Orlando, FL (May 7, 2000) -- Fast Company magazine today kicked off its RealTime conference at the Disney Institute in Orlando, Florida. RealTime combines the best ideas from the pages of Fast Company with business, community, and workplace leaders. Participants at RealTime Orlando will discover how some of the brightest minds in the new economy find and implement great ideas.

Michael Ray, professor at Stanford Business School, who is dubbed "The most creative man in Silicon Valley" in the upcoming issue of Fast Company, will deliver the keynote address on Monday. Some of the great minds presenting at RealTime include Tom Bevilacqua of E*TRADE Group, Jane Harper of IBM, Alan Khazei of City Year, Vanessa Kirsch of New Profit, Inc., Pamela York Klainer of Work Play, Brenda Williams of The Lab at Leo Burnett, and Ben Zander of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra.

RealTime sponsors are eGM, GMAC, Hewlett-Packard, March First, Sprint, and Steelcase.

More information on RealTime can be found on Fast Company's Web site at http://www.fastcompany.com/realtime . The site contains summaries and descriptions of each workshop, presenter, presentation, as well as personal web pages for both presenters and participants.

Fast Company, the leading magazine of the New Economy, was founded in 1995 by William Taylor and Alan Webber and is published by Mortimer B. Zuckerman, Chairman. Fast Company has become one of the most acclaimed and fastest-growing magazines in the world, reporting on a wide range of companies, from Internet to no-net.

The May issue of Fast Company (on newsstands now) is headlined "Speed Wins: How Fast Are You?" The issue features tips on how to speed up a startup and includes a new monthly section called Net Company, a guide to competing in the new economy.

Just last week, the magazine received the 2000 National Magazine Award for Design. In 1999, Fast Company received the National Magazine Award for General Excellence. It was also named Magazine of the Year by Advertising Age and it was listed #1 on Adweek's "Hot List." In January 2000, the magazine raised its rate base to 500,000. This year, Fast Company was again named top of Adweek's "Hot List"and Taylor and Webber were named Adweek's Editors of the Year. Fast Company content, archive material, and interactive community features can be found on the award-winning site: www.fastcompany.com .