Welcome. I am Chris Pratt, President and Founder of Pratt Marketing Group (PMG). My fellow Interactivists and I are pleased you’ve expressed an interest in Interactivism. After all, what starts with intrigue often results in innovation… and transformation. I was once a strictly traditional marketer. Things like "viral campaigns" and "microsites" were somewhat foreign to me. Is it the same for you?

If so, we hope you’ll join us in this exciting movement, which begins Tuesday, April 21 at the offices of Pratt Marketing Group. You may walk in the door as a traditional (albeit skilled and talented) marketer… but you'll leave as a true Interactivist—with a confident, clear understanding of how to use the interactive media to your marketing advantage.

The day will be composed of three sections—Strategy, Technology and Implementation—led by our expert Squad Leaders. You'll also be given a layout of the Industry Landscape from Jen Brady of the Chicago Interactive Marketing Association.

Jen Brady here. I'm the Vice President of Marketing for the Chicago Interactive Marketing Association (otherwise known as CIMA). It’s part of my job to keep a close watch on the landscape of the industry… and to map out the role that the interactive media is playing within it.

So I’ll kick off the day by imparting to you what I've learned in my reconnaissance work. Here’s a hint: there's a huge paradigm shift occurring right now: businesses are starting to think of the interactive media not just as a fragmented system of tactics and resources, but rather as an integrated piece of their overall marketing strategy.

And if businesses are starting to think that way, then we marketers need to follow suit.

I am Michael McGuire of Pratt Marketing Group, and I’ll be your Strategy Squad Leader. I'm here to tell you that yes, interactive marketing is strategic.

My part of the day will be geared towards helping you get your bearings in the interactive marketing world, and giving you a basic understanding of terms like "web-apps", "widgets" and "microsites".

I'll also provide an overview of the two big ideas underpinning all interactive marketing strategy: Destinations & Drivers. You'll learn exactly what they are, and exactly how you can best use them together in your strategic marketing platform.

This is Mike LaVista, your Technology Squad Leader, and I have some good news: interactive marketing isn’t that complicated. It’s true! Web technology isn’t as wild as it once was—you could say that the universe has at last settled into a system of interconnected tools and parts.

By that, I mean that marketers shouldn’t let apprehension about technology prevent them from big plans. So much more is possible and affordable now than it ever has been, and it’s all just waiting to be tapped.

My section of the day will focus on teaching you how web tools like data base management and e-commerce can be integrated into your system in the most headache-free, cost-effective manners, and you’ll also learn the basics about website hosting.

Hi, I'm Rachel Jarvis. I’ll be your Implementation Squad Leader at the Interactivism! summit, and I’m so excited to share all the knowledge I’ve gained over the years.

Bottom line, when it comes to interactive, your media buy can definitely deliver more bang for your buck. You just need to think about your strategy in a different way. So I’ll teach you the basics of developing a sound media strategy in the interactive space. One of the first things you’ll come to understand is why it’s so important to consider your buy much earlier in the process—while you’re still shaping your creative.

And while I have you, you’ll also learn the basics of search engine marketing… so you can best stand out from the crowd.