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Business Matchmaking Launches 2010 Regional Events for America's Small Businesses

Business Matchmaking is a public-private partnership that brings together buyers from federal, state and local government agencies and many Fortune 500 companies to meet with small businesses offering various products and services. It is sponsored by HP in cooperation with other leading corporations and several non-profit organizations, including The Latino Coalition, WIPP and Small Business Development Centers.

Through regional events held all across the country and in online sessions, Business Matchmaking has enabled more than 75,000 small business sales appointments resulting in billions of dollars in contracts granted. All events are free to both participating small businesses and representative buyers.

Four Business Matchmaking regional events are planned for 2010:

• Los Angeles on March 16
• San Antonio on May 26
• Nashville, Tenn., on Aug. 18
• New York City on Oct. 13

In addition, Business Matchmaking events are planned for Kansas City, Mo., on April 28, and Raleigh, N.C., on Sept. 11.

"HP is the most progressive company I know of in giving back to the small-business marketplace," said Paul E. La Vigne, founder and chief executive officer of DVS, a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based media-duplication company. "Their free offerings such as online business templates and small business training courses are great complements to their sponsorship of Business Matchmaking, which has opened the door for us to compete for large customers we previously could not reach."

Ken Yancey, chief executive officer of SCORE, said, "Business Matchmaking has been a remarkable success and continues to help thousands of small businesses with opportunities to sell to government agencies and major corporations. We are particularly pleased to continue our relationship with HP in serving the small business community utilizing their outstanding technology and corporate resources."

In addition to the regional events, HP, together with American Airlines and American Express OPEN, will host a series of 10 workshops throughout Texas designed to assist small business owners in benefiting from special stimulus funding in that state.

"As one of the largest suppliers of technology goods and services to small businesses, HP is thrilled to work with Business Matchmaking to bring exciting opportunities to the small business community," said Brian Burch, director of SMB Marketing, Personal Systems Group - Americas, HP.

Complete details on Business Matchmaking, including the 2010 schedule, is available at www.businessmatchmaking.com.

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world's largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP is available at http://www.hp.com.

(c) 2010 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice.

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