XNet to Host Suburban Chicago Tech Networking Event "Silicon Prairie Social"

August 10, 2007; 02:02 AM
Lisle, IL-based XNet Information Systems is proud to announce Silicon Prairie Social, a networking event for the technology and Internet industry. The event will be held on Thursday, September 20 at Mullen's Bar & Grill in Lisle (immediately off I-88 at Naperville Rd. & Warrenville Rd.) from 6:30-10:00pm. Complimentary drinks will be provided and RSVP is required to attend. To RSVP or for more details, visit the event's web site at www.siliconprairiesocial.com.

Initial event sponsors include Microsoft, Chicago Micro, Bradley Wiltjer Marketing Group, and Digital Bootcamp. Sponsors will have tables at Silicon Prairie Social to demonstrate products and discuss services with interested attendees.

"We have high expectations for this event because of the popularity of the events that have been held downtown," says Tim Courtney, XNet's Marketing Specialist and Silicon Prairie Social's organizer. "One great success story here is TECH Cocktail (www.techcocktail.com), a quarterly event held downtown by friends Eric Olson and Frank Gruber. Their event has grown so popular over the last year that RSVPs have consistently filled up to the 500 person limit within 24 hours of each event announcement. From talking with Eric, TECH Cocktail attendees are mostly from the city, but many we've spoken with are from the suburbs as well. It's clear that people in our industry have a strong desire to get out and get to know each other in informal settings like this."

"Frank and I are very time constrained with TECH Cocktail and our jobs and have simply not been able to focus on the huge technology community outside of the city of Chicago," says Eric Olson. "I was excited when Tim talked to me about the idea for the Silicon Prairie Social, and now I can't wait for it to get here. I commend Tim and XNet for putting something together that the area really needs and I am honored to be a small part of it."

"Over the last year, the technology and web communities in Chicago have really taken shape through conferences, demos, and networking events," says Arthur Zards, co-founder and President of XNet. "Until now, events like this in our industry have been held almost exclusively downtown. We're launching Silicon Prairie Social to build up the same community for the tech industry outside the city limits."

"One thing Silicon Valley has that's missing here is a strong sense of community and camaraderie," says Zards. "A key to the Chicago area becoming more competitive for technology businesses and startups is forging meaningful relationships between professionals and entrepreneurs. We're hosting Silicon Prairie Social to build up that spirit in our area."

About XNet
XNet is a privately held, industry-leading Internet solutions provider located in the heart of the Silicon Prairie in Lisle, Illinois. Since 1992, XNet has been instrumental in growing Internet technologies in the Chicago area, and is now the largest independently owned Internet service provider in Chicagoland.

By maintaining close client relationships and a distinct understanding of tomorrow's technology, XNet has been the leader in Internet solutions for Chicago's top corporations. XNet's client list is essentially a "who's who" of the technology elite, including Lightspeed Research, SubscriberMail, High Voltage Software, Motorola, and the Morton Arboretum, just to name a few. XNet was founded in 1992 by Naperville Central High School graduates Arthur Zards and Brian Clark.