ACCM'S LABS OFFER MARKETERS PERSONALIZED EXPERTISE

From Catalog Creative to Web Usability, Experts to Help Marketers Succeed

New York City, May 7, 2007 — Laboratories are all about making experiments work and yield optimal results, so it’s no surprise that the 2007 Annual Conference for Catalog & Multichannel Merchants (ACCM) is ensuring that conferees will be presented opportunities to explore their promotion efforts alongside marketing experts during lab sessions. ACCM will be held May 21 – 23 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.

From instructional labs to one-on-one critiques, these sessions cover online merchandising, search engine marketing, Web site usability, catalog, e-mail, and Web analytics tools. Then, for good measure, the experts in the Multichannel Merchant Medical Center will give direct marketing professionals an Rx for their catalog and Web site woes.

Online Merchandising Lab — Subtitled “Best Practices to Increase Online Sales,” this session takes a personalized look at best-in-class merchandising practices. Up to four participants will have a chance to have their Web sites critiqued during this interactive lab.

Search Engine Marketing Labs — Marketers who wonder why their Web site isn’t at the top of the list in search engine queries can find the answer during these labs. SuccessWorks International will lead this foray into making sites “search engine friendly,” so they can be in top search positions and maximize their pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns. Marketers will get a dose of SEM know-how, navigate their site through their customers’ eyes, and discover how their www can bolster ROI.

Web Site Usability Labs — During all three days of ACCM, Creative Good will help attendees examine their B-to-B and B-to-C sites through a customer’s eyes and provide advice to marketing professionals about how to improve their e-operations. In the final session, usability experts will go over what a customer experiences when visiting selected Web sites.

‘Ask the Doctor’ Multichannel Merchant Medical Center — Call it an MM-ER. This multichannel marketing triage can diagnose catalog and Web site afflictions and provide prescriptions – stat. Available everyday during the conference, specialists in the “medical center” provide catalog and Web site recovery in the form of one-on-one troubleshooting for branding, creative, e-commerce, inventory management, marketing strategy, merchandise analysis, production, and Web problems.

Catalog Critiques — Veteran catalog marketers provide critiques in these 15-minute, one-on-one sessions with delegates who bring their work for review. Attendees will learn how to better their format, design, and copy to make it more compelling and user-friendly. The 10 pros on hand will also guide B-to-B merchants in how to improve their catalogs and, in turn, their sales.

E-Mail Marketing Creative Critiques — Direct marketers who’d like to ramp up their e-mail response rates need look no further. These creative experts will critique work brought to them for 15-minute, one-on-one sessions meant to boost those rates via effective creative design. Professionals bringing examples of their work can get input on their strengths and weaknesses as well as learn how to make recommended improvements.

Web Site Critiques — Those who want to increase their Web site sales but aren’t sure how to go about it can sit down with a seasoned professional and review their site. These one-on-one critiques are 15 minutes each and offer ideas and techniques to improve Web site designs so direct marketers can sell more.

Web Analytics Tools Lab and Vendor Demonstrations — This newly-created session features professionals taking marketers step-by-step through the process of choosing Web analytics tools. First, experts will teach conferees how to pick the tools, and then vendors will come into the session and demonstrate how to use them.

About the Annual Conference for Catalog & Multichannel Merchants (ACCM)

Co-sponsored by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and Multichannel Merchant, the Annual Conference for Catalog & Multichannel Merchants (ACCM) is the world’s largest and most comprehensive conference for catalog, Internet and multichannel professionals. For more information and to register, please visit www.accmshow.com.

About Multichannel Merchant

MULTICHANNEL MERCHANT helps executives manage all facets of their businesses by providing superior analysis of successful strategies across all areas of multichannel marketing – print, catalogs, e-commerce, merchandising, operations, retail, and more. It’s the one source that helps professionals capitalize on opportunities in their core businesses, and integrate strategies to maximize their successes in each channel. MULTICHANNEL MERCHANT’S franchise includes MULTICHANNEL MERCHANT magazine; the Annual Conference for Catalog & Multichannel Merchants (ACCM); MULTICHANNEL MERCHANT Weekly, List & Data Strategies, and Searchline e-newsletters; www.multichannelmerchant.com; the Annual Multichannel Merchant Awards; and much more.

For more information on the 2007 MCM Awards please visit: www.multichannelmerchant.com/toolbox/awards or contact Heather Retzlaff at 203.358.4233 or heather.retzlaff@penton.com.

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 industry 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 3,600 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 2006, marketers — commercial and nonprofit — spent $166.5 billion on direct marketing in the United States. Measured against total US sales, these advertising expenditures generated $1.93 trillion in incremental sales. Last year, direct marketing accounted for 10.3 percent of total US GDP. Also, there are today 1.7 million direct marketing employees in the US alone. Their collective sales efforts directly support 8.8 million other jobs. That accounts for 10.5 million US jobs.

The Power of Direct: Relevance. Responsibility. Results.

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