June 22, 2000     Inaugeral Press Backgrounder The 1st annual Executive Golf Auction Ottawa-Carleton’s first Executive Golf Auction, launched on June 22, 2000, will provide successful bidders with the opportunity to meet some of Ottawa’s finest in the high-tech industry, while they enjoy an entertaining round of golf at the Canadian Golf and Country Club. Through the event’s official Web site, executivegolfauction.com, interested bidders can log on and bid on the executive of their choice. All proceeds from the event go to Compassion In Action, an organization dedicated to helping Canadians with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. The Web site will provide potential bidders with valuable links to the auction rules, event sponsors, information on Compassion In Action and to a list of participating executives and their biographies. Visitors to the Web site will be able to place bids on the executives and make pledges by way of credit card or call-in verification for larger donations. The minimum bid has been set at $500. The site also contains an area where bidders can suggest an ideal executive tee-off partner and how much money they would be willing to pay for a round of golf with that person. Auction organizers have included a unique feature on the Web site to gauge the opinions of participating executives. After registering, all executives will be asked to rate the likelihood of several technology predictions and to provide their opinions on challenges and opportunities in the world of technology. There are several rules and conditions surrounding the Executive Golf Auction in order to make the event enjoyable and agreeable for both the executive and the individual participating in the auction: All funds must be paid in advance of the game. The bidder’s funds will immediately and completely be transferred to Compassion in Action. Bidders can invite one guest to participate and must let the executive know, in advance of the game, who their guest will be. All games will be played at the convenience of the executive, while every effort will be made to accommodate the bidder and their guest as best as possible. Bidders can bid on numerous executives, but may only play once with each executive. Bidders may transfer the opportunity to play golf with the executive to someone else, but must notify the executive, well in advance, of who will be playing. Each participating executive, at their discretion, can elect to extend the game to eighteen holes. Individual executives will be on the auction block for an average of three weeks before being sold. The auction will continue throughout the summer, concluding in the fall with a dinner for all participating executives, bidders, guests and sponsors. -30-