Texas Senate Candidate Ben Bentzin Selects Convio for Campaign Web Site and Internet Services

Former Dell Executive Uses Convio Campaign Headquarters™ In Bid for District 14 Seat

(Austin, TX, March 5, 2002) Ben Bentzin, candidate for the Texas Senate, District 14 representing Austin and Travis County, has selected Convio for online fundraising, email communications with constituents and his campaign Web site, http://www.benbentzin.com/.  Convio is the leading provider of integrated software that enables the nonprofit organizations, membership groups and political campaigns, to efficiently use the Internet for building strong constituent relationships — vital for fundraising, volunteer recruitment, event management and other forms of marketing and constituent relationship management.

Bentzin, who is running unopposed in the Republican primary election on March 12, is a former nine-year Dell Computer Corp. executive.  In his most recent role, Bentzin led the company's efforts to develop e-commerce for Dell's U.S. government, education, and commercial customers.

"We have applied the experience I gained from my involvement with Dell's e-commerce initiatives toward creating a Web site that is innovative and functional for Travis County residents," said Bentzin.  "Utilizing Convio's experience and proven capabilities, my campaign will aggressively use the Internet as a way to maximize voter outreach, increase volunteer opportunities, and obtain feedback from residents on the issues that matter to them."

Convio's political campaign offering, Convio Campaign Headquarters™, is appropriate for candidates seeking local, state or federal office and is available at a promotional rate through June 30.  Convio Campaign Headquarters is quick and easy to deploy and use, enabling campaign staff to efficiently: raise funds online; communicate with supporters frequently and in near real-time; conduct polls to better understand voter opinions; track information about constituents in order to create more personalized communications with them; and conduct "get out the vote" initiatives. Also, candidates and elected officials can continue using Convio for communicating with constituents after campaigns to strengthen relationships and build loyal, sustainable supporter bases.

"The Internet provides a great mechanism for candidates to build, connect with and mobilize a constituency," said Vinay Bhagat, founder and CEO, Convio.  "As the power of online marketing becomes obvious, we can expect to see more political candidates enhance their campaigns with the Internet."

A nationwide survey of 1,000-plus American adults, conducted for the Democracy Online Project between November 21-26, 2000, also indicates important trends. The survey, by Thomas Opinion Research in conjunction with the TNS Intersearch Omni Poll, showed that more than one in three Americans (35 percent) uses the Internet to get information about politics, campaigns, or issues in the news.  According to the survey, four in 10 Internet users (40 percent) say the Internet was important in providing information that helped them decide how to cast their ballots in the November 2000 election.

About Convio

Founded in 1999, Austin-based Convio is the leader in constituent relationship management software for nonprofit organizations.  Convio provides integrated software that enables nonprofits to efficiently use the Internet for building strong relationships with constituents — vital for fundraising, marketing and advocacy effectiveness. The Convio software solution consists of five product suites: eFundraising, eMarketing, Advocacy, Content management, and a constituent database. Using Convio, nonprofits can send targeted, personalized email communications; conduct fundraising, membership and advocacy campaigns; publish personalized and fresh Web content; manage registrations, RSVPs, ticket sales and other event logistics; tap volunteers and their personal networks for campaigns; track constituent interactions; connect online systems to off-line donor databases; and more.  The Convio platform automatically shares data among all five product suites, giving nonprofits a unified view of each constituent so staff can engage in more personalized and targeted marketing.  Convio also provides Internet marketing consulting services to help nonprofits adopt online marketing best practices.

Convio serves national and regional organizations in all segments of the nonprofit sector including disease and disorder, education, healthcare, human services, advocacy, associations, public broadcasting, museums and other visitation facilities, and political campaigns.  Convio's clients include Planned Parenthood Federation of America, The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, Devereux Foundation, The National Foundation for Cancer Research, public television station KCET in Los Angeles, HoustonPBS and the Texas Dental Association. For more information, please visit http://www.convio.com/.