BIA/Kelsey's DMS '11: The Summit for Small-Business Advertising Solutions to Focus on Modern SMB Marketing

CHANTILLY, Va., July 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Small and medium-sized businesses around the world use an increasingly complex mix of traditional and digital marketing tools and technologies. BIA/Kelsey's most recent Local Commerce Monitor study showed a major jump in the average number of different media used by SMBs for local advertising and promotion — from 3.1 in 2009 to 4.6 in 2010 — driven in large part by digital media. Within this context, BIA/Kelsey will gather the SMB marketing solutions community Sept. 20-22 in Denver for Directional Media Strategies 2011 (DMS '11: The Summit for Small-Business Advertising Solutions).  

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"For today's small businesses, marketing has gone beyond simply making the phone ring," said DMS '11 Conference Chairman Charles Laughlin, senior vice president and program director, BIA/Kelsey. "SMB marketers now require a complex mix of products and services to drive leads, measure performance, manage customer relationships and engage customers."

The DMS '11 program features more than 50 senior executives from across the small-business marketing solutions marketplace. Among the speakers headlining the event are Rita Fabi, head of market solutions, global customer marketing and communications, Facebook; Joe Walsh, president and CEO, Yellowbook; Clare Hart, CEO, Infogroup; Tom Higley, CEO, Local Matters; Nir Lempert, CEO, Golden Pages; Ben Smith, founder, MerchantCircle; and Bill Dinan, president, Telmetrics.

DMS '11 will bring together innovators and thought leaders to examine the components of modern SMB marketing and analyze where the biggest opportunities are for players in the local-social-mobile ecosystem. The agenda features three SuperForums, BIA/Kelsey's fast-paced, self-contained mega sessions, each focused on a single topic: Performance Media, The Social-Driven SMB, and Customer Acquisition and Retention. Additional session highlights include:

• Mobile Ad Networks: The Stakes for SMBs
• SMBs and Self-Serve: Ready for Prime Time?
• SMB Perspectives on Daily Deals
• Location-Based Services: SMB Initiatives
• Local Display: Coming to an SMB Near You
• Demos: Local iPad Apps — The Next Phase

DMS '11 will be of critical importance to companies involved in directory publishing, local search, coupons, group buying, newspapers, location-based services and social media. On Aug. 4, BIA/Kelsey will host a free conference preview webinar titled, "The Hot Digital Advertising and Social Trends for Small-Business Advertisers." For more information and webinar registration, go to: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/535703200.  

Conference sponsors include 3L System Group, Acxiom, Amdocs, Infogroup, Infycosm, Local Matters, Localeze, Location3 Media, MerchEngines and Telmetrics. Association partners include the Association of Directory Publishers and the Local Search Association. Media partners include ConferenceGuru.com, Search Marketing Standard Magazine, Street Fight, TopSEOs and Visibility Magazine. For more information about DMS '11, including the complete agenda, list of speakers and companies attending, visit www.biakelsey.com/DMS2011.    

About BIA/Kelsey

BIA/Kelsey advises companies in the local media space through consulting and valuation services, research, Continuous Advisory Services and conferences. Since 1983 BIA/Kelsey has been a resource to the media, mobile advertising, telecommunications, Yellow Pages and electronic directory markets, as well as to government agencies, law firms and investment companies looking to understand trends and revenue drivers. BIA/Kelsey's annual conferences draw executives from across industries seeking expert guidance on how companies are finding innovative ways to grow. Additional information is available at http://www.biakelsey.com, on the company's Local Media Watch blog, Twitter (http://twitter.com/BIAKelsey) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/biakelsey).

SOURCE BIA/Kelsey