Multicultural consumers are fueling the growth across the Americas and a new breed of agency has appeared on the scene to ignite a new rhythm in marketing—culturally relevant, richly diverse and instrumentally strong. Increasingly, the scarcest resource in our world is consumer attention and to win, agencies must be aggressive and smart with their clients to break through the noise with brand connections that truly captivate. The modern agency is rooted in a philosophy that assigns a premium to laying the blueprint for connecting with consumers and celebrating their unique beliefs, preferences and behaviors. ad:tech is thrilled to welcome Monica Gadsby, CEO of SMG Multicultural, to discuss how she and her colleagues are leading the way, architecting the modern media landscape and mastering the touchpoints that captivate multicultural consumers.

Hear leading brand marketers discuss best practices and the state of the industry as well as discuss and debate how the future landscape will evolve. Leading executives from brands targeting US Hispanic audiences discuss some of today’s top issues including how to effectively integrate interactive and traditional media, how to leverage emerging media, how to deal with the issue of acculturation, how to tie your programs to business results, and how to manage your online presence and design.

Presented by the IAB Brazil, this session brings together leading industry experts from across the Brazilian marketing, media and agency landscape to discuss how digital is transforming all media and the business of marketing communications. What are the current best practices? How is digital media affecting media consumption patterns across various demographics? Who are the current innovators? What will be hot next year? Find out what technologies, nascent today, will be at the forefront tomorrow and what will fall dead along the roadside. If you need a primer on where things stand today and need to prepare to embrace and leverage what comes next, this session is for you.

As online marketing choices diversify (search, display, mobile, CGM, etc.), marketers are presented with an array of exciting new opportunities to target, reach and engage their customers. However, measuring the effectiveness of old and new media individually, and collectively, is the single-largest challenge facing marketers and agencies. The buy-side is in search of a universal new media currency that can quantify the value and performance of emerging media but this currency must be based on a universally agreed upon set of metrics and methodologies. But how can currency metrics emerge when the medium itself is in constant flux? This panel of leading analysts and marketing and media professionals explores current and emerging techniques used to measure performance in an increasingly digital, multi-platform world and explains how they ultimately quantify the overall performance and ROI of their marketing efforts.

This session brings together leading industry experts from across the Hispanic marketing, media and agency landscape to discuss how digital is transforming all media and the business of marketing communications. What are the current best practices? How is digital media affecting media consumption patterns across specific demographics within the Hispanic market? Who are the current innovators? What trends will emerge in 2008? How are marketers and agencies dealing with issues of acculturation and a truly bi-lingual market? Find out what technologies, nascent today, will be at the forefront tomorrow and what will fall dead along the roadside. If you need a primer on where things stand today and need to prepare to embrace and leverage what comes next, this session is for you.

The online consumer is constantly presented with a increasingly wide array of choice in regards to media, entertainment, commerce, communications, social networking and more. Join leading industry analysts and industry executives as they discuss how consumers in Latin America continue to integrate the Internet and other digital media into their daily lives and how marketers are modifying their strategies to account for this rapidly shifting landscape. This panel of experts discusses their views on the growth of new media, integrated media consumption and the emerging Web 2.0 applications and platforms. If you're looking for insight into what is currently and will soon be capturing the hearts and minds of the digital consumer in Latin America, this is the session for you.

As search marketing grows in importance, it is increasingly critical for leading marketers, media companies and service companies to invest time and resources to ensure that their "natural" search rankings are as high as possible. Also, as search marketing becomes more sophisticated, it becomes increasingly expensive and complex to deal with the major search engines and a premium will be placed on being able to see a clear return-on-investment. This workshop will offer attendees a general overview of the SEO and SEM marketplace and offer tactical suggestions and recommendations to help you maximize your search marketing dollars.

During the past 3 years, an entire generation of consumers has started living, interacting and buying online in ways not feasible even a few years earlier. Enabled by advanced tools within the new portals of "community," online social networks and the resulting user generated content revolution have become the fastest-growing consumer marketing arena and trend in the world. Listen to the experts discuss how these new sites are monetizing this audience and whether marketers can successfully leverage these platforms to reach and engage with their consumers.

Presented by the IAB Mexico, this session brings together leading industry experts from across the Mexican marketing, media and agency landscape to discuss how digital is transforming all media and the business of marketing communications. What are the current best practices? How is digital media affecting media consumption patterns across specific demographics within Mexico? Who are the current innovators? What are the emerging trends in 2008? And how are Mexican consumers similar and different when compared with other cultures from across Latin America? Find out what technologies, nascent today, will be at the forefront tomorrow and what will fall dead along the roadside. If you need a primer on where things stand today and need to prepare to embrace and leverage what comes next, this session is for you.

Our industry is once again booming and large and small companies alike are making significant organic and acquisition-based investments in digital marketing, media and technologies. There has been a renewed interest in the greater digital landscape throughout the US Hispanic and Latin American markets, and this session helps you sort through all the noise to identify the key strategic and tactical trends for 2008 and beyond as well as the venture funding and mergers and acquisition landscape as digital gains more exposure and investment. This panel will also debate whether digital marketing and media stand to benefit from a recessionary economic environment as ROI-focused marketers look to shift dollars to highly-measurable media. This panel includes the insights and predictions of experienced, senior executives from the worlds of media, advertising, venture capital and Wall Street.

Totaling more than 40 million individuals, Hispanics are the largest minority in the United States and have reached a critical mass online. As the fastest growing segment of the online population, the Hispanic online market has emerged as one of the most attractive and lucrative customer segments on the Internet. Beyond being just a large market, Hispanics consistently over-index all other ethnic demographic segments in the US when it comes to online media and video consumption, mobile penetration and usage and use of emerging Web 2.0 platforms and technologies. Leading analysts, marketers and industry observers will discuss how they are successfully reaching this growing market online and how they see this rapidly evolving market emerging over the next couple years.

How are leading media and entertainment companies across Latin America looking at the evolving distribution landscape and taking advantage of multi-platform opportunities in an era where content can be distributed via different channels (e.g., broadcast and cable television, online, via podcasts, mobile devices) and across multiple on-demand platforms? And how does the wave of consumer generated content fit into this picture? How will programming evolve in a multi-platform universe and how will advertising fit into a content universe of short-form, medium-form and long-form content across a range of platforms devices? It’s a fluid and dynamic landscape and this session brings together leading media and marketing executives from across Latin America to look at the current and future landscape of media and entertainment in the digital era.

Video is all the rage and is transforming the businesses of digital media and marketing. Content providers and media companies have an array of new development opportunities across a variety of platforms, and advertisers and creative directors are faced with a seemingly endless stream of new forms of video-based advertising inventory. In addition to new opportunities for innovation and creative breakthroughs, the video era has also introduced a new set of complex technical and workflow-related challenges with regard to conceptualizing, producing and delivering video-based content and advertising. This session looks at the state of video production in the evolving digital content and advertising landscape and provides creative professionals, marketers and producers with valuable insight into creative production, development and resource allocation in the digital video age.

Creating a search strategy is imperative to drive customers to any Web site, and making sure you're capturing all the information to change and move with your strategy is just as important. In this session, leading search experts share how leading marketers and agencies are leveraging search to reach and engage Hispanic consumers and share tips and tactics on how to identify where search marketing fits into the overall marketing mix, ways to maximize search engine positioning and how to calculate ROI. You'll learn why clicks aren't enough and how current and emerging consumer insights can affect your Hispanic search strategy.

As consumer behavior and usage on mobile devices within the Latin American market grows more complex and deep, the allure of marketing to consumers via mobile platforms expands as well. The productive interplay between a host of constituencies—from agencies and the clients they represent, to media companies, carriers and key technology enablers—is determining the viability of using current and emerging mobile platforms as effective marketing vehicles. This panel represents all points of view as we explore the drivers and inhibitors of the usage and adoption of mobile devices and platforms as a marketing tool. From consumer privacy and business models to data ownership and inventory pricing schemes, this panel explores key industry points of convergence and divergence of opinion on these and a host of contentious yet critical issues.

Online retail sales in the US will reach $150 billion this year, up 18% over 2007, according to eMarketer. Most of this growth will be driven not by new buyers, but by veteran online buyers who are spending more of their budgets online. The latest digital technologies and services offer retailers exciting opportunities to “engage” with prospects and customers in new and profitable ways. Tools such as online video, blogs, podcasts, social networks, search, word-of-mouth and other digital strategies help you to connect with consumers and your best customers in ways that will enhance your brand image like never before. Come learn how leading marketers and service firms are using the latest techniques to drive down customer acquisition costs and enhance the lifetime value of new and existing customers.

Every few years, the battle-cry of “Content is King!” is rolled out to serve as a wake-up call to remind us that the delivery systems are just that—delivery systems—and as long as the customer can access his or her favorite content, the world is a safe and happy place. However, the old content delivery model has been turned on its head and the rules have changed. Indeed, content is once again a driving force in this current revolution but so is the consumer. Consumers have unprecedented control in regards to how and when they access their content and the current marketplace sees content production costs spiraling toward zero as evidenced by the rise of leading social media and community sites. As we have seen, anyone with a cell phone camera, digital camera or Handycam can be in the content business. This keynote roundtable brings together leading executives from across the Americas to talk about the state of content, distribution and consumer demand. The panelists will share their thoughts on what new content models are likely to emerge and, as consumers insist on more “on-demand” access and have more advanced tools to create and share their own content, what these irreversible trends will mean for the advertising value proposition across all media.

Consumer generated content, social networking, online video, ad networks, activation, engagement, mobile marketing, the death of television as we know it and so much more—The digital revolution is in full swing and the velocity of change only seems to be increasing. Online advertising spending continue to surge both in the US and across the Americas as marketers increasingly leverage digital media and technology platforms to establish a dialog with their customers, optimize messaging and delivery and, ultimately, drive brand preference. Find out what technologies and trends will be at the forefront tomorrow and what will fall along the roadside. We are pleased to welcome leading executives from across the US Hispanic and Latin American markets to discuss the rise of the multicultural consumer and the past, present and future of the digital marketing revolution.

MercadoLibre is the largest online trading platform in Latin America and leading the e-commerce revolution in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. With a market of more than 550 million people and a region with one of the world’s fastest-growing Internet penetration rates, this e-commerce pioneer provides buyers and sellers with a robust online trading environment that fosters the development of a large and growing community. MercadoLibre has thrived because it has successfully offered a technological, commercial online trading platform that addresses the distinctive cultural and geographic challenges of operating in Latin America. ad:tech is thrilled to welcome Marcos Galperin, Founder and CEO of MercadoLibre and a true Internet pioneer across the Americas.

How are leading media and entertainment companies that target Hispanic consumers looking at the evolving distribution landscape and taking advantage of multi-platform opportunities in an era where content can be distributed via broadcast and cable television, online, via podcasts and mobile devices and across multiple on-demand platforms? And how does the wave of consumer generated content fit into this picture? How will programming evolve in a multi-platform universe and how will advertising fit into a content universe of short-form, medium-form and long-form content across a range of platforms devices? It’s a fluid and dynamic landscape and this session brings together leading media and marketing executives from within the Hispanic media marketplace to look at the current and future landscape of media and entertainment in the digital era.

Hear leading brand marketers discuss best practices in an increasingly digital and integrated world and their view of the current state of the industry and what key trends they see emerging in 2008 and beyond. Executives from leading brands across Latin America will discuss some of today’s top issues, including how to select the best interactive agency, how to effectively integrate interactive and traditional media, how to leverage emerging media, how to manage your online presence and how to tie your programs to business results and create and execute an ROI-based marketing communications strategy.

Digital media and technologies continue to impact all media and the business of marketing communications. And advertising agencies are not immune to the influence of the digital revolution. In addition to the established traditional creative and media services agencies, a new raft of agencies have emerged onto the scene looking to shake-up the status quo and the Hispanic and Latin American agency communities face their own unique set of competitive circumstances. What is clear is that the strategic relationship with the client is up for grabs and the agencies, regardless of their exact pedigree, with the best ideas and an ability to execute will be victorious. Yet, there are many more questions than answers: Will the industry re-bundle? Should it? Do traditional agencies across Latin America and within the Hispanic market largely ignore digital for the safer waters of traditional media? What is the emerging role of the traditional agency versus the digital agency and what is—or should be—the role of the holding company? How are agencies successfully delivering integrated campaigns? What is the point-of-view of the client? The entire media and advertising industry is in flux and re-aligning for the future. As this core trend accelerates, how will the agency landscape evolve and what agencies are best positioned to lead world-class brands into the digital future? Join us for this lively session as we tackle these questions.

The phenomenon of acculturation within the US Hispanic population is multi-layered and complex. US-based Hispanics adopt and adapt to customs and habits in the United States without shedding native traditions and value systems, but there are a range of factors that influence the process and depth of acculturation. Depending on the level and depth of acculturation, US Hispanic consumers have varying tastes and consumption patterns as it relates to marketing, media consumption, commerce, technology adoption and other key consumer traits. Within the digital universe, we have seen US Hispanic consumers aggressively embrace digital technologies, devices and media while maintaining identifications with their respective native cultures and traditions—although to varying degrees based on a range of factors including geography, age, language preference, cultural tension, assimilation timelines and other factors. This panel brings leading researchers, marketers and agency professionals together to discuss the issue of acculturation and how digital media and technologies are letting marketers further understand the varying degrees of acculturation within the US Hispanic population and leverage this enhanced understanding to further fine-tune their messaging and segmentation efforts.

With the ever evolving and fragmenting media landscape, clients and their agencies have multiple outlets to choose from and are faced with an increasing array of inventory and platforms as they develop their strategic media plans and executions. In addition to an increasingly wide array of digital media platforms, an entirely new category of networks and exchanges have added to the fragmentation and, at times, confusion. What are the current issues and trends related to measurement and pricing? What can ad exchanges and networks bring to the buying and selling of media in Latin America and what are the differences between an advertising exchange and an advertising network business model? What best practices are emerging for integrated media executions and what is the evolving role of traditional media platforms such as television and print as the landscape goes digital? In this session, you'll hear from executives from leading agencies and media companies from across Latin America as they discuss their strategic and tactical approach to media buying and selling in an increasingly digital and integrated world.

In this rapidly emerging multi-platform universe, the opportunities to create innovative and compelling marketing campaigns are seemingly endless. Marketers have the opportunity to reach new and more refined audiences with new forms of creative and branded sponsorships, and media companies have a wealth of new platforms and resulting content and advertising inventory models to offer their marketing partners. With this opportunity comes the major challenge of prioritization, execution and go-to market capabilities. In this session, paired presenters will present in-depth case studies and discuss how they approached strategy, development and execution for their innovative, new multi-platform initiatives. Specifically, they’ll address how they managed internal teams and external vendors to conceptualize and deliver successful content into the marketplace and how they delivered on the advertising value proposition for their clients.

Leading creative directors showcase a cross section of innovative digital and integrated work for multiple clients including the strategy behind each campaign and the related pieces that supported the work. Learn from these creative directors about how to inspire and harness the big idea in an increasingly digital world dominated by fragmenting media and attention spans. What customer insights and trends spark new ideas and how do leading creative directors factor in evolving trends such as on-demand media and user generated content when developing campaigns? This is the place to be to see the latest examples of strategic and tactical creative thinking and execution.

During the past 3 years, an entire generation of consumers has started living, interacting and buying online in ways not feasible even a few years earlier. Enabled by advanced tools within the new portals of "community," online social networks and the resulting user generated content revolution have become the fastest-growing consumer marketing arena and trend in the world. Listen to the experts discuss how these new sites are monetizing this audience and whether marketers can successfully leverage these platforms to reach and engage with their consumers.

Brands continue to compete for the ultimate eyeball and look to build loyalty amongst their customers. The consumer is becoming increasingly elusive in this rapidly evolving universe, so how do leading marketers decide when and where to place their marketing bets in a progressively digital world? Are certain devices and outlets more effective at lifting brand exposure and growing lifetime customer value? Can search drive brand awareness? How are consumers in the United States and other countries interacting with various forms of media and how do they influence each other and overall consumer behavior? Hear a panel of leading brands discuss their views on the emerging digital consumer and current advertising landscape and how they plan to leverage their marketing dollars to positively influence consumer behavior and drive acquisition, brand equity and lifetime customer value.

As consumer behavior and usage on mobile devices within the Hispanic market grows more complex and deep, the allure of marketing to consumers via mobile platforms expands as well. The productive interplay between a host of constituencies—from agencies and the clients they represent, to media companies, carriers and key technology enablers—is determining the viability of using current and emerging mobile platforms as effective marketing vehicles. This panel represents all points of view as we explore the drivers and inhibitors of the usage and adoption of mobile devices and platforms as a marketing tool. From consumer privacy and business models to data ownership and inventory pricing schemes, this panel explores key industry points of convergence and divergence of opinion on these and a host of contentious yet critical issues in a rapidly evolving mobile landscape.

Leading creative directors from across Latin America showcase a cross section of innovative digital and integrated work for multiple clients including the strategy behind each campaign and the related pieces that supported the work. Learn from these creative directors about how to inspire and harness the big idea in an increasingly digital world dominated by fragmenting media and attention spans. What customer insights and trends, unique to Latin America, are sparking new ideas and how do leading creative directors factor in evolving trends such as on-demand media and user generated content when developing campaigns? This is the place to be to see the latest examples of strategic and tactical creative thinking and execution.

With the ever evolving media landscape, clients and their agencies have multiple outlets to choose from and are faced with an increasing array of media as they develop their strategic media plans and executions. Being innovative while making smart investments in an effort to achieve strategic and tactical goals is a challenge any media planner will face. In this session, leading buyers and sellers discuss their strategic and tactical approach to planning, executing and optimizing campaigns in an increasingly integrated, 360 degree media universe.

In this rapidly emerging multi-platform universe, the opportunities to create innovative and compelling marketing campaigns are seemingly endless. Marketers have the opportunity to reach new and more refined audiences with new forms of creative and branded sponsorships, and media companies have a wealth of new platforms and resulting content and advertising inventory models to offer their marketing partners. With this opportunity comes the major challenge of prioritization, execution and go-to market capabilities. In this session, paired presenters will present in-depth case studies targeting Hispanic consumers and discuss how they approached strategy, development and execution for their innovative, new multi-platform initiatives. Specifically, they’ll address how they managed internal teams and external vendors to conceptualize and deliver successful content into the Hispanic marketplace and how they delivered on the advertising value proposition for their clients.

Creating a search strategy is imperative to drive customers to any Web site, and making sure you're capturing all the information to change and move with your strategy is just as important. In this session, leading search experts share how leading marketers and agencies are leveraging search to reach and engage with consumers across Latin America and share tips and tactics on how to identify where search marketing fits into the overall marketing mix, ways to maximize search engine positioning and how to calculate ROI. You'll learn why clicks aren't enough and how current and emerging consumer insights can affect your search strategy across the Latin American market.

How is design + innovation changing branding? A new discipline of design is emerging from the needs and forms of communication in the “networked” economy. “Experience Design” is a discipline created by the reality of marketing today, when no point of contact has a simple beginning and end. And all points of contact must have meaning embedded in them. Competitive businesses need to rethink and reshape their brand strategies to achieve success in today's constantly changing and unpredictable markets. Experience Design imposes a new way of thinking and working that can transform companies into innovative and commercially successful organizations, but professionals and business goals have been slow to embrace and adapt. The ability to deliver innovation is what will define success in our market for years to come, but how do we begin to bridge that gap? Join us as we explore the interface and innovation behind this new discipline and share examples from the field.