New York, NY (PRWEB) November 1, 2006 -- Next Monday at AD:TECH New York, ADASTRO Incorporated CEO Dr. Cliff Kurtzman is joined by JMP Securities Internet and Digital Media Senior Analyst William Morrison in assessing the continued growth of the interactive media industry. The session, entitled "The Economics of Interactive: Industry Investment and M&A for Fun and Profit" (http://www.ad-tech.com/conference-ny.asp#session450), takes place on Monday, November 6th, 2006 from 3:45 pm - 4:45 pm at the New York Hilton.

"In a single hour, Cliff and Bill walk you through the M&A activity for the Internet media and marketing industry. The breadth of the deals and the fascinating roll ups shed new perspective on the industry for agency professionals, marketers, online publishers and the financial community. It's a must-see session for the 100,000 foot view," says Susan Bratton, ad:tech Chair Emeritus, CEO of Cendara, Inc. and Host of DishyMix, a live weekly radio show featuring Internet glitterati.

In their previous industry overview given this past April at AD:TECH San Francisco, Kurtzman and Morrison outlined the state of the industry and the scale of hundreds of M&A transactions, ranging from small private deals to multi-billion dollar transactions like the acquisition of Skype by eBay. A continually updated archive chronicling deals in the interactive M&A space is maintained by ADASTRO at http://www.o-a.com/acquisitions.html.

Kurtzman also provided a forecast last April of expected industry hot spots, and his predictions have largely proven to be correct. Activity related to social networks, local advertising, mobile marketing, and online video have been front and center in the industry over the past six month, spotlighted by Google's extraordinary $1.65 billion acquisition of YouTube. "With the exception of the online wagering space, in which the M&A activity has been largely curtailed by the introduction of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, the industry has continued to grow pretty much along the lines we outlined at AD:TECH this past April," noted Kurtzman.

And looking towards the future in New York, Kurtzman forecasts, "Those ventures which will be the most successful will be those that create new value by helping individuals and businesses chronicle, connect, communicate, collaborate, and customize their experiences and interactions on a vast scale. We are in a cycle of activity where the emphasis is starting to shift from those who create Web 2.0 networking environments to those who demonstrate how to use those environments to actually enrich people's lives. Expect the big Internet portal and media giant M&A wars to continue, with companies like Google, Yahoo, Amazon, eBay, Microsoft, IAC, AOL, Fox Interactive, Disney, MTV, and NBC Universal all jockeying for acquisitions that will help them reach and engage an ever increasing online audience."

Kurtzman also encourages entrepreneurs to keep innovating. "Over and over again it has been proven that small entrepreneurs can be clever and flexible enough to out-innovate industry giants having vastly greater resources. All it takes is a brilliant idea, the right skills, sufficient funding, all mixed with a good bit of buzz. There are plenty of billion dollar brands and fortunes still to be made in this industry!"

About Cliff Kurtzman
Cliff Kurtzman (http://www.kurtzman.biz) is CEO of ADASTRO Incorporated and Executive Director of the social engagement venture MyCityRocks. Cliff was a founder of the Internet marketing industry in 1994. He has extensive experience in the fields of Internet marketing and advertising, corporate branding, social networks, and the creation of online communities. Cliff has a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Through ADASTRO Incorporated (http://www.adastro.com), Cliff works with companies in the interactive industry to help them increase their valuation at the time of sale, acquisition, or IPO, and he also helps acquirers develop and execute strategic acquisition plans. ADASTRO's white papers include "Marketing to the MySpace Generation and the Economics of Social Networking" (http://www.adastro.com/apogee/social.html) and "The Desire to Acquire and the Urge to Merge" (http://www.adastro.com/apogee/acquire.html).

Through MyCityRocks (http://www.MyCityRocks.com/os.html), Cliff is building a grassroots social venture that engages people worldwide in: 1) Having fun--enjoying their passions for things like music, art, food, sports, romance, and travel; 2) Giving back--helping to make their part of the world a better place; and 3) Representing--sharing their passion and spirit for life with those around them.

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ADASTRO Incororated
CLIFFORD KURTZMAN
281-480-6300
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