SSPA Selects Keynote Speaker for Savannah

June 10, 2003

“SSPA’s 21st Conference”

(San Diego, CA June 10, 2003) – The Service & Support Professionals Association (SSPA), the leading industry Association for IT support professionals, announced today that Elliot Masie, Director- The MASIE Center, will make a keynote presentation at the SSPA Conference @ Savannah, September 29-October 1, 2003 in Savannah, GA. Masie will look at some of the most recent technologies (e.g. MP3, GPS, Personalization, Digital Collaboration) and of the key business trends (e.g. Disintermediation, Digital Marketplaces) that will change our world. His contagious enthusiasm and practical strategies springboard individuals and organizations into action.

“The SSPA is truly excited to have Elliott present at our Savannah Conference,” said Bill Rose, SSPA Founder/CEO. “He is an exciting and dynamic speaker with years of technology service experience that he is willing to share with our members. You don’t want to miss this keynote session.”

The Conference will open at 1:00pm on Monday, March 31st. Masie’s keynote presentation is entitled:
“Technologies That Will Change Your World”. It is a fun and dynamic presentation with both business messages but also some mind boggling new gadgets and approaches. The speech delivers a message of how we will have choices to use (or not use) of emerging technologies to fit our organizational and personal needs.

“I am very excited to be part of the SSPA Conference,” noted Masie. “Now, more than ever, service and support professionals are at the core of how organizations will combine technology and methodology as they go forward. These are the frontline of the world of technology and I have huge respect for the daily work they provide in filling the gaps between the promise and reality of technology.”

Masie is an internationally recognized speaker, futurist, humorist, author and consultant on the critical topics of technology, business, learning and workplace productivity. He is the editor of TechLearn Trends, a twice-weekly Internet newsletter read by over 24,000 business executives worldwide, and the editor of Learning Decisions, a subscription newsletter. He heads The MASIE Center, a think tank focused on how organizations can absorb technology and create continuous learning and knowledge within the workforce. He leads a consortium of Fortune 500 companies exploring the future of technology in the workplace, including JP Morgan Chase, Domino’s Pizza, Wal-Mart, McDonalds, Federal Express and the U.S. Departments of Defense and Labor.

Masie's professional focus has been to demystify the world of technology in order to allow organizations to use their wisdom and resources to make key choices. He has developed models for disseminating technology throughout organizations, providing workforce development with technology and making sense of the buzz and hype of the “e” and “.com” world. Masie is also considered one of the leading experts in the emerging field of digital collaboration.

SSPA Conference at Savannah is "the" event where the future of the Service and Support industry comes together in a fusion of visionary key note addresses, vibrant tracks and workshops, interactive forums, fun networking events, informative exhibits and a special dinner featuring the SSPA STAR Award winners -- all in the heart of America's most magical city, Savannah Georgia.

About SSPA
Founded in 1989, the Service & Support Professionals Association (SSPA) was formed to focus on the specific needs of service executives who are responsible for support centers and overall customer relations. Today, the SSPA represents over 21,500 service professionals at 2,500 support centers worldwide. These executives look to SSPA to provide insight into the future of support services, a road map of best practices within our industry and access to the best service and support vendors. SSPA has become the center of support providing a reliable and comprehensive resource for news, research, benchmarking, standards and collaboration.

SSPA was created for professionals, managers and executives that make their living in the IT support services community. It is not a generic, one-size-fits all website where nobody ever feels like they belong. SSPA is dynamic, interactive, living resource specifically designed for the unique needs of support professionals. This exciting virtual community creates a forum for constant interaction with peers, industry experts, technology vendors and much more. For more information regarding the SSPA and other related divisions, log on to www.thesspa.com or send an email to info@thesspa.com.