Georgia Department of Economic Development Continues Presenting Sponsorship of Tour de Georgia

ATLANTA, March 27, 2006—The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is partnering with the Tour de Georgia  (April 18-23) to create special marketing programs aimed to communicate the state's resources and bold spirit to its travel customers. Attracting increasing tourism revenues for the state is a main focus for GDEcD, as the industry fills an important role in Georgia's economy as the second largest industry in the state. One significant marketing tool will be a comprehensive Tour de Georgia Official Event Guide, a 24-page, full-color booklet focused on tourism that replaces a smaller brochure. With content about the state and cities along the race route being provided by GDEcD, over 20,000 guides will be produced (printed by Heidelberg USA) and distributed at the department's Visitor Information Centers across Georgia. "The Tour de Georgia has become a marquis event for our state, both for the publicity it generates for our state and the economic impact it generates from tourism. With a direct impact of $36.2 million on the state economy in 2005, the Tour has helped elevate Georgia as a premier travel and tourism destination for sports enthusiasts in the domestic and international markets," said GDEcD Commissioner Craig Lesser. The state agency will work closely with Tour staff to align the event with business partners for event sponsorship and hospitality. GDEcD has been a presenting partner of the Tour since the inaugural event in 2003. The state's new peach logo, unveiled by the Department in September, will be prominent on all Tour de Georgia start/finish trusses and on the back pocket of all award jerseys, including the Overall Leader jersey. There is also a significant Tour de Georgia imprint on the state's newly redesigned website - georgia.org - including imagery from previous races and information about this year's event. "We have a true partnership with our friends at Economic Development (GDEcD). Their support and promotion of the event is vital to the Tour's continued success. It's a win-win not just for the spectators who visit our great state, but for the countless number of volunteers, business owners and sponsors who live here and become an active part in the event," said Chris Aronhalt, managing partner of Medalist Sports, the sports marketing company licensed to operate the Tour de Georgia. ABOUT GDEcD The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a location for film, video and music projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development. For more information about visiting Georgia, the state's newly redesigned website is a helpful and interactive resource -- www.georgia.org. ABOUT THE TOUR DE GEORGIA The Tour de Georgia is North America 's premier, professional cycling event and rolling festival of community activities. The Tour is held annually in the spring with a varying route. It is sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and USA Cycling (USAC) as a 2.HC rating (highest ranked event in North America ), making the event one of the top stage races for elite athletes around the world. The 2005 Tour was won by Tom Danielson (USA) of the Discovery Channel Professional Cycling Team; champions from previous years include Lance Armstrong (USA) in 2004 and Chris Horner (USA) 2003. The Tour's official beneficiary is the Georgia Cancer Coalition (GCC). The Georgia Cancer Coalition and the Georgia Department of Human Resources are teaming up to bring the Live Healthy Georgia Expo to the finish cities of the 2006 Tour de Georgia. The Live Healthy Georgia Expo includes a variety of interactive, health-focused booths, children's activities, food and fun activities for all ages. The Tour de Georgia is owned by The Georgia Partnership for Economic Development (GPED) and is managed by Medalist Sports. Merchandise and the latest updates are available at the official website, www.tourdegeorgia.com. ABOUT THE GEORGIA CANCER COALITION The Georgia Cancer Coalition is an independent, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization located in downtown Atlanta . The Coalition was incorporated under the laws of the state of Georgia effective July 27, 2001. Both the Internal Revenue Service and the Georgia Department of Revenue have granted tax-exempt status to the Coalition. The mission of the Georgia Cancer Coalition is to reduce the number of cancer deaths in the state. In so doing, Georgia intends to become a national leader in cancer control by accelerating prevention, early detection, treatment and research. The Georgia Cancer Coalition brings together leading Georgia hospitals, universities, biotech firms, civic groups, non-profits, and government agencies to provide cancer research, prevention, detection, and treatment of cancer. The Coalition was created to coordinate cancer-dedicated expenditures from the State's share of the National Tobacco Settlement Trust Fund. The Coalition is registered as a Charitable Organization with the Secretary of State. The official website is www.georgiacancer.org.