LONDON, March 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Technology for Marketing & Advertising (TFM&A), including Online Advertising & Affiliate Expo (OA&A) and International Direct Marketing Expo (IDMX), was today hailed a huge success by organisers, UBM Live.

Event Manager, Kara Hiscox said: "We are delighted with the quality of visitors we delivered to the exhibiting companies throughout the show. It was a significant part of our strategy this year to improve on what was already a strong visitor demographic and to increase the level of seniority and buying power at the show. We achieved just that and the feedback from exhibitors confirmed this, with business being done on their stands every day as well as great conversations and introductions taking place across the show floor."

New for 2013, TFM&A invited  VIP attendees to join the 'By Invitation Only' and 'Greatest Minds' Programmes. The 'By Invitation Only' Programme attracted more than 700 senior level attendees while the exclusive Greatest Minds Programme (in partnership with the IDM) saw a select 20 senior leaders from companies including Microsoft, Google, Tiffany & Co, Vodafone and Skype, attend an exclusive breakfast briefing discussing future trends set to shape the industry.

The education programme at TFM&A was also incredibly well received with packed seminar theatres across the show floor. This year organisers introduced a new format to the programme which included panel debates and increased q&a time, an initiative which was informed by the recent Advisory process undertaken by the TFM&A team in association with The IDM and its members.  Audiences responded well having the chance for increased interaction with speakers and speakers in turn also embraced the format.

Mike Cornwell, CEO of the IDM said "The IDM was delighted to be able to act as event content advisors to TFM&A via members of our own Digital Advisory Council. Our Council members also formed the Keynote Expert Panel team and, with great credit, wanted to ensure they were able to give as much practical advice to as many of the audience as possible and so gave what turned out to be an hour long master class - feedback for which was pleasingly positive. All in all, the event was delivered brilliantly and very well received."

A new pre-show booking facility for Seminar and Keynote sessions, 'Save My Seat' also debuted this year alongside a voucher scheme which minimised queuing significantly. Hiscox continues "The educational content at TFM&A is always extremely popular and we work hard to maintain the quality and quantity of sessions. However, with high demand comes the problem of severe queues. The new system allowed people to secure their spot in any of the sessions prior to the show or to plan ahead and collect a voucher at the show which allowed more time for them to discover the other exhibitors and features on the show floor. We were very pleased with the outcome of this and visitor feedback was strong too."

Visitor, Michelle Wilcox, Online Marketing Executive from The Fragrance Shop emphasised the strength of the content saying "The main attraction for me is the seminars and the Keynotes to gain some wide ranging industry knowledge, but also the networking aspect. It's not often you get so many from the digital world all together in one room."

European eCommerce Manager from Sharp Electronics, Pete Braithwaite agreed saying "I come here to see as many companies as possible in one time. For me it's an educational experience but I can also find a lot of new suppliers."

The exhibition floor was populated with leading companies all specialising in innovative technological solutions for attendees working in advertising and marketing.  Technology on show included 3D Printing from Europac3D and an augmented reality experience delivered by Apache Solutions and PSCo Rental, allowing visitors to interact with some of the most exciting technology available to marketers today.

The show performed very well in terms of exhibitor satisfaction with 81% stand rebook on site. The exhibitor list was made up of more than 85 new companies really highlighting the innovation on show. Exhibitors included Sage, Emailvision, Sitecore, Commission Junction, Pro-Active and Eloqua.

Notes to editors

Visitors with 'manager', director or 'owner' in their job title increased by 8% since 2012 showing an increase in seniority (organiser's statement subject to audit).

Attendance 12,500 (organiser's statement subject to audit).

Attendance at the education content rose by 7% year on year (organiser's statement subject to audit).

TFM&A (alongside OA&A and IDMX) is co-located with Publishing & Media Expo.

About UBM Live (organiser of TFM&A, OA&A and IDMX)

UBM Live connects people and creates opportunities for companies across five continents to develop new business, meet customers, launch new products, promote their brands and expand their markets. Through premiere brands such as MD&M, CPhI, IFSEC, TFM&A, Cruise Shipping Miami, the Concrete Show and many others, UBM Live exhibitions, conferences, awards programs, publications, websites and training and certification programs are an integral part of the marketing plans of companies across more than 20 industry sectors.