Wikipedia Founder Jimmy Wales, Executives from Best Buy to Keynote ExactTarget Connections '11

ExactTarget, a global provider of interactive marketing solutions, announced today that Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, and executives from Best Buy and eMarketer will keynote Connections ’11 Sept. 13–15 in Indianapolis.

The three-day event, held as an annual user conference for ExactTarget clients and partners, will feature more than 50 breakout sessions ranging from interactive marketing best practices to case studies and advice on how to build engaging interactive campaigns across email, social media, mobile and the Web.

“Connections ’11 will provide the insights and inspiration marketers need to harness the power of interactive marketing to serve customers online and deliver business results,” said Scott Dorsey, chief executive officer of ExactTarget. “With his passion for service and commitment to innovation, Jimmy Wales is a great way to kick off this year’s event and highlight the power each of us has to change our world.”

Best known for his role in pioneering Wikipedia, the world’s largest encyclopedia, Wales has earned accolades from Forbes, the Economist and Time Magazine for his work in science, technology and the Web. He’s also garnered international acclaim for his philanthropic pursuits and creation of the Wikimedia Foundation.

Building on the theme of “The Power of One,” Connections ’11 will challenge individuals, teams and organizations to use technology and individual ideas to make positive changes in their communities, their companies, and the world.

Barry Judge, global chief marketing officer of Best Buy, and Robert Stephens, Best Buy’s chief technology officer, will also keynote the event to highlight how corporate marketing and technology teams can collaborate to deliver cross-channel interactive marketing. Judge and Stephens’ leadership has catapulted Best Buy and its family of brands and partnerships to collectively generate more than $50 billion in annual revenue.

Other “Power of One” keynote speakers announced include:

— Geoff Ramsey, CEO and co-founder of eMarketer — Ramsey, who recently unveiled his new book Digital Impact:The Two Secrets to Online Marketing Success, will offer new thoughts on how Facebook, Twitter, Email and mobile are changing the face of online marketing.

— Aron Ralston, best-selling author and mountaineer — Ralston, whose autobiography Between A Rock and a Hard Place inspired the Golden Globe and Oscar-nominated movie 127 Hours, will share thoughts on the power of personal strength, determination and focus.

Connections ’11 will feature 10 unique content tracks, including industry-specific sessions for retail, business-to-business and multichannel interactive marketers as well as day-long workshops for beginners, experts and developers. Through a partnership with Conseco Fieldhouse, attendees will also have the opportunity to attend a concert by a special Grammy-nominated and People’s Choice Award-winning artist.

Registration is available online at www.Connections2011.com . Marketers who register before Aug. 10 will receive $200 off the $995 registration fee. Marketers attending Connections ’11 may also register to attend ExactTarget’s certification session Sept. 12 in Indianapolis. The day-long program offers registrants the opportunity to earn certification in three levels – Professional, Marketer and Partner. To register or to learn more about the certification program, click www.Connections2011.com .

Connections ’11 follows ExactTarget Connections ’10, an event that welcomed more than 2,000 marketers to Indianapolis and featured a lineup of industry titans including Virgin Group Founder and Chairman Sir Richard Branson and Twitter CEO Dick Costolo.

About ExactTarget

ExactTarget is a leading global provider of on-demand email marketing and interactive marketing solutions. The company’s Interactive Marketing Hub technology provides organizations a single solution to connect with customers via email, integrated text messaging, landing pages and social media. Supported by collaborative global services teams, ExactTarget’s technology integrates with more sales and marketing information systems than any other in the industry, including Salesforce.com, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Omniture and Webtrends among many others. ExactTarget powers permission-based multichannel communications for thousands of organizations around the world including Expedia.com, Best Buy, Papa John’s, CareerBuilder.com, Gannett Co., Inc., The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, The Home Depot and Wellpoint, Inc. For more information, visit www.exacttarget.com .