DMEF to Honor Bookspan with 2006 Corporate Leadership Award

March 30, 2006 – The Direct Marketing Educational Foundation (DMEF) will honor Bookspan with its 2006 DMEF Corporate Leadership Award, which recognizes and celebrates corporate leadership in supporting and encouraging direct marketing education. The award will be presented at DMEF’s Annual New York Awards Dinner on June 20, at the Bryant Park Grill in New York City during the Direct Marketing Association’s (DMA) 2006 DM Days New York Conference & Expo taking place June 20 – 22.

2006 DMEF Corporate Leadership Award: Bookspan

Markus F. Wilhelm, CEO of Bookspan, himself a bellwether supporter of direct marketing education, will accept the 2006 DMEF Corporate Leadership Award on behalf of his company. The award honors Bookspan’s exemplary efforts promoting the teaching and research of direct marketing at US colleges and universities.

Bookspan is a longtime advocate and supporter of the Foundation, which, among other things, sponsor fellowships for professors to attend DMEF and DMA seminars and conferences, online seminars for faculty, teaching materials and resources, an annual Collegiate ECHO competition, and scholarships for students to attend DMEF collegiate institutes.

Wilhelm was awarded the 2002 DMEF Edward N. Mayer Educational Leadership Award. A tireless proponent of direct marketing education, he and Bookspan have been involved in DMEF educational leadership activities for more than a decade. A regular and significant contributor to DMEF, Bookspan has provided pro bono video production, printing, and copywriting services aimed at advancing direct marketing education and the DMEF. The company also sent several employees to DMEF’s Yeck Center for Advanced Studies in Direct and Interactive Marketing.

"We are deeply honored to be receiving the 2006 Corporate Leadership Award from the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation,” Mr. Wilhelm said. “All of us at Bookspan are proud of our long-term relationship with the DMEF, and we will continue to support and celebrate their outstanding work. Together, we are committed to ensuring a firm foundation for the future of the direct marketing community."

Mr. Wilhelm served two terms on the DMEF Board of Trustees. He currently is the Vice Chairman of DMA’s Board of Directors.

“The DMEF’s Board of Trustees and staff are very pleased with the selection of Bookspan as this year’s DMEF Corporate Leadership Award recipient,” said Laurie Spar, vice president and general manager of DMEF. “Its longstanding support has given us the ability to advance our programs that improve teaching and research of direct marketing at colleges and universities, both domestically and internationally. Many direct marketing careers have begun as a result of the generosity of bookspan and the Foundation’s other supporters, and we are most appreciative.”

Each year, the DMEF Corporate Leadership Award honors a corporation that has made significant contributions to direct and interactive marketing education and actively supports community and national organizations, including DMEF. The award also recognizes a company that offers its own employees multiple opportunities for personal and professional improvement and continuing education.

DM Days New York

DM Days New York is New York's premier event for marketers, offering more than 50 sessions, special concentration workshops, roundtable discussions, and web usability labs. For more information on DM Days New York Conference and Expo and to register, please visit www.dmdays.com.

About Bookspan

Bookspan, a partnership between Bertelsmann AG and Time Warner Inc., is the parent company of Doubleday Entertainment (the leading marketer of book clubs and merchandise via direct mail and e-commerce in the US) and Yes Solutions (a preeminent provider of creative, media, and logistics services).

Doubleday Entertainment has over 7 million members and includes over 35 book clubs, such as Doubleday Book Club, Literary Guild, Book-of-the-Month Club, and special interest and lifestyle clubs.

YES Solutions provides operational and creative services to multi-channel direct marketers, national retailers and B-to-B enterprises.

About DMEF

The Direct Marketing Educational Foundation (DMEF) is an independent nonprofit organization headquartered in New York City. To bring direct and interactive marketing instruction to the college campus, and to attract new talent to the field, the DMEF administers a broad range of programs each year for professors and students, thus strengthening marketing education. The Foundation publishes teaching resources, career information, and the academic research journal, Journal of Interactive Marketing. Established in 1965 and closely affiliated with the Direct Marketing Association, DMEF is supported by tax-deductible contributions. For additional information, visit http://www.the-dma.org/dmef.

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