DMA's 2008 Financial Services Conference Expands, Reflecting Industry Growth and Demand

Workshops, Keynotes, General Sessions, Special Events Abound at

Fort Lauderdale Conference, Mar. 16–18

New York, NY, January 7, 2008 — Marketers in the insurance and financial services disciplines know that numbers don’t lie. So it’s no surprise that these savvy professionals, prompted by direct marketing’s powerful ROI, have more than tripled their investments in the marketing discipline over the last six years. Keeping pace with the surging demand for direct marketing education geared toward financial services and insurance professions, the Direct Marketing Association’s (DMA) 2008 Financial Services Conference will include two full days of workshops, keynotes, general sessions, networking sessions, and special events.

The 32nd Annual DMA Financial Services Conference will take place March 16–18, 2008, at Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, Fort Lauderdale, FL. The conference will provide leading direct marketing strategies for professionals in the insurance, banking, and other financial services industries, many of whom have already made clear their affinity for all things direct marketing.

“Our conference’s theme, ‘Championing Customers: The Future of Financial Services Marketing,’ speaks volumes about the role of direct marketing and CRM for financial services professionals. Put simply, it’s essential,” said Nadine Cunningham, DMA senior conference manager.

Keynote Speakers

Take advantage of the rare opportunity to learn from four of the top innovators in the financial services profession:

· Don Peppers, Founding Partner, Peppers & Rogers Group: Monday, March 17, (11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.), “Dancing Shoes for HoneyBees: Empower Your Customers to Be Champions for Your Brand.”

· Anne Herbster, Brand Service Director, AARP: Tuesday, March 18 (8:30 to 9:15 a.m.), “Helping Boomers Meet Their Financial Services Needs.”

· Catherine Muriel, Chief Marketing Officer, Prosper Marketplace: Tuesday, March 18 (9:15 to 10:00 a.m.), “Lending 2.0: Power to the People.”

· Jon Roska, Chief Executive Officer, Roska Direct Advertising: Tuesday, March 18 (12:15 to 1:45 p.m.), “The Marriage of Brand & Direct.”

Innovative Programming

Monday, March 17 will bring the luck of the Irish to those fortunate enough to attend either of the two special intensive sessions. Both sessions take place from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., both require separate registration, and will be limited to 50 participants each.

· NEW! “Small and Medium Business Marketing Intensive”: Low volumes and limited resources? That’s the ideal business type for this new, three-hour intensive workshop that introduces best practices interactive marketing opportunities.

· “Executive Symposium: Software as a Service: Navigating a Sea of SaaS Alternatives”: There has been a surge of powerful new direct marketing capabilities for financial services companies, thanks to a new type of services company known as Software as a Service (SaaS). This executive symposium will present a panel of experts who will help attendees pick the winners from the losers and employ SaaS to maximize business results.

Special Events

· The conference sets sail on Sunday afternoon, March 16, with a catamaran boat cruise along the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

· On Monday evening, March 17, conferees won’t want to miss the poolside networking reception.

· On Tuesday, March 18, conferees will want to begin the day at the Thought Leaders Breakfast, and later attend the Financial Services Council Awards Luncheon, where a deserving honoree will be recognized as the 2008 FSC Marketer of the Year.

Registration and Sponsorship Information

To register, or for access to additional information about the 32nd Annual Financial Services Conference, please visit http://www.the-dma.org/conferences/dmafscannual.

Those interested in conference sponsorship opportunities can contact Donna LoPorto at 212.768.7277, ext. 1468 or via dloporto@the-dma.org.

DMA provides complimentary registrations for editorial staff of media outlets covering direct marketing-related topics. To request press registration, please email DMA at pressregistration@the-dma.org. For more information about our requirements for press credentials, visit http://www.the-dma.org/press/pressevents.shtml. If you have questions, or would like more information, please contact Heather Fletcher at pressregistration@the-dma.org or via phone at 212.768.7277, ext. 1208.

About Direct Marketing Association (DMA)

The Direct Marketing Association (www.the-dma.org) is the leading global trade association of businesses and nonprofit organizations using and supporting multichannel direct marketing tools and techniques. DMA advocates standards for responsible marketing, promotes relevance as the key to reaching consumers with desirable offers, and provides cutting-edge research, education, and networking opportunities to improve results throughout the end-to-end direct marketing process. Founded in 1917, DMA today represents nearly 3,600 companies from dozens of vertical industries in the US and 50 other nations, including a majority of the Fortune 100 companies, as well as nonprofit organizations.

In 2007, marketers — commercial and nonprofit — spent $173.2 billion on direct marketing in the United States. Measured against total US sales, these advertising expenditures generated approximately $2.025 trillion in incremental sales. In 2007, direct marketing accounted for 10.2 percent of total US gross domestic product. Also in 2007, there were 1.6 million direct marketing employees in the US. Their collective sales efforts directly supported nearly 9.0 million other jobs, accounting for a total of 10.6 million US jobs.

The Power of Direct: Relevance. Responsibility. Results.

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