Round Tables

DPA will offer a series of Round Tables; where delegates who would like to have an open discussion with peers, in order to share their expertise and experiences, come together.

Each Round Table will hold a maximum of 12 people and the delegates will receive a set of notes outlining all the key points discussed.

February 2008

Creating and developing online communities

13 February, 9:30am - 1:30pm
Creating and developing online communities is aimed at everyone involved in developing their online brands and products.

This round table will look at many different factors including:
- What is an online community?
- What makes up an online community
- How do you identify/develop/attract a community?
- What to expect? - You as a creator, them as a user
- What is the frequency of stimulating your online community through blogs, newsletters, events..?
- Are they viable in our marketplace? How can you make money?
- Converting online communities offline - getting them to attend seminars/meeting/focus groups etc.

Cost:
£95 plus VAT (member)
£150 plus VAT (non member)
Book now

March 2008

Maximising the use of search engine marketing and optimisation

25 March, 2:30pm - 5:30pm
Maximising the use of Search Engines is aimed at media marketing managers/executives, as well as anyone working with websites, in an online sales capacity.

We are all aware that search engines are playing a crucial role in business strategies these days, but how valuable are search engines to our business? Can we survive without them?

Some of the questions asked will be:
- How can we make the most of all search engines? Which search engines work best and is there any difference between them? Is it all Google or is there a place for Yahoo, MSN etc?
- How important are search engines in the marketing mix? How good are they for subscription marketing?
- How much does it cost? What is a reasonable search engine budget?
- Search Engine Optimisation - what you need to do to make your site attractive to search engines?
- Google AdWords - how to use them in the best and most cost effective way, how to monitor what is happening?
- Google Adsense - is there any value in this? How do you set it up? What are the likely returns, problems etc.

Cost:
£95 plus VAT (member)
£150 plus VAT (non member)
Book now

April 2008

Opportunities for publishers through e-learning and digital communications

9 April, 11am – 2pm

This open session will explore different ways that e-learning and digital communications can add value to publishers for employees, customers and the bottom line. The session will begin with a brief explanation of what e-learning is followed by examples of how it has been used to generate revenue, save costs or improve employee performance.

A number of publishers have taken advantage of e-learning in different ways and these will be discussed in the facilitated round table event. Particular emphasis and time will be spent exploring:
Development of new revenue streams - Using e-learning and online media as an additional advertising revenue stream. Publishers can offer their advertising clients a fully branded online promotional / educational resource, giving clients an interactive, engaging and informative overview of the products and services available.

Improve employee performance - Using e-learning for employee professional development, which is proven to be an efficient alternative to classroom based training. It is a well suited platform to deliver a wide range of learning needs – compliance, induction, sales & marketing and new systems training.

Invite your Sales, Marketing and HR Directors along to get some fresh ideas for implementation in 2008.

Cost:
£95 plus VAT (member), £150 plus VAT (non member)
Book now

The future of print products

28 April, 2:30pm - 5:30pm
The future of print products is aimed at everyone involved in printed directory and data products.

This round table will look at many different factors including:
- What is the future?
- Identifying recent trends
- The pros and cons of print products
- What are the print products of the future?
- Print versus online - is it compatible and/or competitive?
- Moving from print to online - how to and what are the practicalities

Cost:
£95 plus VAT (member)
£150 plus VAT (non member)
Book now

May 2008

Get more from your subscriptions

8 May, 2:30pm - 5:30pm
Get more from your subscriptions is aimed at everyone involved with the sales and marketing of subscription products.

Most, if not all, subscription publishers will all agree that renewals are the key to success in this business, as they offer a constant revenue stream. However, are they all doing as much as they could be? Are you?

Topics for discussion include:
- Retaining renewals
- Successful ways of bringing in new subscriptions
- What marketing methods work in today's environment?
- Partnering with third parties; looking at book sellers, web services etc.
- Exploring the different subscription offers; one-offs, standing orders, repeat orders
- Are hard copy methods used to sell online subscriptions?
- Evaluating the pros and cons of bundling packages together.
- What are the latest trends? - Are hard copy and online sales increasing / decreasing?

Cost:
£95 plus VAT (member)
£150 plus VAT (non member)
Book now

October 2008

Developing your customer base

20 October , 2:30pm - 5:30pm
Developing your customer base is aimed at people marketing a product (directory, data product, CD, website, etc) either for subscription purposes, for advertising sales or both.

This round table will look at many different factors including:
- Identifying your customer base
- The benefits of segmentation
- Understanding your customers
- Customer retention / continuous relationship building
- Increasing your contacts
- Attracting old customers back
- What are the different channels of communication? - book, web, blogs, newsletters etc.

Cost:
£95 plus VAT (member)
£150 plus VAT (non member)
Book now

November 2008

Get more from your ad sales

25 November, 2:30pm - 5:30pm
Get more from your ad sales is aimed at everyone involved in classified, display, and online advertising, field or telephone based.
How are ad sales faring in today's environment? What are the challenges facing sales and marketing executives working with both hard copy publications and online products?

Topics for discussion include:

Sales Structure - Telesales, field sales, key accounts - how do each of these work? How to get the right balance?
- Maximising sales via the web and direct mail

Sales Package - How to package the ad sales? What works well online and with hard copy publications?
- Determining the best price structure for your publications
- What are the differences between classified and display ad selling?
- How to up-sell? - keys to growing the advertiser
- Discounting - how dangerous can this be to future sales and your business?

Length of contracts - What are the factors that determine how long the contracts should be? This is more evident with hard copy titles, but how does this alter when working with an online services?

Attracting the customer - Keys to help the customer buy - what information are they after, to help make the decision to buy?
- circulation, usage, statistics, pricing etc. What customer support and back up do you provide?

Trends - What is happening to ad sales? Are they on the up or in decline? How have online services affected the printed publication? What does the future hold?

Cost:
£95 plus VAT (member)
£150 plus VAT (non member)
Book now

If there is a topic you would like the DPA to organise in the form of a Round Table email info@dpa.org.uk