ICMI Attracts 800+ Contact Center Professionals to ACCE 2011 Conference & Expo in New Orleans; Event Focused on Utilizing "Voice of the Customer" to Improve Satisfaction and Build Loyalty

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., June 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Customer Management Institute (ICMI) today announced the successful wrap up of the 2011 ACCE Conference & Expo, the leading global gathering for the contact center community, which was held in New Orleans, June 13-16. The event brought together 800+ contact center professionals who engaged with a conference program centered on understanding customer needs. The sessions also featured a focus on better managing people and resources, improving call center operations and properly selecting and implementing technology.

Next year, ACCE will be returning to its inaugural location, Seattle, Washington.  The 2012 event will take place May 7-10.

2011 event highlights included:

• Programming in four core areas: "Improving Operational Effectiveness," "Strategy and Leadership," "The Power of the People," "Today's Technology - and Tomorrow's" and
• A newly expanded conference with 7 sessions in each time slot
• Case studies from top organizations, including Hyundai, Constant Contact, Autotrader.com, and Blue Cross Blue Shield Nebraska.
• A speaker line-up of seasoned call center executives and industry experts
• An Exhibit Hall featuring the latest tools and services providing effective contact center solutions with strong support from companies such as Salesforce.com, Avaya, Oracle, inContact and Medallia, to name just a few
• Announcement of the winners of the Global Call Center of the Year Awards: New York Life and iContact
• The presentation of videos from Capital One and Xerox ,the 1st and 2nd place winners of the ACCE 2011 Video Contest

Keynote speakers included Joseph Michelli, Speaker, Author, and Organizational Consultant, who presented customer trends verifying the wisdom of adopting a cost-effective commitment to elevating service and customer experience, and Erik Qualman, Best-Selling Author and Speaker, who spoke about the need for integrating social media monitoring into your customer management strategy.

"We're thrilled with the success of this year's ACCE Conference & Expo," said Laura Quinn, Events Manager for ICMI.  "The conference program attracted contact center professionals from across the country – and the world – while the Expo floor was filled with attendees exploring innovative technology solutions. We also received an enthusiastic response when we announced our plan to host ACCE 2012 in Seattle."

ACCE provides valuable insight into how contact center professionals can improve their call center's performance by better managing people and resources, improving operations, properly selecting and implementing technology, and more.  ACCE 2011 was presented by ICMI, one of the contact center industry's most respected organizations.

About ICMI:

The International Customer Management Institute (ICMI) is the leading global provider of comprehensive resources for customer management professionals – from frontline agents to executives – who wish to improve customer experiences and increase efficiencies at every level of the contact center. ICMI's experienced and dedicated team of industry insiders, trainers, and consultants are committed to providing uncompromised objectivity and results-oriented vision through the organization's respected lineup of professional services including: Training and Professional Certification, Consulting, Events, and Informational Resources. Founded in 1985, ICMI continues to serve as one of the most established and respected organizations in the call center industry.

ICMI is a part of UBM Live which provides leading integrated media solutions and professional services across 20 different markets. For more information, visit www.icmi.com.  

SOURCE International Customer Management Institute (ICMI)/UBM Live