Please call Tamara Jawad on (02) 9894 6277 or email tamara@mediaconnect.com.au for more information or to book your place in a session.

Influence Forum is broken into business and consumer technology streams to ensure all content is relevant and useful with four sessions in each stream.

The business technology sessions are:
- Business Communications (networking, VoIP, converged communications, mobile business)
- IT Security (Internet and network security, content filtering, endpoint security, etc)
- Business Applications (Enterprise 2.0, SaaS, SOA, Business Intelligence, App Development)
- IT Infrastructure (Enterprise storage, virtualisation, systems, infrastructure management)

The consumer technology sessions are:
- The Online Consumer (Broadband, online applications, search, social networking, etc)
- Personal Computing (PCs, peripherals, components, personal storage and applications)
- Lifestyle Technology (Home and entertainment technology, gadgets, consumer electronics)
- The Connected Consumer (Home networking, mobile communications, personal VoIP)

Influence Forum brings together media plus bloggers, analysts, users, industry body representatives and other independent influencers to discuss and debate important issues and topics presented by session sponsors. MediaConnect CEO Phil Sim said that Influence Forum had proven itself as the ideal venue to promote a topic or view to the Influencer Forum.

"There are few opportunities for truly active PR in today's media environment. While it's easier than ever to broadcast your message, the most effective campaigns are based on education, engagement and relationships with journalists and other independent influencers.

"Influence Forum is in a league of its own in enabling the kinds of dialogue needed to shape opinions and views with these very authoritative and opinionated individuals. There is no other opportunity like it."

Presenting vendors have 15 minutes to lead a discussion on a topic of their choice related to their chosen session. Each session ends with another 15 minute open panel session.

In addition to the session, every participant is invited to participate in the Influence Forum Expo where they can showcase new products or demonstrate their products.

New to Influence 2008 is a special round-table luncheon to be held on the second day, which will give each presenting executive the chance to spend half an hour each with three different tables of relevant Influencers.

"We believe this year's format delivers the best of all worlds," said Sim. "The sessions are a great opportunity to educate and position your message; the gala dinner is wonderful for networking, the expo is a terrific chance to show products and the luncheon and one-on-one opportunities gives the chance to meet and talk in more detail with your most relevant journalists and influencers."

"We will also once again provide opportunities for podcasting and video coverage, and together with the inclusion in this event of bloggers and other new media influencers, this is truly an opportunity to start extending beyond traditional media opportunities."

Influence Forum 2008 also includes our popular demo session, allowing six vendors to spend 10 minutes demonstrating their latest and greatest technology.