PRESS CONTACT:
Mark Hall, ego:east, inc.
786-281-7007, markh@ego-east.com
PREPAID CARD EXPO TO HIGHLIGHT CORPORATE AND CONSUMER APPLICATIONS OF NETWORK BRANDED PREPAID CARDS INCLUDING INCENTIVE, REBATE, CONSUMER PROMOTION, AND GIFT CARD PROGRAMS
Conference To Feature Important Industry Case Studies Presented By Safeway Stores, DEWALT, Wells Fargo, Simon Property Group, Rim Hospitality, And The States of Michigan And Iowa Among Others
Attendance surpasses expectations with over 750 people scheduled to attend the 2006 Prepaid Card Expo
Nashua, NH, January 17, 2006 – Prepaid Media, a leading provider of media and information services to the prepaid and stored value card industry, today announced the 2006 Prepaid Card Expo will highlight real-world corporate and consumer applications of prepaid cards, including incentive, rebate, consumer promotion, and gift card programs. The conference will feature important industry case studies presented by Safeway Stores, DEWALT Industrial Tool Co, Wells Fargo Bank, Simon Property Group, Rim Hospitality, and the States of Michigan and Iowa among others. These case studies are significant not only because of the major corporate brands, and state and government departments that will be presenting them, but also because they showcase the way in which prepaid cards are being deployed in a multitude of applications to enhance customer relationships, incentivize employees, reduce costs, and streamline business and government processes.
" Prepaid card products comprise the fastest growing segment of the payments industry," said Jonathan A. Weiner, president, Prepaid Media. "The Prepaid Card Expo will feature many important industry case studies about companies and government agencies that have used prepaid cards in innovative ways to enhance their service offering, and improve the way they connect with employees, customers, and other program participants.”
Details of Case Studies
The Prepaid Card Expo will feature a number of important industry case studies including:
Safeway Prepaid Cards – Blackhawk Marketing, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Safeway Stores, will discuss their consumer research which reveals the importance of branding and merchandising to increase sales and adoption of prepaid products. They will discuss the optimum display and activation methodologies developed over the last four years to insure the highest rates of consumer acceptance in varied retail environments.
Simon Property Group – the Simon branded gift card program is the largest Visa Gift Card program in the world. Simon Property Group will discuss the short and storied history of the Simon gift card program, including the Simon branded gift card, affinity products and the success of the offline retail distribution channel.
DEWALT Industrial Tool Co. – has employed prepaid cards in many of their consumer rebate promotions for nearly two years. DEWALT will discuss the benefits of prepaid cards over paper checks, and what card recipients have reported about their experience.
Rim Hospitality – has incorporated The Best Present Prepaid MasterCard International from Springbok Services into their employee safety program. In two years, they reduced worker’s compensation claims and drastically cut insurance costs. Rim Hospitality will discuss how they achieved these great results by providing the right incentive for employee success.
Wells Fargo Bank – will present a case study around their Gift Card initiative, using their bank branches as the distribution channel. This study will discuss the challenges presented in developing a program, their experience with integrating Gift Cards into their branches, as well as how Gift Cards have enhanced the customer relationship with the bank.
State Of Michigan/State Of Iowa – the States of Michigan and Iowa will both be sharing their experiences in implementing a child support debit card in their respective states.
About Prepaid Media
Prepaid Media, a division of Prepaid Services Group, provides a host
of media services to the rapidly growing prepaid card industry, encompassing
prepaid Visa®, MasterCard® International, Discover® Network,
American Express® and other network branded cards. Recognizing
network branded prepaid cards as a distinct category of products,
Prepaid Media focuses on the payments industry as well as the many
specific markets served by these cards including: unbanked, underserved
and payroll; healthcare; corporate and consumer; and government.
As prepaid continues to emerge, Prepaid Media serves as a trusted
partner, providing relevant education, buying and selling opportunities,
and organized networking to key market participants.
The first initiative brought to market by Prepaid Media is the 2006 Prepaid Card Expo held February 15-17, 2006 at the Buena Vista Palace Resort & Spa in Orlando, Florida. While many events covering other card and payment products have attempted to capture relevant content for prepaid cards, the Prepaid Card Expo is unique with its dedicated and panoramic view of this market. For info on Prepaid Media or the Prepaid Card Expo, visit: www.prepaidcardexpo.com
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