ICMI's Contact Center Expo & Conference - What's New for 2014

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., March 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The largest and most respected contact center event in the industry offers all new keynotes, site tours and content at ICMI Contact Center Expo & Conference in San Diego, CA (May 6-9, 2014). This world-class, international forum for contact center professionals has expanded its 2014 program to include a host of unique opportunities.      

NEW Celebrity Keynote Speakers

Attendees shouldn't be surprised to discover Hollywood gold dust in the air. This year, Bill Rancic, celebrity host of America Now and the first winner of The Apprentice, will be kicking off the conference keynotes with his talk on How to Succeed in Business and Life.

On the following day, Matt Dixon, CEB Executive Director and bestselling author, will be revealing his secrets of The Effortless Experience: Conquering the New Battleground for Customer Loyalty. This is the first year Rancic and Dixon have spoken at ICMI Contact Center Expo & Conference – a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience for listeners.  

NEW Conference Mobile App

As part of its commitment to emerging technologies, ICMI has developed a new mobile conference app. Available for download on both iTunes and Google Play, this free event app enables attendees to plan their agenda, connect with peers, program instant notifications, view exhibitors, review news feeds and much, much more.

NEW Contact Center Site Tours

Enormously popular with attendees, contact center site tours provide an "up close and professional" glimpse into the workings of successful businesses:

• San Diego Padres/Petco Park (fully booked!)
• KP (Kaiser Permanente) OnCall
• 2-1-1 San Diego
• CSA Travel Protection
• Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Centers
• HD Supply

Premium and All-Access pass holders can join any of the half-day, pre-conference tours on Tuesday, May 6. New this year, All-Access pass holders may choose on Friday, May 9 to join the full day of post-conference site tours.

NEW Post-Training Workshop Topics

In lieu of a post-conference site tour on Friday, All-Access pass holders can opt for a full day of hands-on, interactive sessions led by best-in-the-business trainers. This year, ICMI is offering two new post-training workshops:

• ICMI Small Contact Center Workshop
• ICMI Contact Center Metrics Workshop

Each workshop focuses on providing attendees with real-world tools, strategies and tips, as well as concentrated networking opportunities.  

NEW Evening Networking Events

You can't beat a San Diego Padres game on a warm spring night! Taking advantage of the conference's strategic location next to Petco Park, ICMI has reserved a designated section at Thursday's May 8 ballgame against the Miami Marlins.

The ticket price is only $27.50 and includes an "all you can eat" selection from the ballpark. This is a separate add-on that can accompany any conference pass. Conference goers should simply select the Padres Ticket Option at registration.

NEW Solution Providers

In addition to the established and award-winning exhibitors who return year-after-year, Contact Center Expo & Conference 2014 has attracted many new vendors: 3CLogic, Adtech Global, AireSpring, Altivon, CEB, Convergent, Execs In The Know, Fonolo, GM Voices, HP Autonomy, injixo, Integrity Solutions, IQ Services, Jacada, KomBea, LogMeIn, MTM, Inc., Presence Technology, SENTIS, The Fraser Group, Vocalcom, VoiceTrust, Voxbone and Zendesk.

NEW Global Award Categories

To cap it all off, ICMI has added two new honors to their Global Contact Center Awards, categories that truly speak to current industry trends:

1. Best Outsourcing Partnership – This award is given to the organization and outsourcing (BPO) partner who have most successfully leveraged their relationship to improve customer service.
2. Best Use of an Emerging Channel(s) – The contact center that takes home this trophy is one that has embraced the non-traditional channels and has either begun experimenting or fully implemented social, mobile, SMS, video, mobile chat, or virtual assistants/bots.

Awards will be given at the glamorous ICMI Global Contact Center Awards Dinner on Wednesday, May 7, 2014. Highlights include a drink reception, dinner, entertainment from comedy group Sketchy At Best, and a post-awards party.

Time is Running Out on Early Bird Pricing

Register before March 21, 2014 for the ICMI Contact Center Expo & Conference in San Diego, CA (May 6-9, 2014) and use promo code ICMIPR to receive 10% off an All-Access or Premium Package. This discount is on top of already low Early Bird Pricing (expires March 21).

ABOUT CONTACT CENTER EXPO & CONFERENCE

Formerly known as ACCE, ICMI Contact Center Expo & Conference is the premier global event for the contact center industry. It's regarded worldwide as the essential forum for educational growth, networking and sharing of proven best practices.

Held in rotating locations, this popular conference offers 4 full days of workshops, site tours, case studies, panels and discussions on a wide-ranging selection of industry-specific topics. In addition, the event provides valuable networking opportunities, inspiring keynote speakers and the latest technologies and services from top industry vendors.

To receive email updates on the conference, register for the ICMI events newsletter.

ABOUT ICMI

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.

Since 1985, ICMI has helped more than 50,000 organizations in 167 countries through training, events, certification, consulting and informational resources. ICMI's experienced and dedicated team of industry insiders, trainers and consultants are committed to helping professionals raise the strategic value of contact centers, optimize operations and improve customer service.

ICMI is a part of UBM, a global live media and B2B communications, marketing service and data provider.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140305/SF77461

SOURCE International Customer Management Institute (ICMI)