Berkeley, CA, February 2008 – Every year, the Customer Reference Forum brings together customer reference practitioners, industry experts, and supporting vendors for several days of intense
discussion, professional growth, and peer-to-peer networking. Customer Reference Forum 2008 took place at the Claremont Resort & Spa in Berkeley, California, from February 18 to 20. Approximately 150 customer reference professionals participated, more than at any previous Forum.

Compared with earlier iterations, Customer Reference Forum 2008 demonstrated a matured
customer reference discipline. Managers of established reference programs shared their successes
in impacting sales revenue, recruiting and retaining reference customers, developing different types of reference assets, and building productive relationships with company stakeholders. Whereas earlier events focused on starting reference programs and building support for them, this year’s
presentations discussed effective program metrics, use of social networking in extending reference programs, and implementing program management systems and infrastructures.

At this year’s event, Bart Preecs, Business Development Manager at Washburn Communication, facilitated a well-received and lively panel discussion about the role of companies’ partners in
recruiting and managing references and creating reference materials. Washburn team members
joined each of the sessions and produced a summary report, which will be available to participants
and for sale through the Customer Reference Forum resource page. Chris Lemoine, Director of Major Accounts at Washburn Communication, says, “Customer Reference Forums help us stay connected
with the latest developments in customer evidence. We always gain practical insights that benefit our clients and enrich the work we do for them.”

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