Melissa Ford, CEO, Vektrex

High Tech Awards Success

About 600 of the San Diego high tech movers and shakers attended the recent AeA High Tech Awards where the winners in each of eight high tech categories were announced. I am thankful that I have the easy job as Chair of the AeA San Diego Council as it would have been very difficult if not impossible to select from such an outstanding group of finalists. High tech companies represented were very diverse group of tech companies ever and symbolic of the membership shift that has taken place in AeA.  The AeA High Tech Awards recognize good technology companies that share the goal of making San Diego the place to be. For this reason, one of the selection criteria is community involvement. As the tech community matures we anticipate (and hope) that more companies will be involved in their respective communities and AeA wanted to recognize this as one factor that goes into making a great tech company.

Speaking of community involvement, also in attendance were 10 students from Mann Middle School and 10 students from High Tech High. They were sponsored by ViaSat and RA Capital Advisors.

Thank you to our generous sponsors: CMTC (California Manufacturing Technology Center), CB Richard Ellis, Comerica - Technology Life & Sciences Division, Deloitte & Touche, Procopio, SignOnSanDiego, TLC Staffing, UnitedHealthcare and congratulations to all the finalists and winners! (Click here to view this year's winners.)

Melissa

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Relaunching the Marketing and Sales Roundtable!

Join us for the Relaunch of AeA San Diego's revamped Marketing & Sales Roundtable
with Special Guest and Speaker Michael Bosworth, author of Solution Selling and Customer Centric Selling

Integrating Marketing WITH Sales

Date: Tuesday, December 5, 2006
Time: 7:30am to 9:00am
Location: UCSD Extension - Sorrento Mesa Center
Address: 6925 Lusk Blvd. 1st Floor, San Diego, CA 92121

Program:
Registration/Networking - 7:00am (Continental Breakfast included)
Presentation - 7:30am - 8:30am
Q&A/Discussion - 8:30am- 9:00am

Cost:
$20 - AeA Members
$40 - All others



Mike Bosworth, highly-acclaimed author and co-founder of CustomerCentric Systems, LLC, will present on the must know topic of all marketing professionals -- integrating marketing with sales . Mike has helped tens of thousands of sales and marketing executives define, automate and implement the organizational sales and marketing process.

At this event, Mike will address the key roles for each member of the team - from CEO to Marketing and Sales Managers. He will share best practices for clearly defining roles/responsibilities, the importance of Sales-Ready Messaging and how to achieve true collaboration between marketing and sales.

Who should attend:

• CEOs working toward deeper integration with both sides

• Sales VPs, Marketing VPs

• Sales team

• Marketing Managers & Directors

Speaker Bio: Michael Bosworth

Co-Founder and Co-Author
Mike Bosworth began his career in the information technology industry in 1972 as a customer support person with Xerox Computer Services (XCS). In 1975, he was their number one new business salesperson, selling first generation material requirements planning (MRP) systems. He managed the top branch in the company in 1979, was manager of field sales in 1980 and managed an acquisition in 1981. In addition, from 1976 through 1982, Mike was the primary architect and deliverer of XCS sales training.

In 1983, Bosworth founded Solution Selling, a virtual sales process consulting and training business. He began building a reputation as a "thought leader" in organizational sales process. In 1993, he wrote "Solution Selling: Creating Buyers in Difficult Selling Markets" (McGraw-Hill). Learn more about solution selling at MikeBosworth.com.

In 2001, he co-founded CustomerCentric Systems (CCS) with Frank Visgatis, Gary Walker and John Holland. CCS helps its customers improve sales effectiveness and shape their customer experience by integrating marketing with their sales process.

In November 2003, along with John Holland, Bosworth authored "Customer Centric Selling" (McGraw-Hill).

Bosworth has a degree in Business Management and Marketing from California State Polytechnic University. He has been a featured lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and The Stanford Program on Market Strategy for Technology-Based Companies. He is a member of the Executive Advisory Board of The Fisher Institute for Professional Selling at The University of Akron. He is certified (CMC) by the Institute of Management Consultants.
 

CALENDAR OF EVENTS
December 5 - Integrating Marketing WITH Sales
December 7 - HR & Operations Roundtable Social Event

Here's what you may have missed...

AeA – San Diego 13th Annual High Tech Awards: A Gamble with a Big Pay off!


With this year’s casino theme, nearly 600 technology executives “took a gamble” and came together on October 12th for the High Tech Awards. The diverse set of categories ranging from software, semiconductors, medical device and outstanding emerging growth. As always, it was a sellout crowd with over 500 attendees.

The winners for this year’s 2006 High Tech Awards are in bold:

Software/Internet Winner: Exametric, Inc.
Finalists: Adicio, BakBone Software, Document Sciences Corporation, and ESET

Internet/Web Commerce Winner: WebSideStory
Finalists : Aplus.Net Internet Services, Impact Engine, St. Bernard Software, and Zoovy, Inc.

Computers & Related Products Winner: Continuous Computing
Finalists: Kontron, Mad Dog Multimedia, Inc. and Networkcar

Communications Products & Services Winner: Staccato Communications
Finalists: Axesstel, Inc., Entriq, Inc., and MIR3, Inc.

Technology/IT Services Winner: XIFIN, Inc.
Finalists: Enviance Inc., SYS Technologies and Xonicwave

Semiconductors, Industrial/Analytical Instrumentation Winner: Elgar Electronics Corp.
Finalists: PowerGenix, Precision Engine Controls and Tarari, Inc.

Medical Device/Instrumentation Winner: Dexcom, Inc.
Finalists: Aperio, Asteres Inc. and The Virtual Reality Medical Center.

Outstanding Emerging Growth Winner: Verimatrix, Inc.
Finalists: Armorpoint, Inc., BlackBall, Inc., Intercasting Corp., SEMdirector, Inc. and SKY MobileMedia, Inc.

The AeA San Diego Council welcomes its newest members!

Full Corporate Members:

Adicio

Asteres Inc.

Digirad Corporation

Dipinga

ESET

Impact Engine

Novatel Wireless

Precision Circuits of San Diego

Softmax

Tachyon Networks Inc.

Associate Members:

Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C.

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

Tristaff Group
 

NEW! AeA Welcomes an Alliance with UnitedHealthcare
For more than a quarter century the AeA has been helping member companies find solutions for their corporate healthcare insurance needs. We are proud to continue that tradition by announcing a new national partnership with UnitedHealthcare. Healthcare costs have emerged as an key issue in our industry. The designation of UnitedHealthcare comes at a very important time.

Our program will now be better able to provide healthcare coverage in a number of locales with a high concentration of AeA members. Through its acquisition of PacifiCare and Oxford Health Plan, UnitedHealthcare is also now a major player in California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, as well as in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. We also selected the company with the "best in class" networks of physicians and hospitals with the proven tools to make healthcare easier and more "user friendly" for employees.

Expanded wellness services, a top flight employee assistance plan, and a 24/7 nurse hotline are all included in our new AeA UnitedHealthcare program, which offers a terrific set of choices for your company to consider in the future. For more information, contact Eric Meyer, AeA Senior Vice President for Insurance Services, at 202.682.4430, or UnitedHealthcare AeA Sales Team at 1.800.809.9831. You may also visit http://www.aeanet.org/healthcare for more information.
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Keep a Look out for Avis Savings Coupons in the Mail
Within the next few weeks, your company will be receiving a Avis discount coupons for any of your employees to use for business and leisure use. Just in time for the holidays, AeA members can enjoy great benefits in savings and special services. Rent with Avis using your AeA/Avis Worldwide Discount Number (AWD) and you will save up to 25% on business and leisure car rentals. If you haven't already - set yourself up with Avis Preferred® Service, so you can skip the lines and paperwork and go right to your car. With great products like XM Satellite Radio, Where2™ GPS Navigation, Avis Wi-Fi and our Cool Cars fleet from Avis, you’ll see that Avis' “trying harder” spirit knows no bounds for members. To find or set up your company's AWD number contact avis@aeanet.org today and be sure to request extra value coupons to share with your colleagues.

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AeA Venture Forum - March 13-14, 2007
Join us at East Coast's premier venture meeting, which will provide private technology companies with a venue to access key investment professionals in one location. The program will begin on March 13th, with the opportunity to network and share information with peers and senior management as you golf at the third best golf course in the country. The following day, March 14th, will feature presentations from companies seeking capital, mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, as well as educational seminars.

* Gain access to a diverse group of company executives and key investors
* Attend informative workshops led by industry experts
* Develop important business relationships and opportunities

To register or for more information, visit http://www.aeanet.org/ventureforum or contact the AeA's Financial Conferences Team at 408.987.4234.

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Exclusive to Small Cap Public Companies -- Register to Attend the 2007 AeA Micro Cap Financial Conference
May 6-8, 2007
Monterey, California

Presenting Companies: Register by January 26 & Save $200

Featuring up to 120 publicly traded technology companies with up to $200M in market cap or revenues, the AeA Micro Cap is the single most time and cost effective event for emerging companies and investors in the high-tech industry. Typically selling out within just weeks, the conference will provide an opportunity to:
Access 300+ investors and executives from up to 120 companies in one beautiful location
Capture the attention of technology focused Investors during the General Session
Utilize the small group break out sessions to exchange information and make contacts
Network with fellow executives and the financial community within a casual setting
For more information, visit www.aeanet.org/microcap or call AeA's Financial Conferences Team at 408.987.4236.

Season’s Greetings!

Attention Publicity Seekers! Do you want your company or CEO featured? Do you have a new product launch or offering you'd like our members to know about? AeA Uplink reaches thousands of technology executives! Contact Lauri Keller, Uplink Editor, at 858.452.9288 x102.