Splendor of Florence to Open The NASDAQ Stock Market

Market Wire, September, 2004

What:

Joyce Acciaioli Rudge, Founder and Curator of Splendor of Florence, and Kevin Rampe, President of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, will preside over The NASDAQ Market Open.

Where:

NASDAQ MarketSite -- 4 Times Square -- 43rd & Broadway -- Broadcast Studio

When:

Thursday, September 23, 2004 at 9:30 a.m. EST

Why:

Join us as we pay tribute to one of the world's premier cities of arts and culture, Splendor of Florence. The celebration of artistic, cultural, musical, culinary and educational events takes place in Lower Manhattan from September 30 through October 10, 2004.

The centerpiece of the festival is an exhibition taking place at Federal Hall on Wall Street entitled "The Medici on Wall Street: Portraits from the Uffizi Gallery." Additionally, the Winter Garden in the World Financial Center is being transformed into a piazza with acclaimed Florentine artisans demonstrating their centuries-old techniques and skills.

Please visit our website, www.splendorofflorence.com for a complete schedule of events and additional information.

Feed Information:

The market open ceremony is available from 9:20 a.m. to 9:35 a.m. on Galaxy 4R C/transponder 21. The downlink frequency is 4120 horizontal; audio: 6.2/6.8. The feed can also be found on Waterfront fiber 1623. If you have any questions, please contact the NASDAQ Traffic Department at (646) 441-5220.

About Splendor of Florence:

Splendor of Florence festival focuses on the people who have been creating with their hands for centuries -- the famous artists whose masterpieces grace the walls of the Uffizi Gallery, the skilled artisans who for generations have been crafting their art in shops along the Arno River, the masterful musicians with repertoires once enjoyed in the great music rooms of the Medici Palaces, the creative chefs who take their inspiration from centuries-old recipes.

The Festival seeks to educate a new generation of Americans about a kind of craftsmanship that has been largely lost in the United States, while giving them a broader appreciation of both Renaissance culture and modern Italian culture.

Splendor is a festival of cultural, educational, culinary, and musical events centered around distinguished Florentine artisans. Visitors can work with the artisans, listen to world-renowned musicians perform, view paintings from Florence's Uffizi Gallery, experience authentic Florentine cuisine, and attend a variety of educational events for adults, families and school groups.

Media Contacts: Splendor of Florence: Joyce Acciaioli Rudge 212-945-3672 accjoyce@aol.com NASDAQ MarketSite: Traffic Department 646.441.5220