Merrill Corporation to Host Initial Public Offering Seminar in Dallas.

Business Editors

ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 6, 2000

Merrill Corporation (www.merrillcorp.com), a global diversified communications and document services provider, announced today that its Financial Document Services (FDS) business is hosting its second initial public offering (IPO) seminar on Wednesday, July 19, 2000, at the Westin Galleria Hotel in Dallas. The seminar is aimed at CEOs and CFOs of emerging companies who are expecting to take their companies public within the next 24 months.

The objectives of the seminar are:

-- To educate the entrepreneur on all of the steps in taking

a company public -- from the business plan to the IPO;

-- To introduce attendees to a network of service providers

who are capable of assisting with the process; and

-- To provide a forum for networking with other

entrepreneurs.

Continued Legal Education (CLE) and Continued Professional Education (CPE) credits have been applied for.

"Merrill Corporation is taking the lead role in providing CEOs and CFOs of emerging companies the information and tools they need to have a successful IPO," said Bob Pond, vice president, FDS sales. "The seminar will connect these people with companies that offer products and services specifically to companies that are expecting to go public within the next 24 months."

"This is the second time we have offered this type of forum to our customers, the first was extremely successful," said Phil Hartung, vice president, FDS sales. "This year, we have expanded our list of participants to offer a more comprehensive, educational seminar."

Sponsors of the seminar include tier-one players in the world of investment banking, and law and accounting firms such as Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ); Divine InterVentures, Inc.; Ernst & Young, LLP; Sevin Rosen Funds; Smith & Frank; Springbok Technologies, Inc.; StarTech; Vinson & Elkins; Business Wire; Chase Mellon; The CEO Institute; The Dallas Business Journal; Lockton Insurance Co.; and Vcapital.com.

The seminar will be followed by a series of roundtables that are segmented by timing of an IPO. For example, if a company is in the beginning stages of an IPO, they will attend a session that gives information based on their needs. Or, if a company is the final stages of an IPO, the roundtables will be targeted at the finalization of the process.

"After last year's event, we received very favorable responses from both the seminar and the roundtables," said Pond. "We are anticipating a great turn-out. Last year we had 250 attendees and we're expecting between 300-400 this year."

Please contact Cristina Draper to register by July 10, 2000, at 214/712-3232 or [e-mail]. For more information about the seminar or the roundtable sessions, please contact Bob Pond or Phil Hartung at 214/698-9777.

About Merrill Corporation

Merrill Corporation (www.merrillcorp.com) is a diversified communications and document services company that applies advanced information systems and Internet/intranet technology to provide a broad range of services to its financial, legal and corporate clients. Merrill Corporation's services integrate traditional composition, imaging and printing services with document management, distribution, marketing and software solutions. Merrill Corporation is based in St. Paul, Minn., and has 38 business centers in 30 cities throughout the United States. Merrill Corporation also serves its international clients through offices in London and Paris, a strategic alliance in Canada, and other relationships with local document service providers in Asia, Latin America and Australia.

Merrill Corporation's Financial Document Services business provides compliance and transactional documentation for U.S. and international financial markets. It supplies a broad variety of document creation services for time-sensitive materials in print and electronic media for public offerings, mergers and acquisitions and other Securities Exchange Commission (SEC)-mandated disclosures.