Spam Summit launched

This broader focus of the Digital Marketing Event, being run under the banner of Systems' veteran marketing publication Marketing Mix, is targeted primarily at senior businesses and marketing professionals, government, ISPs, major corporations and the big users of email marketing, as well as the media.

The programme will centre around general digital best practises within the context of a broader marketing campaign, while providing practical examples of how to use electronic communication optimally without contravening the law and becoming a black-listed "spammer".

"Marketers can often fall into the trap of becoming spammers themselves, even though they may believe they are acting in a completely ethical manner," says Colin Browne, editor of Marketing Mix. "Furthermore, there is much evidence that some digital providers to whom marketing work is outsourced, may not follow completely ethical guidelines. If marketers have all the facts at their disposal, it is our belief that they will ensure that do not put their brands or their reputations at risk."

Some of the topics that will be covered are: developments in the regulatory frameworks with regards to spam; an update from the Internet Service Providers Association's (ISPA) on how ISPs are tackling issues; digital marketing list management; and search engine optimisation.

The Digital Marketing Event and Spam Summit will take place on 19 October 2004 at the Kyalami Conference Centre in Gauteng. Early bird bookings are discounted at R175 per delegate until the 31 August 2004, after which the cost is R250 per delegate. For more information, visit www.spamsummit.co.za or contact Nku Nyembezi on 011 789 1808 or .