Social Media Expert Erik Qualman to Deliver Keynote Address at COMPTEL PLUS Fall 2011 Convention

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - Jul 28, 2011) - COMPTEL, the leading trade association for the competitive communications industry, today announced that Erik Qualman -- who is often referred to as the "Digital Dale Carnegie" and author of "Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms the Way We Live and Do Business" -- will be the keynote speaker at the COMPTEL PLUS Fall 2011 Convention & EXPO, October 2-5, in Orlando.

In his keynote -- "Word of Mouth Goes World of Mouth" -- Qualman will explain how companies can rely on social media to stay ahead of the competition and why the most successful businesses act more like content aggregators than advertisers.

"With the growing reliance on social media, we no longer search for news, or the products and services we wish to buy. Instead they are being pushed to us by friends, acquaintances and business colleagues," Qualman said. "At COMPTEL PLUS, we'll explore how communications companies can use social media to gain a competitive advantage and employ the four steps to success in this new social media-driven marketplace. When I'm done, you'll be able to identify and avoid social media pitfalls, and understand why it's the products and services delivering the best value -- not the companies that are best at marketing and messaging -- that will be the big winners."

Named a "Top 100 Digital Influencer" by Fast Company Magazine, Qualman is the founder and owner of socialnomics.com, which PC Magazine ranked as a Top 10 Social Media Blog. His book "Socialnomics" was a finalist for the "2010 Book of the Year" awarded by the American Marketing Association and was on the Amazon's #1 Best Selling List in nine countries. Qualman also produced "Social Media Revolution," the most watched social media video in the world.

For the past 16 years Qualman has helped grow the digital capabilities of many companies including Cadillac, EarthLink, EF Education, Yahoo and Travelzoo. In addition, he is a frequent speaker and adviser to leading corporations, including Facebook, Nokia and Google. Qualman also is an MBA Professor at the Hult International Business School and sits on the advisory boards of Manumatix, ShopVisible and Bazaarvoice Inc. Earlier in his career, he worked at EarthLink and BellSouth. Qualman earned an MBA from The University of Texas and a BA from Michigan State University, where he was an Academic All-Big Ten basketball player.

Qualman's keynote address is sponsored by Sprint and will take place at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, October 3, at the Gaylord Palms Hotel & Convention Center in Orlando. He will be signing "Socialnomics" following his speech; copies will be available for purchase.

For more information about COMPTEL PLUS or to register, visit www.comptelplus.org.

About COMPTEL PLUS
The COMPTEL PLUS Convention & EXPO is the preeminent networking event for innovative communications companies and their supplier partners. Held twice a year, COMPTEL PLUS attracted almost 200 exhibitors and more than 3,700 attendees to our 2010 events. COMPTEL PLUS provides you with the opportunity to learn about new products, services and industry trends; meet potential customers and do business. In addition, COMPTEL PLUS offers comprehensive educational programming led by experienced industry speakers. COMPTEL PLUS is produced by COMPTEL (www.comptel.org), the leading industry association representing competitive communications service providers and their supplier partners. Follow us at www.comptelplus.org.