ATLANTA, GA--(Marketwire - July 8, 2009) - Social commerce -- sales growth through online relationship building and active customer engagement -- is the ultimate objective for many companies looking to increase sales via online tactics. But many marketers -- especially those in the business-to-business (B2B) sector -- are challenged with how to translate social media and networking into social commerce. This fall, OfficeArrow, the largest and fastest-growing online community of office professionals and small business owners, and the Wharton Interactive Media Initiative (WIMI), a research arm of one of the world's top-ranked business schools, will partner with leading B2B social commerce experts to present LIFT: The B2B Social Commerce Summit. The conference will be held Sept. 15 and 16 at Atlanta's Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center.

"The LIFT Summit will address the very specific marketing and communications needs of B2B companies looking to engage in dynamic dialogue with customers and move the needle on sales," said Robert Ball, CEO of OfficeArrow and a Summit leader.

Ball continued, "Many B2B companies are currently engaged in social marketing, but are challenged with achieving measurable social commerce results from those efforts. The Summit will provide real-world examples of B2B social commerce experts who have driven sales lift, increased customer loyalty and produced actionable metrics and measurable ROI."

The Summit also will feature insights gleaned through WIMI's industry-leading research and OfficeArrow's unique merger of commerce with community to aid B2B marketers in developing strategies that directly affect the bottom line.

"At WIMI, we understand that marketers need a conference where research meets real-world strategies, tactics and solutions," said Eric Bradlow, Ph.D., Summit leader, WIMI co-director and professor at the WIMI's parent organization, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. "Supplementing our interactive media research, our experienced presenters will provide ready-to-use tools and best practices for successfully implementing effective campaigns."

In addition to OfficeArrow and WIMI leaders, confirmed speakers include:

-- George Krautzel, co-founder and president, Toolbox.com

-- Michael W. Thomas, National President of the CRM Association

-- Stephen P. Stuk, Ph.D., founder and chief intelligence officer, BLiNQ Media

Updates to the list of speakers and Summit topics will be announced via the Summit Web site, www.LiftSummit.com, and the social networking sites Twitter (www.twitter.com/OfficeArrow and www.twitter.com/WhartonInteract), LinkedIn and Facebook.

Summit attendance is capped at 300 to ensure that each attendee has the optimal experience. An "early bird" reduced rate of $699 is currently offered until July 15, after which the attendance price is $799. Attendees can register at www.liftsummit.com/register.htm.

EVENT SUMMARY

What: LIFT: The B2B Social Commerce Summit

When: Sept. 15 and 16

Where: Atlanta's Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center

Cost: An "early bird" reduced rate of $699 is currently offered until July 15, after which the attendance price is $799

Register: www.liftsummit.com/register.htm

About OfficeArrow

OfficeArrow is the largest and fastest-growing online collaborative business community for office managers, executive assistants, small business owners and other Office Professionals. OfficeArrow's social commerce platform provides solutions to problems, tasks and other business issues with tips and advice from industry experts, articles and discussions from the OfficeArrow staff and answers to members' questions from trusted peers and professionals. For more information, visit www.OfficeArrow.com.

About the Wharton Interactive Media Initiative

The Wharton Interactive Media Initiative (WIMI) is the world's first and foremost data-driven research center focused on interactive media, its effects on global businesses, and implications for traditional business models. Capitalizing on the Wharton School's longstanding leadership in data-driven research, WIMI seeks to foster collaboration between world-class researchers and leading-edge businesses to understand how to monetize interactive data that they and others collect. For more information, visit www.whartoninteractive.com.