New Zenith: CTAM Consolidates Digital Confab into Annual Summit

It really was CTAM Digital & Broadband’s last day Thurs, with the board deciding to merge it into CTAM’s annual Summit. Attendance certainly wasn’t a factor, with preliminary numbers Thurs at 1318-well above the expected 1200 and close to the record of 1328. Instead, the board said digital and broadband products have become more mainstream, no longer needing a standalone event. There also was a desire for less travel among members. "We’re listening to the industry," CTAM board chmn/Showtime evp Len Fogge said. "We believe the Summit will not only grow in size, but in prestige." This year’s Summit (July 18-21, Boston) will be the 1st to include Digital & Broadband. Additional breakout sessions to cover those areas are being added. Summit attendance of 2200-2400 is expected to increase by about 500 when it moves to Philly in ’05. In addition, CTAM will hold 1- day conferences to address industry issues, CTAM chief Char Beales said. In keeping with this week’s surfing theme, Beales quipped it’s "time to get off the wave before it crests." — Thurs’ opening session went outside the cable box, as ad agency execs discussed campaigns developed for other tech clients-PlayStation 2, HP and OnStar. Lessons cable might learn from them include setting aside some of the tech aspects of a product to focus on the emotional response to it, TBWACHIATDAY chief strategy officer Carisa Bianchi said. On another note, both TBWACHIATDAY and Campbell-Ewald said they were producing commercials now in HD and all expressed interest in long-form advertising.