UBM Executives to Speak at Virtual Edge Summit and Professional Convention Management Association

SAN FRANCISCO and CHICAGO, Jan. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- UBM today announced that UBM TechWeb's CEO, Tony Uphoff and UBM Studios' Vice President, Digital Media Strategy, Michael Kushner, will present at the Virtual Edge Summit and the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), which will take place at the MGM Convention Center in Las Vegas, January 12-13, 2011. 

The Virtual Edge Summit is the only event that provides marketing, meeting and learning professionals with the opportunity to learn first-hand from the most experienced producers of virtual events, meetings and online communities. The PCMA is the leading organization for meeting and event professionals.

On Wednesday, January 12 at 9:00 AM PST, Uphoff will participate as a panelist on the Virtual Edge Summit and PCMA Plenary Session.  Entitled "How Virtual and Hybrid Meetings Deliver More Value," the session will highlight:

• how to communicate to senior executives why virtual meetings are a necessity to an organizations success:
• how to identify a business strategy that incorporates virtual elements and events into an organization's meeting, event and learning portfolio; and
• how to engage new audiences and enhance an organizations position with key constituents.

On Wednesday, January 12 at 8:00 AM PST, Kushner will speak at the session entitled "Digital Event Boot Camp:  Building Your Playbook Starts Now."  The session will provide attendees with the direction and key information they need to create a business model, plan a sales strategy, outline staffing needs to produce virtual events and create virtual business solutions.

Uphoff is an innovative media executive with a unique track record of building, growing and leading Media and Business Information Companies and has been at the forefront of technology, media and marketing for the last 20 years. Uphoff has the distinction of having been a leader of three of the top five B2B brands in history all at the peak of their reach, revenues and profits; InformationWeek, The Hollywood Reporter and PC Week. He served in several key management positions at Ziff-Davis Media during the build out of the company in the late 80′s and early 90′s. He then joined CMP Media as publisher of InformationWeek leading the brand to the #1 position in the market and ultimately into one of the largest brands in B2B. Uphoff also served as divisional VP and President during CMP's dramatic growth in the mid 1990′s from a $200 Million privately owned company, to a $600 Million, publicly traded, global leader in technology media. He was the founding CEO of the Internet media company Beliefnet, which was sold to News Corp in November of 2007 and he also served as President of VNU Media's Entertainment Group and Publisher of The Hollywood Reporter.  

Kushner has a track record of significantly growing revenue and profit by monetizing content/information through innovative, interactive delivery platforms in both domestic and global markets.  Kushner led the streaming media business for the Business Media division of the Nielsen Company where he oversaw a $3m+ business that produced over 150 webcasts, 200 event videos and 20 virtual expos and conferences.  Additionally, Kushner launched Reed Business Interactive at Reed Elsevier and produced one of the first enterprise virtual trade shows as an extension of a trade publication. He also pioneered ads webcast series, trade show video and video product showcases as media extensions, building a multimillion dollar business.   Kushner was also founder of Virtual Media Strategies, a consulting firm that develop ancillary lines of business integrating print, on-line, events and custom media, transforming one-dimensional products into multimedia brands. 

For additional information on UBM Studios or to purchase a virtual business solution, contact Kate Spellman, SVP, Managing Director, UBM Studios at 516 562 7383 or kate.spellman@ubm.com.

For additional information on UBM TechWeb, contact Natalia Wodecki, PR Director at 415 694 9413 or nwodecki@techweb.com.

To follow UBM Studios on Twitter, visit http://twitter.com/UBMStudios, to follow on Facebook, visit UBM Studios and to follow on LinkedIn, visit UBM Studios. 

To follow UBM TechWeb on Twitter visit http://twitter.com/techweb, to follow on Facebook, visit

http://www.facebook.com/pages/TechWeb/30907765509?ref=ts  and to follow on LinkedIn, visit http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=115886&trk=hb_side_g.

About UBM TechWeb

UBM TechWeb, the global leader in technology media and professional information, enables people and organizations to harness the transformative power of technology. Through its three core businesses – media solutions, marketing services and paid content – UBM TechWeb produces the most respected and consumed brands and media applications in the technology market. More than 14.5 million business and technology professionals (CIOs and IT managers, Web & Digital professionals, Software Developers, Government decision makers, and Telecom providers) actively engage in UBM TechWeb's communities and information resources monthly. UBM TechWeb brands include: global face-to-face events such as Interop, Web 2.0, Black Hat and Enterprise Connect; award-winning online resources such as InformationWeek, Light Reading, and Network Computing; and market-leading magazines InformationWeek, Wall Street & Technology, and Advanced Trading. UBM TechWeb is a UBM company, a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $2.5 billion.

About UBM Studios (www.ubmstudios.com)

UBM Studios is a leader in virtual events and virtual business solutions.  A pioneer with virtual platforms, UBM Studios delivers deep expertise in live and online events that brings business value to customers.  UBM Studios connects, educates and enables virtual communications through a portfolio that fits every budget.  UBM Studios is the only virtual event provider to offer platform, content, audience recruitment, reporting and social marketing and gaming.   UBM Studios virtual events include Virtual Trade Shows, Virtual Career Fairs, Virtual Seminar Centers, Virtual Resource Centers, Virtual Product Launch, Virtual Business Continuity, Virtual Corporate Meetings, Virtual Sales Meetings, Virtual Focus Group Centers and Virtual Training.  UBM Studios delivers a complete global communication solution in Asia, Europe and North America in industries including, health, finance, technology, building and education.

About United Business Media Limited

UBM (UBM.L) focuses on two principal activities: worldwide information distribution, targeting and monitoring; and, the development and monetization of B2B communities and markets. UBM's businesses inform markets and serve professional commercial communities -- from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewelry traders, from farmers to pharmacists -- with integrated events, online, print and business information products. Our 6,500 staff in more than 30 countries are organized into specialist teams that serve these communities, bringing buyers and sellers together, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently. For more information, go to www.ubm.com.

SOURCE UBM Studios; UBM TechWeb