ITSMA's Chief Marketers' Conference to Highlight Changing Priorities for Technology Marketing Amid Uncertain Future

Technology marketing leaders to gather May 14-15 in Cambridge, MA, with speakers from Accenture, ACS, Babson College, Fidelity, Harding & Company, IBM, ITSMA, Siebel Systems, Strelmark, Weber Shandwick, and others to discuss new strategies and tactics for a fast-changing industry with a slower-growth future.

LEXINGTON, Massachusetts—April 14, 2003—Two years after the technology downturn, marketing leaders are redesigning strategies for a grind-it-out future in an increasingly mature industry. The central challenge for marketers is to move beyond survival mode and carve out areas of opportunity while squeezing maximum results from limited marketing resources.

ITSMA's third annual Chief Marketers' Conference, "Marketing Priorities in a Maturing Industry," will showcase the latest thinking on successful strategies from a blue-chip roster of industry experts, marketing leaders, and a panel of IT executives. The Conference will take place May 14-15 at The Charles Hotel in Cambridge, MA.

"With the technology sector facing the classic symptoms of a maturing industry—slow growth, commoditization, offshore competition, and consolidation—marketing leaders need to fundamentally rethink the strategies and tactics required to sustain growth and profitability," said Dave Munn, ITSMA's president and CEO. "ITSMA's Chief Marketers' Conference offers senior technology marketing leaders the rare chance to share ideas, opinions, and challenges with peers on the best ways to succeed in this new environment."

The conference will zero in on marketing's top six priorities in today's economy, including:

• Designing growth strategies in a mature market
• Understanding customer views on the value of technology
• Sharpening communications to break through the noise
• Improving techniques for cross-selling and up-selling
• Differentiating your brand in a crowded market
• Demonstrating marketing leadership throughout the organization.

Featured speakers include:

• Ford Harding, author of Cross-Selling Success, Creating Rainmakers, and Rain Making
• Thomas Davenport, Partner and Director, Accenture Institute of Strategic Change; co-author of The Attention Economy and What's the Big Idea
• Larry Weber, founder, Weber Shandwick Worldwide; author of The Provocateur
• Philip Juliano, Vice President of Marketing, IBM
• Lesley Pool, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, ACS
• Jeff Pulver, Vice President of Marketing, Siebel Systems
• Hilary Bruggen, President, Strelmark; former Director of International Marketing, KPMG
• Joe Vales, Senior Partner, Vales Consulting Group; former Global Managing Director of Marketing, Business Process Outsourcing, PricewaterhouseCoopers
• Kavin Moody, Executive Director, Center for Information Management Studies, Babson College
• James MacDonald, Chief information Officer, FMR Co. Systems, Fidelity Investments
• Dave Munn, President and CEO, ITSMA
• Julie Schwartz, Vice President of Research, ITSMA

ITSMA's Chief Marketers' Conference is sponsored by IBM and Rainmaker Systems.

For more information on the conference program, attendees, and registration, visit http://www.itsma.com/events/event_desc/03MC05N07.htm

About ITSMA
ITSMA specializes in helping companies market and sell services and solutions more effectively. As a membership organization, we work with the world's leading technology, communications, and professional services providers to generate increased demand, strengthen customer relationships, and improve brand differentiation. ITSMA members include business leaders such as Accenture, BT, Cisco, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Microsoft, SAP, and Tata Consultancy Services, among others. Our comprehensive research, consulting, and training on topics including ITSMA Account-Based Marketing ^SM, Brand Positioning, and Solutions Development provide the insight and experience companies need to improve business results. ITSMA is based near Boston, and has offices in London and Tokyo. Learn more at www.itsma.com.