Monday, August 14
6:30 p.m. - Opening Night Reception and Dinner
Executive Conference attendees will begin their visit to Hartford at one of the nation’s oldest state houses.  The Hartford Convention and Visitors Bureau and its sponsors have planned an elegant evening with a reception and dinner for SISO to enjoy and remember. A shuttle service will be provided from the hotel lobby to the Old State House starting at 6:15p.m.

Tuesday, August 15
7:30 a.m. - 8:15 a.m.    Breakfast

8:15 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.    SISO Welcome and Introductions

9:00 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.    Keynote - Transforming the Entrepreneur's Vision
Great events come from an idea, a vision or the dream of an entrepreneur. How do you turn this vision in to a viable trade show or conference? Take part in a discussion with seasoned event marketing expert Jason Chudnofsky, CEO of pulvermedia and Jeff Pulver, Founder and Chairman of pulvermedia as they debate this important topic.  Transforming the Entrepreneur's Vision will give you valuable insights into balancing the entrepreneur's passion with the business process passion.

Presenters:  Jason Chudnofsky, CEO, pulvermedia;
                    Jeff Pulver, Chairman and Founder, pulvermedia

Sponsored by SMG Corporation; David L. Lawrence Convention Center; Salt Palace/South Towne Convention Center

9:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.    Executive Management
Part 1 - Valuing Trade Show and Conference Brands
How much are they worth?  What can you expect?  This session will discuss the various ways properties are valued for sale, including trade shows, public shows, conferences, magazines, and web sites, and various types of management buyout packages.

Speaker:  Richard Mead, Managing Director, The Jordan, Edmiston Group,
                 Inc.

Valuing Trade Show Presentation
Sponsored by Rhode Island Convention Center

9:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.    Sales & Marketing 
Be True to Your #1 Customer, Your Audience

As business leaders and salespeople, we are constantly looking for new ways to convince our exhibitors and sponsors to make investments or greater investments in our face-to-face marketing programs.  We often lose sight of our #1 customer, our event audience, without whom we would have nothing to sell to our exhibitors and sponsors.

This session will show you how to put your audience at the forefront of your sales process.  You'll learn how to serve as their voice box and how to position your attendees to your exhibitors and sponsors in a way that drives deeper relationships and more profitable, longer-term deals.

Speakers: Stephen Pia, Founder and Media Sales Trainer/Coach, COACH MEdia

Be True Presentation
Sponsored by Orange County Convention Center

9:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.   Technology Track
Registration as a Marketing Tool?
Can registration be a marketing tool and a source of revenue?  Absolutely!  This session will review multiple initiatives you can use as part of your registration process both pre-show and onsite to increase attendance and revenue for your event. Topics will include up-selling techniques during the registration process, various sponsorship opportunities, personalizing registration to the attendee, as well as viral marketing techniques.

Speakers: Jenabeth Ferguson, Event Director, JD Events
                 Ken Ferreira, National Sales Application Manager, Convention 
                 Data Services, Inc

Registration as a Marketing Tool Presentation
Sponsored by Convention Data Services, Inc

11:00 a.m. -11:15 a.m.   Networking and Refreshment Break

11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.    Executive Management
Part 2 - How Do You Best Position Your Company or Event for Sale?
This panel of buyers, sellers, and intermediaries will tackle the following questions:  When is the best time to sell?   Who is my ideal buyer?  Should I use a broker or go it alone?  What should happen when?  How do I manage my event or business while it is on the market?  What do I tell my team, and when?  What happens if my exhibitors find out? What does my future look like? 
 
Moderator: Nancy Hasselback, President & CEO, Diversified Business Communications
Panelists:   Jeff Pulver, Chairman and Founder, pulvermedia;
                  Bob Birkfeld, Managing Partner, Compass Group International;
                  Tom Tomczyk, Vice President Business Development, Diversified Business Communications; 
                  Scott Goldman, President, Eaton Hall Exhibitions

How Do You Best Position Presentation
Sponsored by The Jordan, Edmiston Group, Inc.

11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.    Sales & Marketing
Too Many Shows!  Tools for Raising Your Event Above the Competitive Rabble
In competitive marketplaces, it takes more effort, more discipline, and more ingenuity to distinguish your event from the rest of the pack.  This panel of experts will discuss the steps they've taken to differentiate their events from competitors, and how they effectively communicate their advantages.

Moderator: Bill Sell, VP & General Manager, Pulvermedia
Panelists:  Lawrence Dvorchik, General Manager, JD Events; 
                 Zahava Stroud, President, iHollywood Forum;
                 Michelle Whitlcok, Group Vice President, Program Management,
                 Gartner Worldwide Events

Too Many Shows Presentation
Sponsored by a2z, Inc.

12:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.   Lunch and Members Meeting
 Special Entertainment by Renown Corporate Hypnotist Tom DeLuca

1:45 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.    Executive Management
Creating the On-Demand Brand: The Latest on RSS, Blogging, Podcasts, and the Other Tools of  Social Media
Media consumers are demanding to get what they want, when they want it, in a format that's convenient.

We've all heard about portals, blogs, RSS, and the other tools that make this phenomenon possible.  But after all of the hype, how are they catching on, and who's using them?  Further, how are these tools being used to create powerful communities around media brands and drive new revenue?

This session will give attendees the chance to shape the discussion with their own questions and concerns--from basic to brain surgery!

Moderator:  Ted Doyle, President, Fuel Dog Media, Inc.;
Panelists:    Tom Maher, Manager, PR, and Corporate Communications, The George P. Johnson Company;
                   Jack Powers, Director, International Informatics Institute Editor

Sponsored by Mandalay Bay Resort

1:45 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.    Sales & Marketing 
 Key Elements of Successful Marketing Plans
Marketing plans serve as a path designed to achieve event success.  However, is the old adage “plan your work - work your plan” still valid in today's rapidly changing marketplace?  What should be included in a custom-built marketing plan?  Successful industry marketers share their secrets.

Speakers:  Bob James, Managing Director, Frost Miller Group
                  Wayne Jacobs, CEO, Jacobs, Jenner & Kent

Key Elements Presentation
Sponsored by Navy Pier

3:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.    Networking and Refreshment Break

3:15 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.    Executive Management
Feeling the Love: How to Win Exhibitors and Attendees for Life.
Wouldn’t it be great to have customers who are so happy, so loyal, that they go out and tell everyone how terrific your event is? How do you make customers love you? The first step is making them feel loved.

In this session, we’ll share some of the ways you can add a personal touch to even the largest show. We’ll show you the little surprises that win smiles from your customers and win allies for your show. In short, we hope to get you "feeling the love" out on the show floor, from your exhibitors and attendees.

You’ll hear the tips and techniques from two show managers who like to "make it personal." Then you’ll have a chance to work out some new ideas for your own event, in a small group exercise that ought to get your creative juices flowing. Come see how you can use the "power of love" to build your show.

Moderator:  Scott Goldman, President, Eaton Hall Exhibitions
Speaker:  Mary Upton, VP of Tradeshow Operations, The ASI Show

Sponsored by Puerto Rico Convention Center

3:15 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.     Sales & Marketing
Successful Last-Minute Attendance Sales  Techniques
Successful event organizers never stop selling - and this session will explore the ways to attract that last-minute, teetering-on-the-fence attendee.  Use those last conference minutes - hear the latest techniques for leveraging just-in-time marketing to your advantage for increased attendance. 

Speakers:  Bill Sell, VP & General Manager, Pulvermedia,
                  Glenn Gaudet, Chief Marketing Officer, Pulvermedia 

Sponsored by Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center
 
6:30 p.m.     Networking Reception and Dinner
Executive Conference attendees are in for a treat this evening!  The Hartford Convention and Visitors Bureau and its sponsors are rolling out the red carpet for an evening at the Bushnell Theatre that will include a wonderful reception and dinner. A shuttle service will be provided from the hotel lobby to the Old State House starting at 6:15p.m.

Wednesday, August 16
7:45 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.     Breakfast

8:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.     Executive Management
                                       Show Launches - Research, Funding, and
                                       Building
This session will feature three industry leaders that are responsible for creating the culture, structures, and environment for new show launches to thrive. Three different companies--three different approaches--all three with proven success records. Hear from three executives representting companies where show launches are built into the company DNA.

Moderator:    Britton Jones, President & CEO, Business Journal, Inc.; 
Panelists: Eric Faurot, Senior Vice President, CMP Media; 
                     Brian Randall, Group Vice President, Diversified Business  Communications

Show Launches Presentation
Sponsored by Reliant Park

8:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.     Sales & Marketing
 Trying New Things - Selling Ideas Upward
You know it's a great idea.  How do you convince others in your organization to embrace change, invest in an untried concept, and see your ideas through to fruition?  Be an effective and powerful communicator of ideas.  Learn to navigate the corporate waters by utilizing persuasive communication, planning, guidance, and mentoring to help others sell your ideas into reality.

Moderator:  Jim Forlenza, President, Agile Events
Speaker:    Bill Cooke, Group President, VNU;
                      Marie Brown, Director, Business Development, Reed Exhibitions;           
                  Greg Caren, Vice President Operations and Business
Development, SMG

Trying New Things Presentation
Sponsored by Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Bureau

9:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.     Executive Management
Buying Lists, Selling Lists - What's Out There, What's the Potential, and What are the  Legal Issues Involved in Buying, Selling, and Using Lists?
Many show organizers and publishers invest heavily in purchasing lists.  Many media companies also offer their lists for sale with quite lucrative results.  The panel of experts will talk about this relatively under explored aspect of the industry - including what lists can mean for your company, legal rules governing commercial faxes and emails, and how to comply with them.

Speakers:  Denise Halter, Director of Segmentation and Targeting, Reed  Exhibitions;
                  Henry M. Schaffer, Of Counsel, Jenner & Block LLP

Buying Lists Presentation
Sponsored by Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Bureau
 
9:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.     Sales & Marketing
Out-of-the-Box Sales and Marketing Ideas
Print, radio, outdoor, email, search and online advertising, copy, graphics, audience profiling, targeting, web sites, testing, tracking, metrics, optimization, partnerships, and much more.  Put your seat belt on and get ready to move from the “comfort zone” to the “high-speed zone” in this fast-paced, information-packed session.  Don't miss what is consistently one of SISO's highest-rated sessions and this opportunity to bring home ideas you can use NOW!!!

Speaker:  Cristopher Levy, Managing Partner, Encore Media Partners, Inc.,
                Nancy Largay, Director, Business Development, Global Executive Companies

Out of the Box Presentation
Sponsored by Showcare

11:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.    Networking and Refreshment Break

11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.     Executive Management
Building Successful Conferences - the  Infrastructure, the Investment, the Inhibitors
Whether your idea is for a stand-alone conference, or you want to develop a conference program as a revenue-producing part of an existing event, this session will feature experts who have built successful conference programs in a variety of different ways.  They will talk about what it takes to get the job done, and the pitfalls to avoid when developing a successful conference business.

Moderator:  Margaret Pederson, President, Exhibitions, Prism Business  Media
Panelists:    Patty Caron, Vice President, Conference Brands, IDG World  Expo;
                   Jennifer Miller, Group Show Director, Prism Business
                   Media; 
                  Sam Lippman, President, Integrated Show Management  & Marketing (ism2)

Building Successful Conferences Presentation
Sponsored by Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau

11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.     Sales & Marketing
                                        Brand Extensions for Increased Revenue
Your face to face event - be it trade show, public show, or conference - brings people together for a defined amount of time.  The potential exists to keep your event alive 24/7, 365 days a year.  However, you must first fully understand your customers' business objectives, perceptions on the
effectiveness of various media options, and investment intentions. You'll also learn what is involved in developing an event-supporting publication and web site.  What other brand extension products are out there?  Hear from the companies that have invested in client research and brand extensions - what works, what doesn't, how to get started, and how to fine tune what you're currently doing.

Moderator:  Cherif Moujabber, President, Creative Expos and Conferences
Panelists:    Tom Egan, Vice President Industry Services, PMMI;
                   Keri Dostie, Event Director - AIIM & On Demand, Questex Media Group, Inc

Brand Extensions Presentation
Sponsored by Freeman

12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.     Closing Lunch