the topic of the commercialization of emerging robotics technology. One of these speakers – Kishore Rao, senior associate at Trident Capital – added “The success of the Emerging Robotics Technologies and Applications Conference clearly indicates that the personal, service and mobile robotics market is beginning to come into its own. As a member of the venture capitalist community, it was very exciting to exchange ideas with academics, manufacturers, business development professionals and other leaders in the emerging personal, service and mobile robotics market."

Robotics Trends and IDG World Expo will follow up on the success of the Emerging Robotics Technologies and Applications Conference with RoboNexus, an international consumer, educational and business development event for personal, service and mobile robotics. RoboNexus will be held at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA, October 21-23, 2004.

About Robotics Trends
Robotics Trends is the world’s first integrated media firm serving the burgeoning personal, service and mobile robotics marketplace. Robotics Trends serves their clientele through three major business divisions:

• Robotics Trends Publishing, which produces www.roboticstrends.com, an online magazine launched in October 2003, which produces over 130,000 page views monthly;

• Robotics Trends Events, which produces RoboNexus and the Emerging Robotics Technologies & Applications Conference; and

• Robotics Trends Analyst Services serving the strategic consulting needs of leading emerging robotics manufacturers.

About IDG World Expo
IDG World Expo (www.idgworldexpo.com) produces technology-focused tradeshows, conferences and events for professionals seeking world-class education, peer-to-peer networking and one-stop comparison shopping. As the leading technology event management company, IDG World Expo leverages its experience and knowledge of technology-focused events and conferences, enabling technology companies to capture the attention and loyalty of influential buyers. IDG World Expo's portfolio of conferences and events includes Macworld Conference & Expo®, LinuxWorld Conference & Expo®, Bio-IT World Conference + ExpoTM, Health-IT World Conference + ExpoTM, Portable Power Conference & ExpoTM and Wireless Sensing SolutionsTM. IDG World Expo is a business unit of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research and event company.

About IDG
International Data Group (IDG) is the world's leading technology media, research, and event company. A privately-held company, IDG publishes more than 300 magazines and newspapers including Bio-IT World, CIO, CSO, Computerworld, GamePro, InfoWorld, Network World, and PC World. The company features the largest network of technology-specific Web sites with more than 400 around the world. IDG is also a leading producer of more than 170 computer-related events worldwide including LinuxWorld Conference & Expo®, Macworld Conference & Expo®, DEMO®, and IDC Directions. IDC provides global market research and advice through offices in 50 countries. Company information is available at http://www.idg.com.

For further information, please call Dan Kara at (508) 366-6678 ext 102 or email editor@roboticstrends.com.
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