DMA08 to Offer Nine Tracks of Educational Programming to Improve Marketers' Strategies, ROI

The Global Event for Integrated Marketing Runs October 11-16 in Las Vegas

New York, NY, April 22, 2008 — The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) is planning ahead to help marketers strategize and become masters of their craft by providing nine leading-edge educational tracks during DMA08 Conference & Exhibition, the Global Event for Integrated Marketing, which will be held October 11–16 in Las Vegas.

“DMA08’s training options are beyond compare,” said Lori Ann Pope, senior conference manager. “The companies and brands scheduled to present are truly the movers, shakers, innovators, and leaders. The roster of concurrent sessions in Las Vegas will cover everything from mobile marketing to the boom in social networking as a tool to drive ecommerce. And, as always, we have included the basics of direct and integrated marketing for those that want to strengthen their strategic thinking skills, increase their tactical skills, and overall knowledge base.”

“We also listened to what DMA07 attendees told us was most helpful, and we are pleased to announce the return of the top 10 ‘Back by Popular Demand’ sessions from DMA07,” continued Pope. “It will be a huge challenge for attendees to decide which sessions to attend, since there will be so many stellar presentations running simultaneously. We want our community to access everything — cutting edge technologies, up-to-date strategies, and overall best practices — at DMA08 in Las Vegas.”

DMA08 will present its educational sessions along nine tracks:

· Acquisition & Prospecting

· Creative Strategies

· Database & Analytics

· Emerging Channels

· Marketing Boot Camp

· Multichannel Integration

· Online Marketing

· Retention & Loyalty

· Production Strategies

Acquisition & Prospecting — Learn to simplify the challenges of acquiring and retaining direct marketing customers and charitable donors to grow your business or nonprofit organization. This track’s sessions will explore issues related to data mining, segmentation, demographics, software applications, testing models, response behaviors, and increasing response rates.

Creative Strategies — This track will offer sessions that will empower attendees to translate ideas into effective campaigns via copy, design, art direction, offers, and format for all marketing mediums — whether it’s direct mail, catalog, insert media, Web, or email.

Database & Analytics — This track will instruct direct marketers how to succeed by researching their audience before making that first pitch. Sessions will showcase how to integrate marketing databases — as well as research skills and methods — into everyday marketing operations in ways that will boost bottom lines.

Emerging Channels — In this popular track, experts will explore new developments, innovative research, and valuable tactics in the advergaming (placing ads in games online and off), digital signage and placed based media, interactive television/video-on-demand, mobile marketing, and word of mouth.

Marketing Boot Camp — This essential training session will present participants with the winning fundamentals of creative strategy, database marketing, direct marketing basics, email techniques, Web analytics, and customer service and fulfillment.

Multichannel Integration — Presenting DMA08 attendees with case studies and best practices on how to incorporate multichannel strategies to strengthen the power of their brands, and ensure a rapid return on investment (ROI), this track will factor in market research, analytics, ROI metrics, and a creative strategy that will work in tandem across channels to help build a successful campaign.

Online Marketing — Optimize your interactive media marketing efforts with information on growth challenges, trends, strategies, and analysis. Sessions will cover affiliate marketing; banner ads; blog marketing, article marketing, and blogging; email marketing; pay-per-click advertising; publishing; search engine marketing and optimization; and Web design and development.

Retention & Loyalty — Direct marketers will learn how to plan, launch, overhaul, implement, and evaluate loyalty marketing programs. These sessions will also address issues ranging from calculating lifetime value, to establishing winning loyalty programs, to strengthening customer service initiatives.

Production Strategies — This DMA08 track will cover the latest trends and solutions in variable data, production and fulfillment across print, email, and the Web. Sessions will focus on how to create, manage, and deliver marketing collateral and direct mail campaigns using digital solutions that move messages faster, increase ROI, and reduce costs.

About DMA08 Conference & Exhibition

The DMA08 Annual Conference & Exhibition, the Global Event for Integrated Marketing, is the world’s largest gathering of multichannel marketing professionals. DMA08, which will be held October 11-16 in Las Vegas, will feature keynote presentations, educational sessions, roundtables, case studies, white papers, and research reports. DMA08’s exhibit hall will feature hundreds of exhibiting companies. For additional information, or to register for the six-day multichannel marketing event of the year, please visit www.dma08.org or call 1.866.486.0734.

For information about DMA08 exhibition and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Donna LoPorto at 212.790.1468 or dloporto@the-dma.org.

DMA provides complimentary registrations for editorial staff of media outlets covering multichannel direct marketing. To request press registration, please email DMA at pressregistration@the-dma.org. For information about DMA’s requirements for press credentials, visit http://www.the-dma.org/press/pressevents.shtml. For additional information or queries, contact DMA at pressregistration@the-dma.org.

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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