Business Editors

Call Center & CRM Solutions 2002

SANTA ANA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 15, 2002

Call Center and CRM Solutions Las Vegas Focuses on Technology and

Strategy for the Emerging Multi-channel Contact Center

Advanstar's Call Center and CRM Group announces Call Center & CRM Solutions Las Vegas. Formerly held in Dallas for 12 years, this is the first comprehensive customer contact event of the new year. The conference will focus on management and technology issues for call center managers and corporate executives. A new focus for 2002 includes two tracks dedicated to web applications and e-Learning in the call center. With over 50 educational sessions to chose from, over 100 leading exhibitors to meet, and a variety of special events to attend, attendees will see a good cross-section of this growing industry at Call Center and CRM Solutions.

Keynote Address

Open to all attendees, the Keynote address will be given by Dr. Gary Bradt, presenting the best selling book, "Who Moved My Cheese?" It will be held on Tuesday, February 12, at 9:30 a.m. Dr. Bradt's presentation will share the simple story of this provocative book, revealing profound truths about change that give people and organizations a quick and easy way to succeed in changing times. Dr. Bradt will inspire, challenge and ultimately help attendees and their organizations succeed in these rapidly changing and challenging times.

Call Center Site Tours

Other special events at Call Center and CRM Solutions Las Vegas include the opportunity for attendees to visit some of the nation's most advanced customer contact centers in the Vegas area on Monday, February 11. Secured sites to date include Caesars Palace, ClientLogic, and Nextel Partners. Site tours give attendees an insider's view of new technologies in action, offering first-hand information and the opportunity to meet with other managers and industry representatives. See http://www.cc-crmvegas.com for complete profiles and updated information.

Conference Sessions

The conference program encompasses four tracks that cover e-Learning, Management, Technology, and Web-enabled contact centers. Attendees looking for solutions for their management challenges will find the answers in the information-rich conference program as well as at the Industry Forums and Application Showcase Theaters offered right on the show floor. "We put a major focus on the educational program by adding new session formats and addressing the latest issues," said Suzanne Graf, Group Marketing and Conference Director for the event. "A quality educational program is the key to a successful event," added Graf. Key speakers include representatives from ICMI, Vanguard Communications, Datamonitor, and ZAMBA Solutions. A complete speaker list is available on the event web site at http://www.cc-crmvegas.com.

Exhibitor Highlights

White Pajama(TM), SmartForce, e-Talk, and Danacom are just a few of the many exhibitors who will be announcing new product releases at Call Center and CRM Solutions Vegas.

NexVerse Networks, a newly formed company that has acquired the ipVerse ControlSwitch, and White Pajama(TM) today announced a new partnership to offer the White Pajama(TM) CRM contact center solution to service providers. By leveraging the open standards based interfaces of ipVerse ControlSwitch, NexVerse's open softswitch platform, White Pajama's contact center can be deployed quickly in a variety of VoIP networks for revenue-generating services.

Danacom announces the introduction of four new universal headset amplifiers designed to help facilitate clear communication. This new family of Danalink amplifiers is refreshingly easy to link to existing telephone networks and provide the superior sound quality that today's professionals demand.

SmartForce (Nasdaq:SMTF), the largest e-Learning company, announced today that it has been selected to provide e-Learning to E*TRADE Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:EGRP). Under the multi-year deal, E*TRADE(R) will use SmartForce's application infrastructure to create customized e-Learning for more than 2000 E*TRADE customer service associates.

e-talk Corporation, the global leader of enterprise call center performance management solutions, today announced the launch of its new Professional Services Group. Through this offering, e-talk will offer a full suite of quality management services including consulting, systems integration and development support, education and training, and custom report writing to enterprise call center managers and directors.

See http://www.cc-crmvegas.com/press for complete press releases and online press registration.

Online Networking

Pre-event activities include an industry exclusive opportunity for free real-time, online networking. "We felt it was important to extend the value of the event by offering attendees, exhibitors, and other interested parties the opportunity to network prior to the event," said Catherine Long, eMarketing Director. Advanstar teamed up with PowerMingle to provide a MingleZone(TM) where interested parties create a profile, post messages and send emails to one another. The overall concept is to allow people to make contact with others in the MingleZone, initiate meetings, post MingleMessages, and to find and contact exhibitors. The service is free and anonymous. Visit http://www.cc-crmvegas.com/networking for details.

About Advanstar Communications

Advanstar Communications Inc. is a worldwide business information company serving specialized markets with high quality information resources and integrated marketing solutions. Advanstar has 92 business magazines and directories, 79 exhibitions and conferences, numerous Web sites, and a wide range of direct marketing, database and reference products and services. Advanstar serves targeted market sectors in such industries as art, automotive, beauty, collaboration/e-learning, CRM/call center, digital media, entertainment/marketing, fashion & apparel, healthcare, internet/e-business, manufacturing and processing, pharmaceutical, powersports, science, telecommunications and travel/hospitality. The Company has over 1,300 employees and currently operates from multiple offices in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.advanstar.com.

Online Press Registration: http://www.cc-crmvegas.com/press.