DMA Lays Off Nearly Two-Dozen Employees; Top Execs Included

Association is "restructuring to ride out the current economic situation."

By Chandra Johnson-Greene
Wednesday, October 22, 2008

The Direct Marketing Association laid off around 21 employees—including four high-level executives—on Monday, according to reports, with the majority of cuts coming from the marketing and conference departments.

When asked about the layoffs, the DMA issued the following statement: “Like so many prudent businesses, DMA is restructuring to ride out the current economic situation ensuring we remain strong and capable of continuing to provide outstanding service to our members and customers well into the future. As we proceed, it is our hope that the restructuring will be seamless to members. It is our intent to enhance our members' DMA experiences, build upon our strengths and continue to improve and deepen the value of DMA to the growing direct marketing community. It would be inappropriate to discuss individuals affected by this restructuring.”

Alan P. Kuritsky, senior VP of sales and marketing; James F. Conway, vice president and counsel for corporate and social responsibility; Peter Johnson, VP and senior economist for strategy, analysis and planning; and Charles A. Prescott, VP of global development, were among the high-level employees that were reportedly let go.

There were also reports that the DMA had suspended its daily newsletter 3D. A DMA spokesperson confirmed with The Circulator that the newsletter will resume publication tomorrow (Oct. 23).

The DMA’s revenue dropped only slightly between this year and last from $39.7 million to just over $39 million (DMA08 conference revenue not included), due to a decrease in conference and meeting attendance, as well as in educational services and research and strategic information.

As for the DMA08 Conference & Exhibition, which took place in Las Vegas on Oct. 11-16, the spokesperson told The Circulator that the show had one the highest turnouts in terms of attendance (the DMA does not release actual attendance numbers). “People turned out due to the understanding that now more than ever it is important to make connections and keep up-to-date on industry trends,” the spokesperson added.