Local Media Execs Give BIA/Kelsey Conferences Top Ratings

“BIA/Kelsey conferences have continued to get better and better and with each one, more and more essential for those in the local interactive space. Boston was the best yet. In an industry where next week's news is already too old, BIA/Kelsey conferences allow a great perspective into the future of local online as well as the current landscape.” —David Haupt, Director, Local, Examiner.com

“Thanks for putting on a great conference. The programming was great and the crowd was again excellent. We are so glad to leverage ILM as a platform to build cool things for this industry!.” —Howard Lerman, Chairman, Cofounder and CEO, Yext

“ILM East was an overall highly valuable conference; excellent content that is timely and relevant, with great speakers and panelists, and a format that provides a perfect mix of education and networking. If you are in the local space you cannot afford to miss it.” —Joseph Gallagher, Managing Director, Angel Street Capital

“You seemed to have hit the rare trifecta of high quality attendees, informative sessions, and great organization. Looking forward to the next one.” —Kenny Herman, VP of Business Development, SinglePlatform

“This show was probably the best I've ever attended in terms of interesting, relevant content and great networking.” —Malcolm Lewis, Senior VP, Local.com

“I wanted to send you a big thank you for including WHERE in ILM East. The conference was fabulous—well organized, enjoyable, and very educational. Sarah, Kim, and myself didn’t want to leave! We were so happy with the turn-out and the caliber of people we met. Thank you for answering all of our questions and supporting us throughout the whole thing. We couldn’t have asked for a better conference.” —Jennie White, Marketing Specialist, Where, Inc.

“Great job with the conference. It was fun, fruitful and educational”. —Brian Parks, Vice President, Business Development, Tippr

“It was really GREAT to be back at a BIA/Kelsey conference. I thought the content was excellent. Great job!!” —Jere Doyle, CEO, Prospectiv

“The conference was very informative and I made a lot of great connections.” —Mark Watkins, CEO, Goby

“You delivered another great show. It was very enjoyable and good speakers and topics. The networking was top rate as well and I developed some new contacts and reconnected to some older ones.” —Thomas Maguire, Senior VP, Sales and Marketing, OKS Group

“I've been to hundreds of conferences throughout my career – I have to say you guys put on a great conference. The content was great, but the opportunity to interact with attendees was outstanding. Not sure why the vibe at your conference was so much easier for making introductions - but it seemed like people came to that event expecting to meet.” —Annette Tonti, CEO, Mofuse

“The show was very informative. It got me thinking about things a little differently.” —Steve Zuckerman, CEO, Clipper Magazine

“Very good event and especially good for broadcasters who are working on digital initiatives. It is vital to see what is cutting edge, what VC dollars are funding and what consumers are gravitating towards in the field so that we know where to focus our energies in the future and make informed decisions regarding development. To me these are not to be missed conferences. Mediums are merging, and as broadcasters we need to see how to monetize our content.” —Randa Minkarah, Senior VP, Business Development, Fisher Communications

“I was impressed with the quality of questions from the audience and you did a fabulous job hosting. Thanks for inviting me.” —Jeremy Stoppelman, CEO, Yelp

“The most important things I look for when speaking at an event are the caliber of the attendees, other speakers, and the company hosting the event. At ILM:10 I found all three to be of the highest caliber and I look forward to participating again in the future.” —Andy Ellwood, Director of Business Development, Gowalla

“If you’ve been dying to interact with one or more of the major players in local search, pretty much all you have to do is show up at a BIA/Kelsey event next year. …BIA/Kelsey essentially has two tracks: the Content track, and the Networking track. To the point where you can have a fascinating and productive day, literally just by hanging out in the hallway and talking people going to or leaving the panel sessions all day long.” —David Mihm, Local SEO Consultant

“Thanks for conducting an insightful conference last week. I had a good time connecting with colleagues from other companies.” —Anand Biradar, VP, Hinduja Global Solutions Inc.

“This conference has become a must-attend event for me, and I think it's an essential few days of learning and networking for anyone involved in local and digital. Perhaps especially so for those of us who work in traditional media companies looking to thrive in the digital world.” —Mike Coleman, VP, Digital Media, Gannett Phoenix

“ILM is the most productive place to meet and do business with all of the key players in the local market space.” —Tim Breidigan, VP, Business Development, Eventful

“BIA/Kelsey with their ILM conference is the ‘must attend’ event for anybody in the local space. You can find the who is who of local from large, established players to up and coming new technology companies. The format is set to have engaging meetings alongside the conference with participants. We had meetings at ILM that filled our sales pipeline for the next quarter.” —Thomas Cornelius, Founder and CEO, Adility

“Speaking at the BIA/Kelsey ILM conference was an excellent opportunity for us to share our vision for the online local search space with a sophisticated and experienced group of industry peers. It not only increased awareness about the exciting and innovative things we’re working, but served as a catalyst for future business partnerships we had never considered.” —Ethan Anderson, CEO, Redbeacon

“I really enjoyed the event and am happy to see lots of young blood coming to ILM. The crowd demographic is changing and I can see technology and innovation influencing the industry players.” —Dariush Zomorrodi, CTO, Ziplocal

“The ILM:10 conference hosted by BIA/Kelsey was simply outstanding. As a large local media company, we were impressed with the highly relevant session topics, attending organizations and industry-leading speakers. Not only did our team gain valuable insight into the dynamic interactive local media space, but we made invaluable contacts. We will be attending future conferences as a result of the great experience at ILM:10.” —Fred Steube, Digital Innovation Team, Cox Target Media - Valpak

“The ILM:10 show was packed with movers and shakers—real innovators on the local digital forefront.” —Daniel Anstandig, President, McVay New Media Consulting

“ILM was an amazingly productive conference. As a solution provider to the industry, we developed some great business contacts and now have a deeper understanding of what our customers are looking for. Thanks for a great conference and see you next year.” —Jimmy Hendricks, CEO, Deal Current

“The conference was the best BIA/Kelsey I've ever been to. All have been fabulous but networking at ILM was paramount!” —Kelly Benish, Manager, Business Development, Universal Business Listing

“BIA/Kelsey’s ILM:10 was a great event to meet new people, get an update from the industry and find new partnership opportunities.” —Charlie Anderson, Co-Founder and CEO, FindCo, LLC

“The Local Interactive Media Conference delivers tremendous value. BIA/Kelsey puts on a brilliant conference bringing in some of local’s brightest, most interesting, and seasoned veterans as speakers or panelists. I thoroughly enjoyed the sessions and subjects bringing back many takeaways. Plus, UFM usually unearths a couple of good ideas and business partnerships from the show.” —Mary Beth Brendza, VP, Internet & Marketing, userfriendlymedia.com

“The conference was great, and full of exciting knowledge on local search. I am so glad I went, and am looking forward to the next!” —Casey Squier, VP, Geomentum

“I attended the BIA/Kelsey conference this week and thought it was absolutely terrific. You and your team were really impressive and I think through some of the very thoughtful questions you asked I gained additional insight beyond the sessions themselves.” —Monica Connolly, Big Rock Consulting Group

“Thank you very much for having us! Your production team was on the ball, and I enjoyed your Q&A session and the way in which you mixed in questions from the audience with your own.” —Stephanie Ichinose, Senior Director Communications, Yelp

“Attending the BIA/Kelsey Interactive Local Media conference was a fantastic opportunity for our team to directly connect with other key players in the Deal of the Day arena.” —Paul Gain, CEO, Monster Offers

“Congrats on such an amazing event that you and your team put together last week over in CA! It was well worth the trip out West to meet many in our space and learn more about the local market - kudos and congrats.” — David Ambrose, VP of Business Development, Scoop St.

“I just wanted you to know that I was really impressed with your Super panels – very informative and great panelists. Thought the team did a good job with registration and everyone was very helpful.” —Elizabeth Scheuring, Foxfire Communications

“Fantastic conference that brings together a cross section of individuals and companies that define local online marketing.” —Jim Boutin, Executive VP/COO, Local Thunder

“ILM:10 was a great show. My hat’s off to the whole BIA/Kelsey Kelsey team as the shows are only getting better!” —Dawn Paduganan, Director, Digital Sales and Strategy, Charter Media

“DMS:10 was an excellent use of both time and funds. My team and I all felt the positive impact of BIA/Kelsey's immaculate planning, execution and also in helping us in anything that came up, to ensure the event was as successful as possible. Proud to have Kenshoo as a BIA/Kelsey partner into the future.” —Sivan Metzger, General Manager, Kenshoo Local

“[DMS ’10] was without question one of the best agendas, and bang on the money with regard to the current state of the industry and the respective challenges/opportunities it faces. Content was excellent, with a lot of pragmatic input (from both outside and inside the industry).” —Paul Plant, Founder, Radicle Consulting

“[DMS ’10] was my first BIA/Kelsey conference and I was very impressed at the quality of attendees and the overall conference. ” —David Strebinger, Founder, Wantsa

“I’m able to hold 32 meetings in a 3-day session without spending long hours in a plane or a rental car. BIA/Kelsey meetings bring together the leaders of the industry and the people who make decisions so I can meet with them and get things done.” —Eric Owen, VP, Strategy and Business Development, Local Insight Media

“BIA/Kelsey meetings are the pre-eminent destination for decision-makers in the directory industry. I always find great networking and great speakers that have me heading back home and trying new things within my organization. No other event combines the network and content the way a BIA/Kelsey show always has.” —Thomas Maguire, Senior VP, Sales & Marketing, OKS Group

“I found the Winning Media Strategies conference one of the best I've ever attended. You had a large group of very successful and knowledgeable media professionals willing to share what they know. It was actually overwhelming in terms of the amount of information provided. I came away with a much deeper understanding about cross-platform media potentials.” —Allen Shaw,President/CEO, Centennial Broadcasting

“Thanks for putting together an excellent conference. As each segment unfolded, I found myself saying ‘if this person or topic was the only subject matter covered, then it was well worth the money and time I've invested.’ Needless to say, I found myself repeating that line quite often during the conference. The topics and speakers were outstanding.” —Brian Byrnes, President, Paramount Media Advisors

“Winning Media Strategies was a very well designed seminar. The fast pace kept it flowing and kept me wanting more detail. I can't imagine not being there, especially in times like these, in which we now live. There are remarkable opportunities. We have to grow to reach them. No ostriches will survive.” —Ric Gorman, CEO, GOCOM

“I just wanted to drop you a note from the airport to say ‘thank you’ for the opportunity to attend the conference this week. It was outstanding! I think I learned more in the last three days than I have learned in the past three months! Not only do you have brilliant people working for you, you also have brilliant people attending this conference with tons of new ideas to share. VERY impressive!”— John Stevens, president and COO/radio, Paragon Media Strategies

“Winning Media Strategies was a first-class event, and you all should be proud of your work on it.” —Tom Taylor, news editor, Radio-Info.com

“The event itself was fantastic. I learned some things, caught up with contacts and friends, and met some new folks as well. All in all, an excellent conference.” —Brian Buchwald, Executive VP, Local Integrated Media and NBC Everywhere, NBC Universal

“I didn’t realize the extent to which radio's local business is at risk if we don’t offer our own digital solutions. The great news is that the exhibit hall at the BIA/Kelsey conference was full of opportunities for broadcasters to stay competitive.” —Paul W. Benton, Managing Director, Baybridge Communications, LLC

"BIA/Kelsey’s Marketplaces conference is a must if you’re in the business of local online. It brings together a great group of people, all on the frontlines of local, leading to great presentations and even better networking." —Craig Donato, Oodle

"The Marketplaces conference was exceptional. As someone who is new to the industry, I can't think of a better way to gain exposure to what is happening in the field. All of the staff was also very helpful and friendly. They helped me feel comfortable in a new setting." —Tad Hunter, President, DiscoverOurFestival.com

"Congrats on a very successful conference! I thought this was one of the better conferences I had attended in a long time... overall, a great combination of strong keynotes, good moderation, and some fun folks. As you know well, there are some really interesting trends in local online now so it was good to hear the different paths and angles people are coming in at to take advantage of the opportunities." —Camilla Cho, VP, Business Development, Outside.in

“BIA/Kelsey conferences have always been an annual must-attend event for me. The content is rich and the networking is richer. When I was at Yahoo!, it was the perfect partnering forum, and now that I’m at Comcast looking for start-ups to invest in, I find the events full of great entrepreneurs looking to take their business to the next level.” —Michael Yang, Venture Partner, Comcast Interactive Capital

"The BIA/Kelsey Conference was the most targeted conference that I have been to in years. Complete with relevant attendees who provide potential partnerships combined with depth in local business marketing trends, we came away with several qualified business opportunities. We have made this a mainstay in our budget going forward. Great job!" —Andy Steuer CEO, MerchEngines.com

“I really thought y'all nailed what's going on/about to happen better than ever before.” —Mike Orren, Publisher and Founder, PanLocal LLC / PegasusNews.com

“Thanks for a fantastic conference. It was well worth the investment.” —Mary Beth Brendza, VP, Operations, The User-Friendly Phone Book

“I have attended many trade conferences in my career, the majority being a succession of sales pitches which are of little or no value. This was my first BIA/Kelsey event and was certainly not in the category I refer to above. I found the event extremely worthwhile, with a very high-calibre list of attendees and excellent networking opportunities.” —David Pearce, Head of Mobile Services, Yell

“One of the most informative conferences that was also well attended by industry leaders providing extremely valuable insight and analyses. I want to congratulate The Kelsey Group for putting together an exceptional event.” —Michael Barr, CEO, iPromote