Smith Hosts 21st Annual Frontiers in Service Conference

Academic experts and business leaders from around the world gathered to share the latest knowledge on service marketing, operations, and management at the 21st annual Frontiers in Service Conference, sponsored by the Center for Excellence in Service (CES) and hosted at the Robert H. Smith School of Business. The event, held from June 14 to 17, was co-sponsored by the American Marketing Association, INFORMS and IBM.  Founded in 1992 by Roland Rust, Distinguished University Professor, David Bruce Smith Chair in Marketing and Executive Director of CES (pictured below), the Frontiers in Service Conference is considered the world's leading annual conference on service research.

"The 21st Annual Frontiers in Service Conference brought together about 200 of the leading service researchers and service practitioners from about 35 countries from around the world for a vigorous dialogue,” said Rust.

The Frontiers Conference, with its broadly global viewpoint, has been held all over the world, including Australia, the Netherlands, and Sweden. At this year’s event, conference attendees had the opportunity to discuss topics such as the value of cultural competence, the best ways to integrate brand symbols in service encounters, and how to best use the newest technologies. Keynote presentations featured top executives from established Fortune 500 companies Marriott and IBM, as well as new economy upstarts oDesk and Digital Media Services.

The Smith School’s marketing department has been a world leader in service research, sponsoring the Center for Excellence in Service, the annual AMA Frontiers in Services Conference, the Journal of Service Research, and the first MBA course in e-service. CES is partnering with the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) and Smith’s Office of Executive Programs to offer a customized C-Suite Leadership Development Program (CSLDP).

Read more about the Frontiers in Service Conference. http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/frontiersconference/

Read more about the Center for Excellence in Service. http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/ces/

Read more about the Journal of Service Research. http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/ces/offerings/JSR/index.aspx

About the Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and part-time MBA, executive MBA, MS in business, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.