BIA/Kelsey to Host ‘LOCAL Liftoff Awards’ Startup Competition at LEADING IN LOCAL: SMB Digital Marketing, Sept. 11-13, Austin

July 23, 2013
Press Releases

Call for startups opens this week for the new class of LEADING IN LOCAL ‘Future Stars’; eligible startups will have the chance to compete in Austin

CHANTILLY, Va. (July 23, 2013) – BIA/Kelsey announced today that it will host its second “LOCAL Liftoff Awards” competition at the upcoming LEADING IN LOCAL: SMB Digital Marketing conference, Sept. 11-13, in Austin. The conference will focus on the digital innovations that are transforming how SMBs attract, retain and upsell their customers.

Launched earlier this year, BIA/Kelsey’s LOCAL Liftoff Awards recognize the top companies from BIA/Kelsey’s LEADING IN LOCAL Future Stars program. Future Stars was created to provide early stage companies in the local media and SMB digital marketing industry with access to leaders from across the local digital marketplace at BIA/Kelsey conferences.

“Future Stars have become integral to the BIA/Kelsey community, exemplifying the early stage innovation across the local media space,” said Michael Boland, BIA/Kelsey senior analyst and vice president of content. “We look forward to meeting the new class of Future Stars. And we’re excited for the next edition of the LOCAL Liftoff Awards, which will draw inspiration from the great startup culture of Austin, creating the perfect backdrop for our competition.”

LEADING IN LOCAL conference attendees will have the opportunity to drop in on the Austin startup community during a special Day 1 breakfast tour at Austin’s Capital Factory, home to 100 area startups. This pre-conference event will be co-hosted by OwnLocal and Capital Factory.

BIA/Kelsey will accept applications for the Austin class of Future Stars through Aug. 30, 2013. Eligibility requirements and the online application are available at https://www.bia.com/LeadinginLocalAustin/future-stars.asp.

About LEADING IN LOCAL: SMB Digital Marketing

BIA/Kelsey’s LEADING IN LOCAL conferences are the definitive events on local digital advertising and marketing. LEADING IN LOCAL: SMB Digital Marketing will offer a first-hand look at the latest innovations and influential players in SMB-driven search, video, social media, mobile, promotions, CRM and reputation management.

Keynote speakers include Matt Baker, Head of SMB Partnerships, Facebook; Russ Laraway, Senior Director, SMB, Twitter; Seth Priebatsch, CEO, LevelUp; Zorik Gordon, CEO, ReachLocal; and Vikas Jain, Head of Business Development, Google/Wildfire. The program will also include a dual keynote by two Yellow Pages industry leaders: Darren Clark, CTO, YP and Paul Ryan, CTO, YPG.

Event sponsors include Agendize, Amdocs, Apptus, CallFire, eLocal Listing, First Data, Infogroup, Local Market Launch, Media Distribution Solutions, Neustar, Sales Transformation Now, Reply.com, Telmetrics, UBL, vSplash, Yext and YP.

Association and media partners include the Association of Directory Publishers (ADP), Big Marketing for Small Business, International Classified Media Association (ICMA), Local Commerce Canada, Location Based Marketing Association (LBMA), Smallbiztechnology, Small Business Trends, The Next Web, Topseos, and Visibility Magazine.

For more information about LEADING IN LOCAL: SMB Digital Marketing, including the complete agenda, list of speakers and companies attending, visit https://www.bia.com/LeadingInLocalAustin.

About BIA/Kelsey

BIA/Kelsey advises companies in the local media space through consulting and valuation services, research and forecasts, Custom Advisory Services and conferences. Since 1983 BIA/Kelsey has been a resource to the media, mobile advertising, telecommunications, Yellow Pages and electronic directory markets, as well as to government agencies, law firms and investment companies looking to understand trends and revenue drivers. BIA/Kelsey’s annual conferences draw executives from across industries seeking expert guidance on how companies are finding innovative ways to grow. Additional information is available at https://www.bia.com, on the company’s Local Media Watch blog, Twitter (http://twitter.com/BIAKelsey) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/biakelsey). Stay connected by subscribing to the firm’s bi-monthly newsletter.