|
There is more to the Forum than just numbers. Our elite cadre of industry experts will provide the insight needed to turn all the research and analysis into actionable take-aways to benefit your business in the year ahead.
2007 General Session Speakers
 Mark Dyer, President, MotorsportsAuthentics
In a 25-year business career centered on sports marketing, Mark Dyer relied on three main personal qualities: entrepreneurship, innovation and salesmanship. In June 2007, Dyer accepted an invitation from Motorsports Authentics' Board of Managers to lead day-to-day management of the merchandise retailer owned in a 50/50 joint venture between International Speedway Corporation (ISC) and Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (SMI). As President, Dyer will oversee the acquisition and development of intellectual property licenses, coordinating with teams, drivers, sanctioning bodies, promoters and sponsors to enhance industry opportunities.
Prior to joining Motorsports Authentics, Dyer led day-to-day management of NASCAR's Charlotte operation as vice president of licensing and consumer products from September 2002-June 2007. In this position, Dyer oversaw all aspects of traditional licensing, which License Magazine ranks #3 in all of professional sports, in addition to managing NASCAR's automotive aftermarket licensing program, retail program development, promotional marketing and consumer products. In addition to helping grow the business from $600 million to $2 billion in retail sales, Dyer also shepherded the development and groundbreaking of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, scheduled to open in Charlotte in 2010.
 Geoff Ramsey, CEO, eMarketer
Geoff Ramsey is one of the Internet's most exciting digital marketing visionaries. As CEO and co-founder of New York-based eMarketer, Mr. Ramsey is on the cutting edge of new research statistics, trends and best practices covering every aspect of the Internet, e-business and online marketing. He's also a dynamic and highly regarded industry speaker who gives business leaders fresh perspective and critical data they need in order to successfully execute in today's rapidly evolving e-business landscape.
Mr. Ramsey has become a well-known expert on e-business trends, using statistics and analysis to drive home points about the Internet's advertising and marketing potential for companies. He is frequently quoted by the business and trade press, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, BusinessWeek, CNN, Business 2.0 and Advertising Age, and has appeared as a commentator on radio and television programs across the country. He is also a highly-regarded public speaker who frequently keynotes at major industry conferences, such as AD:TECH, Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), The Conference Board, Digital Marketing Expo, Online Media, Marketing and Advertising Conference (OMMA) and Direct Marketing Association (DMA). Mr. Ramsey has also presented at corporate events sponsored by IBM, American Express, the U.S. State Department and The Economist.
 David Verklin, CEO, Carat Americas
David Verklin joined Carat in 1998 as CEO of Carat Americas. In his current position, David oversees the operations of Carat in the US, Latin America and Canada. He also sits on the Board of Directors for Aegis Group plc (Carat's holding company). Carat Americas has become the fastest growing company within the industry with media billings approaching $8 billion annually.
David is a recognized leader in the media services industry and currently sits on the Board of the American Advertising Federation, the Ad Council, the Audit Bureau of Circulations as well as the New York Multiple Sclerosis Society. You'll see his name often in Advertising Age, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal as well as hear him as an analyst on radio and television programs. David recently published a book entitled Watch This, Listen Up, Click Here, which offers a front row seat to the media revolution, exploring the recent history, current landscape and future shape of the media we constantly consume. The book demystifies the inner workings of the media, marketing, and advertising industries.
 John Walker, Chairman, Oxford Economics
John Walker is Chairman of Oxford Economics, which he founded in 1981. From 1973 to 1977, John worked in the UK Treasury where he became an economic adviser in the short-term forecasting division. He then worked for the consultancy arm of The Economist Newspaper, before becoming a Special Adviser to the EEC Commission in Brussels in 1980, where he was coordinator of the forecasts for all the EEC countries and related forecasts for the USA and Japan.
John returned to the UK in 1983 to build Oxford Economics. Since then, he has headed Oxford's worldwide expansion, coordinating the development of the Oxford global economic models that are now widely used throughout the world. As well as being a much-respected commentator on global economic prospects, John leads major consultancy projects with government departments and multinational companies from Europe and the United States on issues ranging from international capital flows to the effects of economic conditions on travel and tourism prospects. John is also a partner and Senior Advisor in Oxford Economics' subsidiary, Tourism Economics.
 Dr. Peter Yesawich, Chairman & CEO, Ypartnership
Dr. Peter C. Yesawich is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ypartnership, America's leading marketing, advertising and public relations agency serving travel, leisure and lifestyle clients. Ypartnership is an integrated marketing communications company that is known for its strategic thinking, breakthrough creativity, and innovation in marketing practice. The firm's Research and Brand Strategy Group is also regarded as one of the most respected sources of insights on the emerging travel habits, preferences and intentions of Americans, and co-authors the widely-acclaimed National Travel Monitor™ survey with Yankelovich, Inc.
Yesawich is a frequent commentator on travel trends in such publications as The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Time, Newsweek and Business Week, on the CNN, CNBC and MSNBC cable television networks, National Public Radio and BBC World. He is also a co-author of Marketing Leadership in Hospitality published by Prentice Hall.
Listed in Who's Who in America, Yesawich is the recipient of the World Travel Award from the American Association of Travel Editors, The Albert E. Koehl Award from the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI), and the Silver Medal from the American Advertising Federation. He was also named one of the "25 Most Extraordinary Marketing Minds" by HSMAI, and is a member of the board of directors of the Travel Industry Association.
Dr. Suzanne Cook, Senior Vice President of Research, Travel Industry Association
Dr. Suzanne Cook is Senior Vice President of Research for the Travel Industry Association (TIA) in Washington, DC. She directs a multi-faceted program of marketing, economic and international research and report publication, including the Travel Economic Impact Model, the only national model which provides consistent and comparable estimates of both domestic and international travel's economic impact at the national, state, and local levels.
Dr. Cook is the principal author of many reports, a frequent speaker at industry conferences, and an adjunct faculty member at The George Washington University. She has taught graduate level courses in research methods both in Washington, D.C. and abroad, and has served as President and chairperson of the Board of the International Travel and Tourism Research Association (TTRA). Travel Agent Magazine named Dr. Cook as one of the 200 most powerful women in the travel industry. She is the recipient of the Travel and Tourism Research Association's highest and most prestigious award, The Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as the Access to Freedom Award given by the Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality.
Click here to return to the MOF main Page.
|
