Overview

Marketing communications is in the midst of a massive transformation. For years, marketers relied on broadcast and direct marketing; today, they're contending with customers who are tuning out these traditional approaches.

Customers want conversation—with their peers, with influencers, and with technology providers—and new digital tools and channels such as blogs, online communities, and podcasts are making this easier than ever before.

Smart marketers are realizing that they can use the new digital channels to help company thought leaders connect with customers and market influencers in much more constructive and interactive discussion. But before they invest fully in digital marketing's next generation, many are looking for guidance around how to best leverage these new online tools.

A S S O C I A T I O N   S P O N S O R

At the Workshop

At this interactive, hands-on workshop, you will:

• Explore relevant, case study examples of successful digital marketing programs at companies like yours
• Learn new tips and tactics for designing and implementing your digital marketing strategy
• Gain insight into the biggest organizational challenges in launching a digital marketing program—and how to overcome them
• Work with a group of digital marketing experts who will help you flesh out a viable digital marketing plan

"With the rise of the social Web, traditional marketing techniques like advertising and direct campaigns are moving to the periphery… Companies that want to succeed in the age of community-based marketing have to map out a content strategy that attracts the right people around their ideas and core competencies. This can only happen when they're providing the best possible experience for those audiences on the Web."

—Larry Weber, Chairman and CEO, W2 Group

The workshop will be facilitated by ITSMA's Rob Leavitt and feature a panel of digital marketing experts and practitioners, including:

Siobhan Dullea, Vice President, Community Consulting, Communispace

Communispace builds, manages, and facilitates private, online communities that make continuous customer conversations possible. A member of Communispace’s management team, Siobhan helps ensure the Client Services team creates customer communities that meet a client’s business objectives and successfully serve their strategic communication needs.

Paul Dunay, Director of Global Financial Services Marketing, BearingPoint

Paul is a director with 20 years of marketing strategy experience in delivering positive revenue growth and margin impact. He has a unique approach of using fully integrated campaigns that promote thought leadership and leverage the Web to deliver cost-effective and profitable results. His VoIP campaign generated numerous leads that resulted in a 30-times return on hard costs in accelerated client engagement bookings in the first year alone.

Lois Kelly, Founding Partner, Foghound

As a founding partner of strategic communications firm Foghound, Lois helps companies talk about themselves and their issues in ways that get people to buy, believe, and change—no matter how complex the topic or how competitive the market. She has worked with companies including SAP, Sun Microsystems, Sapient, FedEx, Hyperion, Copernicus, Orange, and SAS Institute. Her new book, Beyond Buzz: The Next Generation of Conversational Marketing, will be published by AMACIM in January 2007. She blogs at http://blog.foghound.com.

Cinny Little, Executive Vice President, Digital Influence Group

Cinny Little has 15 years’ experience developing and publishing online content for some of the world’s best known brands. As Executive Vice President of Digital Influence Group, Cinny is responsible for overall strategic direction, product development, creative strategy and execution, and client service. Before joining Digital Influence Group, Cinny served in a variety of roles at the education units of Pearson plc, was President of the Boston office of AGENCY.COM, and as a Vice President at Digitas oversaw interactive projects for clients including IBM, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, and Disney Interactive. Before Digitas, Cinny served as Director of New Media at Harvard Business School Publishing.

Attendees will come away with:

• A much deeper understanding of what’s working today with blogging, podcasting, and online communities for technology services and solutions
• Relevant case study examples you can use to convince your company to participate more fully in marketing's next phase
• New contacts at digital marketing agencies and at peer companies

The Workshop will kick-off with a keynote dinner featuring W2 Group's Larry Weber on September 20.

Keynote Speaker	[TOP OF PAGE]

Larry Weber
Chairman, W2 Group

Larry Weber started his own public relations company, The Weber Group, in 1987. He built strong relationships with clients, but also with visionaries and leaders throughout the technology community. His personal interest and expertise in adopting technology to drive communications led to his founding of Thunder House, which was one of the first online marketing firms. Within ten years, The Weber Group was the world’s largest and most established technology public relations firm.

The Interpublic Group of Companies purchased The Weber Group in late 1996. Thunder House also was purchased by Interpublic and forms the core of its interactive marketing communications offerings. In early 2000, Larry was named chairman and CEO of Interpublic’s Advanced Marketing Services group. In the summer of 2001, he engineered the merger of Weber Shandwick Worldwide and BSMG Worldwide to form the world’s largest public relations firm.

After seven years on Madison Avenue, Larry decided to return to his entrepreneurial roots. In early 2004, he became Chairman and Founder of W2 Group, a global marketing services company for the 21st century. W2 Group is an ecosystem of technology-rich, strategic, creative and results-oriented marketing services companies that provide a unique and distinct set of data-driven, digitally delivered and industry focused marketing services for influencing constituent groups at every level.

Fees and Hotel Information	[TOP OF PAGE]

Event Date:	September 21, 2006 Keynote dinner featuring W2 Group's Larry Weber on September 20.
Member price:	$795 + $200 for accommodations
Non-member price:	$995 + $200 for accommodations
	Workshop fee includes tuition, course materials, and all meals and refreshments.
Group Discount:	Maximize workshop impact by registering with co-workers. We offer a 5% discount off the registration fee for the workshop (excluding accommodations) for a minimum of three attendees and a 10% discount for five or more participants. Call us for information on how to register.
	Please note: If payment is not received by the start of the workshop, a credit card or other form of payment will be required for admittance.
	For more information contact Carolyn Jefferson at +1-781-862-8500, ext. 21 or cjefferson@itsma.com.
Event Location:	Babson Executive Conference Center Wellesley, MA
*Accommodations:	ITSMA will reserve a room for you, arriving September 20 (check in 4 pm), departing September 21 (check out 12:30 pm), at the Babson Executive Conference Center unless you specify otherwise while registering. If you will not need accommodations at Babson, please make the appropriate selection on the Registration Form.
	Find out more about Babson's Executive Conference Center

Cancellation and Refund Policy
Any cancellations or substitutions must be in writing and forwarded to ITSMA, 420 Bedford Street, Suite 110, Lexington, MA 02420 or via email to cjefferson@itsma.com. Nonattendance without written cancellation prior to the event will incur the full event fee. No refunds will be made for cancellations received less than 15 days before the event.

You may cancel your enrollment up to 30 days before the start of the event and receive a full refund or apply the full fee toward a future event. Cancellations received less than 30 days before the event are subject to a $250 cancellation fee. You may request a refund of the remaining balance or apply it toward a future event.

Satisfaction Guarantee
ITSMA guarantees your complete satisfaction with this event. If you are not satisfied, we will provide you with a full refund of your money or provide a credit towards another offering.

About ITSMA
ITSMA specializes in helping companies market and sell services and solutions. As a membership organization, we work with the world's leading technology, communications, and professional services firms to generate new business, strengthen customer loyalty, and increase brand differentiation. Through research, consulting, training, and community we provide the insight companies need to improve marketing impact, sales performance, and business results. ITSMA is based in Lexington, Massachusetts, and has offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Learn more at www.itsma.com.