Written by Bob Meyer, Editor of BarterNews

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Active International Brokered High-level NASCAR Sponsorships

World's Largest Corporate Trading Firm Facilitates Branding Opportunities

Active International, headquartered in Pearl River (NY) completed two sponsorships at this year's Daytona 500 held on February 15.

Active's efforts enabled the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) to make its first venture into NASCAR Nextel Cup sponsorship as the primary sponsor of A.J. Foyt Racing's #14 car. Driven by Larry Foyt, the car featured images of three prominent tour players—Laura Diaz, Cristie Kerr, and Natalie Gulbis. The LPGA traded on its own sponsorship inventory which included media and hospitality.

Oil-Dri Corporation of America is the world's largest manufacturer of cat litter, as well as a supplier of products for the industrial, automotive and agricultural markets. Their newly-acquired Jonny Cat brand was featured on the hood of the Jimmy Spencer driven Ultra Motorsports #7 car. Oil-Dri obtained the sponsorship of the car with a combination of cash and Active trade credits.

Founded in 1984, Active International employs 500 professionals in 17 offices in the U.S. and around the world. A BarterNews cover story (issue #56) interviewed the founders of the company, Alan Elkin and Art Wagner.

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ITEX Earnings Turnaround

The second fiscal 2004 quarter earnings, ending January 31, were announced this month by ITEX (OTCBB: ITEX). Profits for the quarter totaled $505,000, which included a gain of $326,000 from the sale of the Seattle corporate-owned office.

Selling, general, and administrative costs declined from $813,000 to $379,000, due to the divestiture of corporate-owned offices. Assets increased to $3,258,000, due to the sale of the corporate-owned offices.

Steven White, Chairman of the Board, exclaimed, "The company completed its move to a technology section of Bellevue (WA), and has stabilized the staff at 20 employees. We are pleased with the progress and are working hard to continue the positive trend."

For more on the ITEX quarterly report on Form 10-QSB go to: www.sec.gov.

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EBay Uses Its "Currency" As Incentive & Enticement For Small Business Intersection

An eBay ad campaign aimed at small businesses, which began February 19 and runs through April 15, is titled "Dream Big!" At the center of the contest is a $50,000 business-shopping spree in the form of eBay Anything Points...the currency that can be spent on virtually anything on eBay.

To participate one must answer the question, "If I won $50,000, what would I buy on eBay to help my small business, and how would it make my business dreams come true?" The campaign promotes small businesses buying on eBay's main site as well as through www.ebaybusiness.com.

EBay is adding new services including equipment leasing and financing provided by Direct Capital, employment service through Monster.com, and integrated shipping through the U.S. Postal Service. Reportedly, eBay is finalizing a deal with a major partner to provide small business credit lines. Question: Is the formation of an eBay trade exchange only a matter of time?

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Bentley Commerce Forms Alliance With Technology Solutions Company To Further Goal Of Providing Universal Transaction Platform For Barter Industry

Bentley Commerce Corporation (OTCBB:BLYC) has entered into an exclusive strategic alliance with Morgan Beaumont, a global provider of stored-value cards and interactive voice response solutions.

They will develop and implement a multi-phase launch of transaction processing for Bentley including voice authorizations, account balances, and debit-card trade purchases with logos of participating exchanges.

Additionally, stored-value barter cards will be developed that can be used by Bentley's network of trade exchanges and approximately 50,000 trading members. (A stored-value barter card could be used for gifts, employee rewards, sales incentives and giveaways.)

The new Bentley Commerce Card will enable its exchanges and their members to process transactions using a Verifone card terminal. For members without a terminal, transactions can be processed using a touch tone phone and a toll-free number, 24/7, in the U.S. and Canada.

Although members will initially be able to obtain purchase authorizations and account balances, in the future a search for hotels and restaurants on barter, by area code, is anticipated.

Bruce Kamm, Bentley's CEO (www.bentleycommerce.com), declared, "Trade exchanges that participate in our Global Trade Alliance, and their members, will have a single debit-card that will process both barter and cash transactions at the point of sale.

"The cards can be used to make purchases from members of other participating exchanges throughout the world. This will break down barriers to trading, and is a major step in providing a universal transaction platform."

Kamm envisions Bentley Commerce becoming the barter equivalent to NYCE, Cirrus, Plus, and other cash interexchange networks for the universe of companies participating in the Bentley Crump Barter network of alliance exchanges.

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Every barter company in the world is listed on our web site, click through to our Global List of Barter Companies.

Here & There...

• Since 1946, Thunderbird has been among the world's leading business schools for international management. Among America's graduate business schools, U.S. News & World Report rated Thunderbird's MBA in International Management #1.

  (BarterNews has interviewed MBA graduates from the Phoenix-based school, among them Gary Pacific who worked for McDonnell-Douglas and was a friend of the commercial barter industry.)

  Recently a graduate of the 1988 class, Samuel S. Garvin, along with his wife Rita donated $60 million to the school. The largest gift of its kind in the history of the University, will be used to provide more student scholarships, attract the best faculty, and expand Thunderbird's educational operations on four continents.

  Alumni from 138 nations are united in their belief that by understanding international business and cross cultural communications, the world is a better place. For more information: www.thunderbird.edu.

• Have you signed up to receive a summary via e-mail of the Tuesday Report every week? If not, go to the top of this issue (right hand corner) and sign up!
  

• International Monetary Systems (OTCBB:INLM) has announced a 2-for-1 split of the company's common stock...for every share held on the record date of April 5, 2004. CEO Don Mardak explained, "The Board of Directors authorized the stock split in an effort to improve the float, marketability, and liquidity of the stock."
  

• The National Association of Trade Exchanges (NATE) is running a sales contest wherein trade exchange owners, their salespeople, and NATE all benefit...a win-win-win! Exchange salesperson(s) who attain certain sales goals will be able to attend this year's national convention in Las Vegas at no cost. For more information call NATE at (440) 205-5378.
  

• The International Air Transport Association expects global air travel to rise 7% this year. During February, 1.8 million more seats were available world-wide per week than a year earlier, a 3% increase.

• If you've missed any of our weekly Tuesday Reports the past five years we have an archive of issues for you at the bottom of this week's letter...check it out!

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