(San Diego, CA January 13, 2004) – The Service & Support Professionals Association (SSPA), the leading industry Association for IT support professionals announced today the SSPA Conference@San Diego, April 5-7, 2004. The SSPA Conference @ San Diego “SSPA Best Practices Showcase” will be the paramount event where the Service and Support industry comes together in a fusion of visionary keynote addresses; vibrant speakers; Best Practices knowledge-sharing groups and workshops; and the opportunity for one-to-one meetings with key industry experts. The Conference includes the announcement of the annual WebStar Service Awards winners.

“I am really excited about the 2004 San Diego Conference,” said Bill Rose, SSPA Founder/CEO. “We have added a unique feature to this event- The Best Practices Sharing Sessions. Many past SSPA Conference attendees have requested more time to participate in small groups, led by an expert facilitator, and discuss with their peers specific topical issues of interest to them. These Sharing Sessions will provide attendees with the opportunity to, not only learn from your peers, but also to have the benefit of a session leader who has extensive knowledge and experience with the topic.”

The Conference kicks-off with a dynamic Keynote Speaker, followed by a Power Panel- "Understanding the Pros & Cons of Offshore Outsourcing". Following the Panel will be the new Best Practices Sharing Sessions. The first day will end with the presentation of the annual SSPA WebStar Service Awards.

The Second day will commence with the Power Panel- “Best Practices in Acquisition Integration for Technical Support”. Following the panel will be 8 individual speaker presentations from which the attendees may choose. These speaker presentations will then be repeated in the next hour. During lunch, the winner of the Special Prize Drawing will be announced, where he/she will have their choice of a Laptop Computer or set of Golf Clubs. After lunch attendees will have the opportunity to participate in two hours of the Best Practices Sharing Sessions. Led by an industry expert, each group will focus on and discuss specific topics and attendees may choose the group in which they wish to participate. Day two’s program will end with a keynote speaker. Between the end of the day’s program and the Networking@Night, attendees will have the opportunity to visit Optional Vendor Receptions and then join their colleagues for an enjoyable evening at the Networking@Night.

Day Three features Five Informative Workshops giving you the opportunity to learn from the top leaders in the industry on some of the most important aspects of success. The workshops are designed to explore an issue in depth with more attendee interaction and "hands-on" experiences. Five different topical areas will be presented by some of the top consulting, training and technology companies in our industry. Attendees will have the opportunity to pick the workshop in which they wish to participate in these interactive sessions. Topical areas will include eSupport, certification, profitable service strategies and others. Day Three is finished off with a round of golf at a San Diego championship course. Information on other options to visit beautiful San Diego will be available for the non-golfers.

One of the highlights of the San Diego Conference will be the SSPA WebStar Service Awards that will be presented at a gala dinner on Monday evening of the Conference. The annual WebStar Service Awards are presented to companies who excel at providing exceptional customer service and technical support via the Web. For more information, please send an email to info@thesspa.com.

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 21,600 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.