Amazon.com's Jeff Bezos to Highlight Aspen Summit; Amazon.com Founder Slated to Deliver Chairman's Address

5/13/2002

From: David Fish of The Progress & Freedom Foundation (PFF), 202-289-8928; http://www.pff.org

News Advisory:

Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon.com and former Time Magazine Person of the Year, will deliver the Chairman's Address at The Progress & Freedom Foundation's (PFF) 2002 Aspen Summit. The Summit, an annual gathering of some of the digital world's most prominent business leaders, probing thinkers and influential policymakers, is scheduled for August 18-20 at the St. Regis Hotel in Aspen, Colo. Bezos' speech is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Mountain Time on Tuesday, August 20.

"Jeff Bezos and Amazon.com stand for the proposition that the e-commerce boom was a lot more than a transitory bubble," said PFF President Jeff Eisenach. "There is no better example of how the Internet has revolutionized the way we do business, and no one we would rather have addressing the Aspen Summit than Jeff Bezos."

Beginning in 1995, the annual Aspen Summit has become one of the most prominent events of its kind. Speakers have included industry leaders Carly Fiorina, Jerry Levin, Scott McNealy and Ivan Seidenberg; authors Esther Dyson and George Gilder; members of Congress; and senior executive branch officials. Wired News has compared the Aspen Summit to the annual Davos summit in Switzerland and to Renaissance Weekend in South Carolina.

This year's Summit will focus on the drivers behind the next generation of Internet-driven innovation and growth, including broadband communications, new wireless technologies, rich digital content, and innovative new digital devices. "There's a second digital revolution coming," says PFF President Jeff Eisenach. "This year's Aspen Summit will explore what it will mean, and when we can expect it to arrive."

Registration information for the 2002 Aspen Summit, as well as periodic updates on the program and participants, can be found on the Foundation's Web site at http://www.pff.org. The Progress & Freedom Foundation is a market-oriented think tank that promotes innovative policies for the digital age. It is a 501(c)(3) research & educational organization.