THE INTERACTIVE ADVERTISING BUREAU AND UNDERSCORE MARKETING
LAUNCH THE INNOVATORS ROUNDTABLE
New York, NY - December 5, 2002 - The Interactive Advertising
Bureau, the leading voice of the interactive marketing industry,
and Underscore Marketing announce the launch of The
Innovators Roundtable, a new dinner series geared toward
promoting the value of online advertising within the media community.
"There are many issues, large and small that must be discussed,
debated and worked out among publishers, marketers and agencies
to help advertisers better understand the value of interactive
media in their plans," said IAB President and CEO Greg Stuart. "Underscore
Marketing is an excellent partner to help us offer this dynamic
series to our members, which will be driven by IAB committee
members from both sides, shared for the mutual benefits that
come from honest intellectual discussion and good faith effort."
Named as a tribute to The Algonquin Roundtable, which was an
informal gathering of a group of American men and women who met
at a large round table in the dining room of the Hotel Algonquin
in New York City during the 1920s and 30s, The Innovators Roundtable
will bring together some of the top minds in the advertising
and marketing business to discuss the future of interactive marketing.
"The interactive marketing industry is at a crossroads," said
Tom Hespos, president of Underscore Marketing. "As interactive
marketing evolves, it will adopt many of the processes, measurement
methodologies and other characteristics of its traditional media
brethren. During this critical period, we will need the input
of the top minds in the marketing business to ensure that interactive
marketing earns a place alongside print, radio and television
in the marketing mix, but without sacrificing the characteristics
that make it unique."
Underscore will produce and market the events, and will assume
primary responsibility for identifying and securing the key audience
of media buyers and advertisers ("buy side"), developing the
content designed to stimulate conversation, and provide moderators
and featured speakers.
The three-tier program offering platinum, gold and participating
sponsorships is structured to work within a curriculum of IAB
topics. The content of the dinner series includes a strategic
discourse on removing the high-level obstacles impeding the growth
of interactive advertising, and to promote the value of interactive
media.
"We’re receiving great interest from IAB member companies for
all three levels and are proud to announce we’ve scheduled several
dinners across the country already in Q1’03" said Underscore
Marketing CEO Tim McHale. "We’ll be developing special IAB content
covering areas of concern relating to both buyers and sellers,
to help guests get to the heart of these issues, while having
a nice evening out with industry leaders."
Initially scheduled events will be at Eleven Madison Park in
NY and Le Colonial in San Francisco.
About the IAB
Founded in 1996, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is
the leading interactive advertising association and represents
companies responsible for selling over 75% of online advertising
in the United States, including; AOL, CNET, MSN, Overture Services,
Walt Disney Internet Group, Yahoo, and 100 others. Its activities
include evaluating and recommending standards and practices,
fielding research to document the effectiveness of the interactive
medium and educating the advertising industry about the use of
interactive advertising. Membership includes companies that are
actively engaged in, and support the sale of interactive advertising.
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