NEW MARKETING SURVEY SHOWS THE POWER OF LIVE EVENTS

Marketers Say Experiential Approach is the Most Effective for Connecting with Business Audiences

LOS ANGELES (February 20, 2007) - Marketers are confirming both the overall value and cost-effectiveness of experiential marketing - say the results of a new study conducted by non-traditional marketing and communications agency TBA Global and Event Marketer magazine. Released today, the TrendWatch survey indicates that B-to-B marketers are evolving the medium, creating live programs that are proving to be an essential part of a brand's overall marketing and communications mix. The survey targeted brand marketers across executive-level groups, event departments, advertising departments, online groups, and direct/sales promotion units.

The study reports marketers' top 2007 trends in face-to-face marketing. Among the study's findings:

- 89.2 percent of those surveyed said they are getting "more value" out of their current event portfolios versus three years ago
- 85.5 percent of marketers said they are implementing the same number of events or more than they were three years ago
- 36.5 percent of respondents tapped experiential marketing as the most effective vehicle for developing a bond between company and customer - beating out (in order) advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion, online and public relations

One area highlighted for improvement: marketers indicated that experiential marketing lags behind advertising in terms of overall brand alignment.

"These findings help validate the impact and value of experiential marketing as a cornerstone in establishing a critical brand dialogue with a target audience," said Lee Rubenstein, President and COO, TBA Global. "Smart marketers are leveraging the power of live events to connect their brand with their audiences in a meaningful way that builds relationships and delivers results."

"For years some thought experiential marketing was ineffective. Others thought it was overpriced. Both were wrong," says Dan Hanover Editor and Publisher of Event Marketer magazine. "These new findings prove that live marketing is both high-impact and high-value."

For a copy of the whitepaper with the survey results, please visit www.tbaglobal.com.

About TBA GLOBAL

Founded in 1994, TBA Global (www.tbaglobal.com) is a privately-held company that creates non-traditional marketing and communications programs for high-profile corporations, non-profit organizations, and associations worldwide. TBA's award-winning teams create, produce and execute unique and compelling programs that grow clients' business by creating, connecting, and optimizing their marketing and communications investments to key internal and external audiences. TBA is ranked #21 in the world's top 50 marketing organizations by Advertising Age magazine (May 1, 2006) and is an Event Marketer magazine 2006 Hot Agency. TBA is headquartered in Los Angeles, California with multiple offices throughout the United States and Canada.