December is always a good time to take a moment to account for all the great things that have happened over the year.  Even in the midst of these uniquely tumultuous times, there is plenty to be thankful for, particularly in the progress that we have accomplished as a volunteer member-driven association.  The following list comprises highlights of ADM advances In 2008.  Many people worked extremely hard, on a volunteer basis, to achieve these goals.   Please have a look at what we have collectively accomplished, and let’s use this good-will as fuel and incentive for the wonderful achievements we have yet to make.

• Our association’s first Director has been solicited, reviewed, then hired.  Thank you Meredith for your recent and critical contributions to the ADM!

• We created then sent to member vote, and then passed the ADM ByLaws, which govern our organization.

• We released the world’s first downloadable standards for ad units.

• We released the world’s first best practices for measuring downloads.

• ADM have attracted a strong representative sample of members, from individual publishers, to corporations large and small, and an increasingly larger number of branded well known establishments, including Microsoft, Apple, Nokia, MTV, CNN, Arbitron, Nielsen, Discovery, NPR, PBS, and PRI.

• To vet association work with outside experts, ADM formed the fourteen industry representative group known as the Digital Advertising Agency Council, and appointed Advertising Agency Liaison David Herscott.

• We launched and manage a website resource that provides member access to critical information, data to the outside world, and concentrated thought leadership on matters affecting our downloadable media industry. We have appointed Karl Edwards as ADM Site Project Manager, and Jeremiah Staes as Blogging Project Manager, and Kris Smith as lead technical resource for the site.

• We conducted a comprehensive member-leader consensus driven future roadmap, which started with input from members at the 2008 meeting at New Media Expo in Las Vegas, followed by the Key Initiative Prioritization Survey conducted by the ADM Advisory Board, then translated into priority action which is being organized and tracked by the ADM Director in conjunction with the Executive Board.

• ADM established valuable partnership relationships with popular organizations including the Podcast Expo Group, Blogger Conference, Strategy Institute, ad:tech conferences (dmg world media).

• ADM has established an agreement for cooperation with the International Blogging and New Media Association.

• With the generous help of ADM members Kiptronic and Revision3, we put together the ad:tech april promotional party – with 250 attendees including all sorts of internet who-who’s showing up.

• ADM’s Education and Outreach Committee produced a Podcasting collateral one-sheet.

• ADM programmed podcasting sessions at ad:tech San Francisco in April.

• ADM members, through the association, coordinated the following podcast panels:
  • Podcasting Metrics Panel, ICOM Barcelona Spain Feb 08
  • Strategy Institute panel on Podcasting NY Jan 08
  • NAB Radio Show Podcasting Panel September 08 Austin

• Represented on Panel at BlogWorld Expo and had ADM Booth presence.

• We had a busy ADM Booth presence at ad:tech San Francisco.

• ADM developed and ratified Terms and Conditions for Podcast Advertising.\

• We created an Insertion Order Template for Members.

• Lastly and most recently, we launched ADM “Get the Download”  Podcast.

These are great accomplishment highlights.  Let’s look forward to great progress in 2009!

Chris MacDonald

Chairman