You will be welcomed on Sunday by Chairman of the Hong Kong Direct Marketing Association who will give an in-depth overview of Greater China, including Mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan. A former head of the Direct Marketing Association in Taiwan will also answer your questions. A mini-seminar about DM throughout the entire region will set the stage for the learning and networking that will take place during the week. Get a complete briefing on the high-ranking officials and experts you will meet during the next six days.

On Monday, a session with officials from the American Consulate will be the highlight of your first morning. You'll have candid discussions with top representatives of the Hong Kong Postal Service and with customs officials and trade ministers. Learn about the success of Reader.s Digest and Bertelsmann Book. You'll go on behind-the-scenes tours of a top Chinese telemarketing operations, and tour the leading list brokerage firm. Experts will discuss the details of telemarketing, financial services, E commerce, postal / E-mailing lists and catalog sales in small, intimate roundtable groups. Your have a chance to question Chinese experts, an opportunity not available to many Westerners.

You'll find out just how the Hong Kong compares to the US with regard to lists, postal and telecom rates, regulations, fulfillment, printing and mailing services. Hong Kong can be the jumping off point for your activates in Malaysia, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines and other Pacific Rim nations.

After Hong Kong, our next stop will be Shanghai. US and European direct marketers looking to extend their business to Mainland China should consider Shanghai as the beachhead. Their excellent harbor, skilled workforce, and .can do. attitude helped it become a major point for the trade and transshipment of goods in the region. China.s growing middle class can be reached by several direct marketing channels, including mail, and the Worldwide Web. You will learn how to deal with the economic liberalization of China, and how to turn it to your company.s advantage.

Our final stop will be Tokyo, Japan. Executives from American Express, Disney Tokyo and the American Embassy will brief you on the latest trends. Tour the flagship LL Bean store in the country and learn about their success in catalog marketing in English and in local language. You'll learn what specific services and products are "best prospects" for Japan and how to profitably reach your most responsive audience with business-to-business and business to consumer marketing.

Furthermore, for those of you already testing Asia, you'll discover new untapped sources of lists and databases through the help of the Commercial Officers at the US Embassy. We have a rare opportunity through our government to obtain resources, which none of us could uncover on our own!

Meeting potential joint venture partners or investigating the purchase of teleservice facilities is a powerful benefit of participation on the trip. Many of our trade mission alumni have expressed interest in entering Asia by partnering with a local DM operation, or purchasing a minority or majority interest in a local DM service firm. Once we know your specific requirements we can try to tailor the program to meet your needs.

The above itinerary only scratches the surface of what you'll encounter as a member of the mission. To learn more, please contact Bill McNutt or Halina Grodd, International Direct Marketing Consultants, Inc. headquarters at +214-443-9494 for the latest detailed schedule. Note: During the course of the week you benefit from more than 30 presentations, tours and appointments.