Corporate Communication Leaders Gather in New York for Research and Measurement Conference; Experts from FedEx, GE, Volvo and P&G Headline Fourth Annual Forum

Business Wire, August 2, 2005

NORWALK, Conn. -- The 2005 Research and Measurement Conference, "Practical Approaches to Generating and Demonstrating Communication ROI," presented by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and Delahaye, a division of Bacon's Information Inc., will be held 9-11 November in New York City for senior-level public relations, marketing and communication professionals.

"We are at the dawn of a new era in public relations research and evaluation -- moving from a world of opportunistic PR research and evaluation, to one in which every communications activity is based on research-based objectives, strategy development and evaluation," said Mark Weiner Delahaye's president. "The race is on to drive the next generation of public relations research, because if one thing is clear, it's that communicators who control the ROI framework will be in the driver's seat."

The fourth annual conference provides communication managers and executives with best practices and practical measurement principles to position their programs strategically and demonstrate value to the organization's bottom line.

Highlights of the conference include sessions led by:

Wednesday, 9 November

--Pre-Conference Workshop, Delahaye President, Mark Weiner

Thursday, 10 November

--Paul Argenti, Professor of Corporate Communication, The Tuck School, Dartmouth

--Erik Jackson, Vice President, Corporate Communications, FedEx

--Dean Davison, Senior Vice President, PR & Communications, GE Insurance Solutions

--Donna Coletti, APR, Texas Instruments

--Fraser Likely, Likely Communication Strategies Ltd.

--Beverly Brown, Public Relations Manager, SAS,

--Norm Clements, Senior Vice President, Delahaye

--Angela Sinickas, ABC, President, Sinickas Communications, Inc.

Friday, 11 November

--Terrance Odean, Professor of Finance, Haas School at UC Berkeley and leading expert on the effects of news on investor behavior

--Tatiana Butovitsch Temm, Corporate Communications, Volvo Car Corporation

--Randall Chinchilla, External Relations Manager for North America Fabric Care, P&G

--Ron Alsop, Editor, Senior Writer at The Wall Street Journal, and well-known author of The 18 Immutable Laws of Corporate Reputation: Creating, Protecting and Repairing Your Most Valuable Asset

"We know communication creates business value, but practitioners must be able to quantify return on investment to their CEO, senior management and clients, said Julie Freeman, ABC, APR, IABC President. "This conference teaches how to measure business results instead of communication outputs, and increase company value through strategic communication."

About the conference:

The conference will take place at the Westin Times Square Hotel in New York City, NY. The conference program and registration are online at: http://www.iabc.com/rmconf.> Conference fees include a late night reception on November 9, continental breakfast sessions and two luncheons featuring leading communication experts, prestigious speakers and interactive seminars with peers.

About IABC:

The International Association of Business Communicators (www.iabc.com), established in 1970, is a global network of professionals committed to improving organizational effectiveness through strategic communication. With more than 100 chapters, IABC serves 13,500 members in 60 countries and 10,000 organizations.

About Delahaye:

Delahaye (www.delahaye.com), a division of Bacon's Information Inc., is an international, award-winning research and analysis firm that specializes in helping clients understand and actively manage their public relations and communications programs. Through Delahaye, clients gain the market intelligence they need to improve communications effectiveness and return-on-investment. The company has domestic offices in Norwalk, Conn., Portsmouth, N.H., and Washington, D.C., with international headquarters in London and partners around the globe.

About Bacon's Information Inc.:

Bacon's (www.bacons.com) helps marketing and PR professionals maximize results in media relations. Bacon's provides integrated service solutions designed to give clients the ability to target their messages efficiently, customize distribution of information, monitor media coverage and evaluate campaigns to determine if PR objectives have been met.

About Observer AB:

Observer AB (listed on the O-list (Attract 40) of Stockholmsborsen, Sweden) is a global industry leader in business and communication intelligence. The firm provides media and market monitoring, analysis and communication evaluation, as well as target group identification and distribution of information of PR and IR purposes. Observer AB has annual earnings of nearly SEK 1.5 billion, and has 2,500 employees in the United States, United Kingdom, Sweden, Canada, Germany, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.