Autobytel to Present Ward's Automotive Spring Training Conference March 9-11, 2008
IRVINE, CA - February 22, 2008: Automotive marketing services company Autobytel Inc. will present the Ward’s Dealer Business Automotive Spring Training Conference in Tampa, Florida from March 9–11, 2008. The event is designed to provide car dealers and automotive industry specialists with “A Game Plan for 21st Century Marketing” through advice and insight from marketing thought leaders both inside and outside the automotive industry, along with an opportunity to enjoy Major League Baseball spring training games and events. Executives from Fox Interactive Media and ATTIK USA (the ad agency behind the Scion campaign) will give keynote addresses. Leading industry analysts, The Kelsey Group, will also premiere a groundbreaking new study on dealer online advertising spending.
“Spring training is the perfect environment to focus on new possibilities for taking your marketing game to the next level,” said Autobytel President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Riesenbach. “By gathering together renowned marketing innovators from inside and outside the industry with automotive dealers who have successfully navigated the evolving automotive Internet, we think participating dealers will walk away with a clear understanding of what successful marketing initiatives will look like for the next several years.”
“The fact that dealers have to get serious about the Internet is old news,” adds Ward’s Dealer Business Editorial Director Cliff Banks. “The big trend over the next couple of years will be the merging of traditional with online media to position the dealership as a big player in a regional — instead of local — market. That’s the future, and our spring training event will provide a road map to get there.”
To that end, according to Riesenbach and Banks, the event’s roster of speakers is being selected to move beyond the standard dealership sales training circuit to bring together a range of high-level marketing leaders, providing clarity and direction for an industry in the midst of dizzying change. Top dealer groups, automakers and dealers from around the country are scheduled to attend the three-day conference.
The conference will include a series of panels led by marketing innovators from in and outside the automotive industry, including representatives from OEMs, third-party and large dealer groups. In addition, a series of interactive workshops will offer dealers real-world best practices and online strategies from dealers and specialists who understand what it is like to be in the trenches of the automotive Internet.
Michael Barrett, who oversees worldwide revenue for all Fox Interactive Media properties, which include MySpace, IGN, FoxSports.com, Fox.com, AmericanIdol.com and Scout.com, will present a keynote address titled, “Where is Your Customer? Trends That Will Determine Your Marketing Spend.” William Travis, vice president and founding partner of ATTIK USA - whose clients, in addition to Scion, have included NBC, Eastman Kodak, MTV, Nike, Levi Strauss & Co., Columbia Tristar and Sony - will offer “An Ad Agency’s Perspective: Integrating Online and Offline Advertising.” Neal Polachek, CEO of The Kelsey Group will also present key findings from a new study on dealer marketing spend.
Following is a sampling of topics, panelists and moderators at this year’s conference:
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PANELS |
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Rising Lead Costs: What Works, What Doesn't |
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| Cliff Banks, Editorial Dir., Ward's Dealer Business (moderator) | ||
| Mike Gargano, Vice President and Gen. Mgr., Car.com | ||
| Kent Bozarth, General Manager, Bozarth Automotive Group | ||
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Ted Gessler, Corporate Internet Director, Bergstrom Automotive Group |
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| Steve St. Andre, President and COO, Ford Direct | ||
| Todd Swickard, President and CEO, Auto Dealer Traffic | ||
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Lessons From Other Industries: Hear Unique Web-based Strategies That Help Several Companies Grow Their Business |
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| Jim Riesenbach, President and CEO, Autobytel Inc.(moderator) | ||
| Craig Smith, CEO, ServiceMagic | ||
| Omar Tawakol, CEO, Bluekai | ||
| Steve Horowitz, SVP, GM Online Properties, Bankrate, Inc. | ||
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Measuring Online Ad Effectiveness: Snake Oil or Game Changing? |
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| Dean Evans, Chief Marketing Officer, Dealer.com | ||
| Steve Stauning, E-commerce Director, Asbury Automotive Group | ||
| Matt Strickroot, Director/VP, Digitas | ||
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WORKSHOPS |
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Online Video: What Works, What Doesn't |
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| Mike Parsons, President, Laser Stream Video | ||
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Strategies for Managing Your Online Inventory to Drive Sales |
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| Domingos Vieira, Vice President of Automotive, iCrossing | ||
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How Smart is Your Ad Spend? Tips on Measuring Your Online Advertising |
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| Mike Spadafore, Global Product Strategist, Polk | ||
When dealers aren’t busy honing their marketing skills, they’ll get to enjoy plenty of sun, golf, and baseball, highlighted by a Monday night group outing to see the Yankees take on the Cincinnati Reds including a pre-game tent party on the Yankees workout field.
Stay tuned for more details. In the meantime, to learn more or register, visit http://wardsauto.com/springtraining. Ward’s Dealer Business is published by Penton Media, Inc.
About Penton Media
Penton Media, Inc. is the largest independent business-to-business media company in the U.S., serving more than six million business professionals every month. The company's market-leading brands are focused on 30 industries and include 113 trade magazines, 145 Web sites, 150 industry trade shows and conferences, and more than 500 information data products. Headquartered in New York City, the privately held company is owned by MidOcean Partners and U.S. Equity Partners II, an investment fund sponsored by Wasserstein & Co., LP, and its co-investors. For additional information on the company and its businesses, visit www.penton.com.
EDITOR'S NOTE: How does a company that has lost hundreds of millions of dollars and can't figure out its own business plan "present" at a business conference to help car dealers achieve success?
