April 6, 2004

This issue of NEDMA News is sponsored by:

Mail Computer Service, Inc. and Williams & Partners

Mail Computer Service, Inc.
www.mailcompserv.com
Contact: Dan Menconi
Mail Computer Service, Inc., is a full-service direct mail production facility that offers such services as data processing, laser personalization, lettershop, database maintenance, fulfillment, and printing.

Williams & Partners
Technology and the artistic touch -- a picture of contrasts? Not at Williams & Partners, where our creative retouchers create images that appear nation-wide in publications, on billboards and buses. Our services include digital asset management, image archiving, fulfillment, display graphics, and print management. www.williamsonline.com

In this Issue:

Excitement Builds for Awards Gala
NEDMA Membership News
    1. Member Promotions and Appointments
   2. Members in Print and On Stage
   3. NEDMA's Newest Corporate Members
   4. Member Milestones
     5. Member Sightings
     6. Member Deals
Upcoming Events
     1. April 27 Dinner Meeting - "Out of The Box Direct Mail"
     2. May 20 Seminar - Direct Mail Budget Busters
     3. June 17- DM of the Year Banquet
     4. June 17-18 - NEDMA's Annual Conference
Getting "Ink" in NEDMA News

Excitement Builds for Awards Gala

"There were 333 entries this year," says Beth Drysdale, NEDMA's Managing Director, "which is more than we've ever seen in previous years. This year's Banquet is a sell-out with over 300 registrants. Only a few balcony seats are left.

The annual NEDMA Awards for Creative Excellence Gallery, Show and Banquet is one of our organization's major events. It is unique among awards shows in that every one of the 333 entries will be on display at the Awards Gallery. Several companies will also have tabletop displays. It is certainly the largest public display of direct marketing specimens in the region and a unique opportunity for members to see and evaluate the best efforts of their peers.

The Show and Banquet, which will be held at The Roxy, u/P>pstairs at the Tremont House (Tremont Street, Boston) on April 8, begins at 6:30pm and runs to 9:30pm. There is a cocktail reception for networking and viewing the entries in the Empire Ballroom of the Tremont House before the Show, from 5:00pm to 6:30pm. Everyone will then move upstairs to the Roxy for a buffet dinner and the Awards Show. Reservations for the remaining individual seats can be made by emaiing by 5pm today. Sorry, advance reservations are required.

The Awards Show and Banquet is sponsored by NEBS, Inc. and the Awards Gallery is sponsored by W. A. Wilde Company and EU Services, Inc. Printing of the Winners Books which will be handed out at the end of the Show, is sponsored by The Journeyman Press.

The judging was done by an independent panel of experts including Reggie Brady, President, Reggie Brady Marketing Solutions; Patrick Fultz of StroudFultzGroup and Grayhair Direct; Bob Gaffney, President, Action Marketing Consultants Inc.; Shelley Davies Gentile, Executive Creative Director, Wygant Davies Gentile Direct; Josh Moritz, Partner, Customer Growth Blau Moritz Klang Partnership; Dick Ossen, Marketing Professor, Bentley College and Jane Weber, Principal, Ask Jane Direct. Winners were notified on March 8.

NEDMA Membership News

1. Member Promotions and Appointments
Stuart Christie has been promoted to Director, Client Services Group at Brickmill Marketing Services. Stuart has been with Brickmill since 1998 and has over 25 years' experience in direct marketing and fundraising. Nadia Orr was also recently promoted from receptionist to Marketing Administrator. Brickmill Marketing Services is a full service strategic marketing and creative services firm located in Nashua, NH.

Brickmill has also added eight new positions as a result of explosive growth from recent new client wins. The additions to the Client Service Group include Aimee LaBrake, Account Executive, Sarah Hamilton, Senior Account Executive, Suzanne Newell, Senior Account Executive, and William Fusco, Senior Analyst. The Information Technology Department expanded their department with additions of Pamela Kilburn, Analyst Programmer, and Paul Lemay, Analyst Programmer. The New Business Development Department appointed John Rosen and Wendy Crone, both as a Director of Business Development. The Creative department had Richard DeVeau join their team as Copy and Strategic Development Manager.

Lorrie Turgeon has been named Creative Services Supervisor-Direct Mail at Collette Vacations. She will be responsible for the development of Direct Mail strategy, planning and execution as well as managing the development of promotions. Formerly the Direct Mail Coordinator, Turgeon has been with Collette since October 2000 and is based at the company's corporate headquarters in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Copywriting and production will report directly to her. Graduating with a BS in Marketing from Bentley College, Lorrie Turgeon has 13 years' experience in the marketing/direct mail industry. Prior to joining Collette she worked for Academic Management Services in Swansea, Massachusetts. Collette Vacations takes travelers around the globe on vacations that feature unique experiences, affordable prices, and inclusive dining and entertainment under the guidance of professional tour managers. It is known for its trip cancellation waiver, which offers the option to cancel any time, for any reason, right up to the day of departure.

Paul Weiss has been named VP of Strategic Services at BeNOW. He has previously worked at S&H Solutions and Harte-Hanks Data Technologies. Also joining BeNOW from S&H Solutions is Gregory Pike, who is BeNOW's Director of Analytic Services. BeNOW is a CRM and database marketing services provider in Wakefield, MA.

Roger Surprenant, most recently Senior VP of Sales at PointClear, is now Executive VP of Sales and will run the new Atlanta office for Dragon Direct Marketing. Gary Lubarsky has joined Dragon as Associate Creative Director. Dragon Direct Marketing, whose principal lair has recently moved from Braintree to Acton, MA, develops direct marketing programs of mythological proportions.

James Tremblay, has joined DMM as Vice President of the Financial Services Division. Through his efforts, DMM has signed an initial partnering agreement as the primary service provider for a major National and International privately held, multi-million dollar service organization. DMM (formerly Direct Mail of Maine) is a full-service direct marketing firm, offering print management, information services, comprehensive mailing services, fulfillment, and response management.

Paul Silvestri, has joined Fulfillment Plus Mailing Solutions as VP of Operations. Paul, who came to Fulfillment Plus from CPS Direct, has 10 years of experience in direct mail marketing. Fulfillment Plus, which is in Haverhill, MA, provides both direct mail letter shop services as well as fulfillment services, including web order fulfillment, kitting, and warehousing.

2. Members in Print and On Stage
Andy Cutler, Senior VP of BeNOW, chaired the Technology/Web Analytics track at eTail 2004, the conference of the online retail industry, in February.

Donna Baier Stein, the 2003 NEDMA Direct Marketer of the Year, announces the launch of her new literary magazine, TIFERET: A Journal of Spiritual Literature. Submission guidelines for all spiritually-minded marketers can be found at www.tiferetjournal.com.

Dianna Huff, President of DH Communications, Inc., has written her first e-book, 25 Ways to Grow Your E-Newsletter Subscriber List. The book includes the common strategies most people know about plus the little known methods people overlook.

3. NEDMA's Newest Corporate Members

Platinum - Banta Group

Silver

Data Associates
DMM
Am-Pro Mailing List Company
Polaris Direct
Collette Vacations

4. Member Milestones
GHW Associates was recently honored by the Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association with its 2003 Service Award. GHW Associates planned and produced a direct mail membership program that resulted in a membership increase of 450 for MaMHCA. The award was received on behalf of the agency by George Wojtkiewicz, Principal, at MaMHCA's annual meeting held in Waltham.

Dianna Huff, President of DH Communications, Inc., was awarded an IABC (International Association of Business Communications) Silver Quill for her e-newsletter, "The MarCom Writer." DH Communications is the only company to win an award in the e-newsletter category.

John V. Cloutier, CEO of DMM (formerly Direct Mail of Maine) recently announced the completion of the first phase of its multiple facilities upgrades planned for 2003 and 2004. The investment included renovations to DMM's existing 120,000 square-foot facilities, purchasing new OCE demand stream printers, Xerox cut sheet printers color applications, and new MICR encoding capabilities for both US and Canadian requirements. State-of-the-art surveillance, electronic key pass entry and "net cam" live web access to DMM's Statement Processing Division were also part of the upgrade. DMM invites NEDMA members to tour the facilities. There will be an open house in the near future.

Southern Methodist University turned to Yellowfin Direct Marketing recently to create a lapsed and non-donor direct mail appeal to alumni. Yellowfin's test package mailed to approximately 30% of the alumni file, and included address labels and stickers featuring full-color photos of the campus. The new Yellowfin package raised 559% more revenue than the previous year's appeal and increased the response rate by 1,885%. Yellowfin Direct Marketing, Inc. is a full-service agency known for its direct response fundraising and integrated direct marketing solutions. The agency is located in Boston, and on the web at www.yellowfindirect.com.

Chiswick Packaging Solutions, located in Sudbury, MA, just launched a brand new website, www.chiswick.com. Chiswick markets and distributes industrial and retail packaging, shipping and warehouse products to thousands of small and mid-sized manufacturers, distributors and retailers throughout the United States and Canada. Their product lines include polyethylene bags, corrugated boxes, tape labels, protective packaging, mailers, retail shopping bags and related packaging supplies. The new site has full e-commerce capabilities, allowing customers to place orders 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. The Chiswick team built the new site to maximize the visitor's shopping experience through "customer focused functionality." "We want customers to be able to click and order with ease. We also made product and service information easily accessible throughout the site," said Marci Reynolds, Chiswick's Director of E-Commerce.

Innovative Marketing Resources, a division of Innovative Fulfillment Services, Inc., a full-service project management and direct marketing company specializing in the development and implementation of marketing programs that generate measurable, profitable results, is celebrating their 10th anniversary. Innovative Marketing Resources, which is certified as a Women's Business Enterprise National Council Company (WBENC), is located in Leominster, MA.

A prospective NEDMA member entered the world on Friday, March 19. NEDMA's Secretary, Craig Blake, and his wife, Jill, had a son. Aidan Lars Blake weighed seven pounds at birth and was 19 inches long. Mother and baby returned from the hospital the following Monday.

Fulfillment Plus Mailing Solutions, Inc. celebrates its 11th year in business. Christine J. Erna, VP Sales & Marketing for Fulfillment Plus, has noted a marked increase in volume & revenues. She says the economy is changing and people are recognizing the need to communicate through direct mail with their clients and prospects. The recent changes in the telemarketing and anti-spam laws have had a positive effect on direct mail.

Dragon Direct Marketing celebrates its fourth anniversary (April 1) with a new client in the lair. Dragon is executing a coordinated mail/phone campaign for HealthMarket of Norwalk, CT. In addition, Dragon is opening a new office in Atlanta.

5. Member Sightings
Fifty representatives from Collette Vacations came together with more than 300 tourism industry volunteers to help preserve one of New Orleans' most treasured tourism resources, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. Orchestrated by the Travelers Conservation Foundation (TCF), Collette Vacations members lime-washed tombs, replanted trees and ground cover, and repainted gates while retaining the 215-year-old cemetery's historic ambience. The St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 Project, one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Save America's Treasures projects, is part of a nationwide series of conservation projects sponsored by the TCF under the Tourism - Caring for America banner.

6. Member Deals
Donna Baier Stein, president of Baier Stein Direct, announces that several new clients have employed her agency's copywriting services recently: American Express, Sprint, and Handspring - all through Horah Direct of NYC; Good Samaritans Mission, ProDoc legal software, National Security Institute, Amerilist, Inc., and AARP Foundation. Floyd Kemske, editor of this newsletter, is Creative Director of Baier Stein Direct (www.directcopy.com).

Fosdick Fulfillment Corporation, located in Wallingford, Connecticut and Reno, Nevada, has signed an agreement with Lauren Hutton's Good Stuff, LLC, New York, NY to provide full service nationwide fulfillment. Lauren Hutton's Good Stuff, LLC sells high-end cosmetics via a catalog for mature women. The cosmetics were created by Lauren Hutton when she resumed her modeling career after she turned 46.

BeNOW has recently been selected by Atkins Nutritionals, creators of the Atkins for Life Program, to help develop customer relationship management. Smartbargains,Inc., the Boston-based online off-price retailer has tapped BeNOW to build a database platform. Basco USA, IL-based industrial packaging supplier has also turned to BeNOW to develop its database and customer relationships.

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Upcoming Events:
Watch your email for more details and registration forms!

April 27 Forum and Dinner Meeting, Four Points Sheraton, Waltham
How can you get your prospect's attention ... and still satisfy the USPS? Attend NEDMA's dinner meeting on Tuesday, April 27th and discover the power of "Out of the Box Direct Mail."

Join us for the Creative Forum from 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm and enjoy a lively interactive workshop. Bring your own direct mail packages and have them critiqued by a design and marketing leader, as well as a postal representative. How can they work harder for you?

Then, at dinner, you'll hear from an expert panel of creative, production, supplier and postal leaders. Learn what's working now and why? And, most important, how you can use the power of "Out of the Box Direct Mail" to improve your own campaigns.

May 20 - Half Day Workshop, 9am-noon, Microsoft Training Facility, Waltham, MA
Direct Mail Budget Busters
Roll up your sleeves, sharpen your pencils and break out your rulers! This presentation brings new meaning to the term "Hand on." You'll examine a variety of direct mail packages and look for common (and not so common) direct mail "budget busters" - print and production traps that can wreak havoc on your budget and impact the outcome of your mailing.

This presentation is sponsored and presented by EU Services, NEDMA's Diamond Sponsor.

June 17-18 NEDMA's Annual Conference and Direct Marketer of the Year Banquet

Keynote address: M.L. Carr, former Boston Celtics star, Founder of WARM2Kids - www.warm2kids.com
"Although Nobody's Perfect, We're All Role Models"

Luncheon Keynote: Michael Ewing, Monster.com "From Suspect to Prospect to Customer and Beyond"

Direct Marketer of the Year Banquet Keynote address: Richard H. Levey, columnist, DIRECT. "The Jester on the Sidelines: My Three-Quarters Decade as a jaundiced Direct Marketing Observer."

Conference Tracks include: Not-for-Profit, Creative, Business, New Media and Emerging Markets.

A pre-conference day will include intensive interactive sessions on Search Engine Marketing and Performance Media Buying with Harry Gold, Overdrive Marketing Communications.

Conference brochures will be in the mail to you in a few weeks. Be sure to save the dates!!!!

Getting "Ink" in NEDMA News
If you've gotten a promotion, signed a new client, written a book, had a baby, or otherwise distinguished yourself, tell your colleagues! "NEDMA Membership News" is a free service for and on behalf of NEDMA members so we can all keep up with each others' professional (and sometimes extracurricular) lives. Members can also use this space to advertise items of particular interest to NEDMA members, such as office space or used equipment.

We must reserve the right to edit any submissions. And the free advertising feature is not intended to promote your business (you can buy an ad for that). It's limited to the kind of things you might ordinarily find in a classified section. Send your information via email to . Be sure to provide as much information as you can, including the URL for your company's website. If you want to send your information as an attachment, please use Microsoft Word or any text editor and save the editor the trouble of retyping PDFs, since he doesn't have any software for extracting text from such files.

Submit your information to by the 15th of the month for publication sometime in the last week of the month. We are striving for more precision in the publication schedule.

Visit NEDMA's website at nedma.com