Search Engine Strategies Renews Over 50 Percent of Contracts from Sponsors and Exhibitors for Chicago 2008 Show

Business Wire, Dec 12, 2007

Buzzworthy Keynotes and Revamped Sessions Attracted High Caliber Delegates in 2007

CHICAGO -- About 3,000 marketers, brands, and agencies journeyed to the Midwest last week for the 9th annual Search Engine Strategies (SES) Chicago show, which took place December 3-7, 2007. Validating the success of the event, conference directors announced today that over 50 percent of the exhibitor community at this year's show has signed on to participate again at SES Chicago 2008, due to the strong foot traffic and high quality of the companies represented. See www.SearchEngineStrategies.com

Companies who will be present in next year's expo hall include, but are not limited to, iProspect, ACQUISIO, Adgooroo, Ask.com, DoubleClick, Google, Hitwise, iClimber, iCrossing, Indextools, LifeTips, LookSmart, Marin Software, Omniture, Orange Soda, SageRock.com, SearchRev, The Karcher Group, Acronym Media, Morevisibility, and Print Place.

"SES Chicago, from a business standpoint, was outstanding," said Kristopher B. Jones, President & CEO of Pepperjam, a two time Inc. Magazine fastest-growing company and an exhibitor at the event. "While the overall feel of the event was much more corporate than SES events of the past, we really felt that played to what we were attempting to accomplish in being there versus PubCon. In fact, we felt that this show - more than any other previous SES - provided an opportunity for a more seasoned company like Pepperjam to stand out from the crowd, and due to that, we collected a 100 percent increase in qualified leads versus the event last year. In addition, I felt the content was very strong, although I did miss having some of the regular speakers and I look forward to seeing them again at future events."

More than 90 percent of the content for the 2007 event was new, including the stacked - and packed - Orion Panels. An industry thought leader and acknowledged visionary for more than 25 years, Jack Myers spoke on the morning Orion Panel, "Search, Privacy and Community in the Digital Age." Additionally, Andrew Goodman was a featured speaker at the afternoon Orion Panel, "Universal, Blended and Vertical Search." Kevin Ryan, VP and Global Content Director for SES and SearchEngineWatch.com, in conjunction with the SES advisory board, engineered these panels to speak to the strategic nature of search engine marketing and to set the tone for the rest of the conference's sessions.

Keynotes by Professor Don Schultz and marketing visionary Seth Godin provoked attendees to consider search's place in the marketing industry as a whole. As new marketing and traditional marketing compete for companies' budget share, Schultz encouraged the audience to consider search amongst the wide marketing options available in today's spectrum without abandoning the tried and true tactics of the past. Godin echoed these thoughts but outlined 14 key considerations that are completely remaking the marketing industry as we know it.

"This year's SES Chicago was particularly successful due to the extraordinary combination of distinguished speakers and rich content," said Matt McGowan, VP of Marketing for Search Engine Strategies, an Incisive Media property. "In order to keep up with the continuously evolving search community, we brought together the conferences' most diverse line-up of content ever to keep our delegates on top of the industry."

Search Engine Strategies heads to Paris next on January 15 and 16, 2008, where discussions will be led on the nuances on the French market and how to succeed there. This program includes presentations from the major players in the French market, as well as educational segments intended to answer the questions that marketing and research professionals are posed with every day. Delegates at SES London, happening February 19-21, 2008, will be able to network with the largest gathering of search professionals in addition to the most comprehensive SEM/SEO learning opportunity in the UK or Europe. Watch a video from last year's event.

Additionally, at SES Chicago last week, conference organizers announced super early bird pricing for SES New York in March next year. Super early bird pricing for SES New York is $1295 for attendees who register before January 15, 2008. As an added bonus, all SES attendees will receive a free one month pass valued at $299 to Internet marketing knowledge firm Market Motive.

For full information on this offer or other upcoming conferences in the series, visit www.SearchEngineStrategies.com.

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