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For Immediate Release
Contact:
Karamy Muessig
503.750.9041
Organization Increases Reach, Partnerships to Continue to Add Value for Corporate Internet Strategist Members
Portland, OR— April 20, 2006—Today, the Portland, OR-based Internet Strategy Forum (ISF) announced the formation of a chapter in New York, NY, its first expansion outside the Northwest market. The new chapter extends the ISF’s reach in providing professional development, peer networking, and thought leadership for corporate Internet decision-makers. The organization is focused exclusively on providing resources for individuals in this increasingly strategic corporate role.
“When it comes to organized networking for Internet professionals, the majority of resources are geared toward programmers and designers,” said Lee Huang, New York Chapter leader and Director of eBusiness at VNU eMedia, publishers of leading websites such as Billboard.com and HollywoodReporter.com. “When I discovered the Internet Strategy Forum, I knew it was exactly what I’d been looking for as an avenue to exchange ideas with others in similar corporate roles in the New York area. The organization’s model was easy to implement, so I was able to immediately focus on getting members to the table to join in the discussion.”
The New York chapter’s regular meetings include the upcoming, "Using the Internet to Engage Customers: Innovative Techniques and Technology," on May 9. Some members of the chapter are helping to develop the ISF’s first blog resource for Internet strategists, which will be accessible to the public. Founding members of the New York chapter serve in Internet strategy roles at companies such as AOL, IBM, Citibank, Dow Jones, Standard & Poors, Siemens and Scripps Network.
"The original objectives for the Internet Strategy Forum were immediately attractive to our target members in the Northwest, so it makes sense that as other Internet strategists discover what we are doing some of them want to become part of it,” said Steve Gehlen, ISF Founder. “From the start we leveraged Internet tools to create a scalable organization. For example, any member can attend any meeting from any location via Breeze web conferencing.”
The growing organization, which expects to debut a San Francisco Bay Area chapter and potentially others this year, continues featuring national level speakers, including a recent Portland discussion with Scott Allen, author of "The Virtual Handshake." The third-annual ISF Executive Summit conference will be held July 13th in Portland, OR, with speakers including Rey Ramsey, Founder and CEO of One Economy Corp. and Chairman of Habitat for Humanity International, and Adam Freed, Director of International Product Management at Google, Inc.
To learn more about the ISF, including its New York Chapter, the Executive Summit conference and sponsorship and membership opportunities, visit www.internetstrategyforum.org.
About the Internet Strategy Forum
The Internet Strategy Forum is a non-profit professional association dedicated to peer networking, information exchange, professional development, research and thought leadership among senior Internet decision-makers at medium-to-large organizations across multiple industries. For more information and to apply for membership, visit www.internetstrategyforum.org.
