DMA'S CATALOG ON THE ROAD CONFERENCE KICKS OFF

New York, NY, February 3, 2009 — Direct Marketing Association (DMA) today kicked off its 17th annual Catalog on the Road Conference at the Hyatt Regency Cambridge in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Catalog, internet, and email marketing drove over $650 billion in sales last year, despite one of the worst economic climates. However, fiscal concerns still afflict marketers as they prepare for the tougher decisions ahead that will maximize their sales in 2009. DMA’s Catalog on the Road Conference is the only event that produces actionable strategies from distinguished catalog and multichannel experts on how companies can make the most of their budget, create a more productive catalog, generate website traffic, and maintain a solid customer relationship, all in just one day.

This morning, Edward Schmults, chief executive officer, FAO Schwarz welcomed attendees with his opening keynote presentation. Schmults explained how FAO Schwarz gained outstanding success by having a clear, consistent, and positive brand message throughout all of its channels. He also detailed how they have taken a 19th century brand and reinvented it for the 21st century through multichannel saturation.

A full day of conference programming will follow the keynote presentation:

10:30 a.m. – 11:25 a.m.

Still Time to Change: Lessons Learned & What Can You Still Do?

Moderator: Paul Miller, Editor-in-Chief, Catalog Success

Speakers: Sarah Fletcher, Creative Director, Catalog Design Studios Inc.

Bud Reed, President & Chief Executive Officer, Timberline Interactive

11:30 a.m. – 12:25 p.m.

Is Going Green Right for You?: Green Friendly Ways to Drive ROI

Moderator: Tim Parry, Senior Writer, Multichannel Merchant

Speakers: Serenity Edwards, Director, Corporate & Social Responsibility, Direct Marketing Association, Inc.

Kathy Hecht, Senior Vice President/General Manager, Greetings, AG Interactive, American Greetings

Nina Wintringham, Vice President, Marketing, RR Donnelley

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Networking Luncheon & Roundtable Discussions

1:45 p.m. – 2:40 p.m.

Using Your Catalog to Drive Website Traffic

Speakers: Amy Africa, President and Chief Imagina-8-tion Officer, Eight-by-Eight

Bill LaPierre, Vice President, Catalog Brokerage, Millard Group, Inc.

3 p.m. – 3:55 p.m.

Become Your Own Expert: Learn How to Critique Your Own Catalog

Speaker: Lois Boyle-Brayfield, President, Chief Creative Officer, J. Schmid & Assoc.

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 more than 3,400 companies from dozens of vertical industries in the US and 48 other nations, including half of the Fortune 100 companies, as well as nonprofit organizations.

In 2008, marketers — commercial and nonprofit — spent $176.9 billion on direct marketing, which accounted for 52.1 percent of all ad expenditures in the United States. Measured against total US sales, these advertising expenditures generated approximately $2.057 trillion in incremental sales. Last year, direct marketing accounted for approximately 10 percent of total US gross domestic product. Also, there are today 1.6 million direct marketing employees in the US. Their collective sales efforts directly support 9.3 million other jobs, accounting for a total of 10.9 million US jobs.

The Power of Direct: Relevance. Responsibility. Results.

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