Promax: when in Rome.

"All roads lead to Rome," declared PROMAX International President Jim Chabin, discussing the choice of location for this year's PRO MAX Europe. Following its inaugural last year in Barcelona, the conference that brings together television marketing, advertising, design and publicity, professionals now turns to the Cavalieri Hilton in Italy's capital (March 16-17). "We asked members where they wanted it," Chabin said, "and no one could think of a better place than the foundation of modern civilization."

While participants at PROMAX Europe will address issues that unite promoters the world over - how to get viewers and keep them - the European slant makes this convention "quite different" from counterparts in North America, Asia and Latin America. "The European conference was born out of a desire to talk about more regional issues," Chabin noted, adding that, despite the emergence of "world news celebrities" like Princess Diana and O.J. Simpson, the "need to communicate with the locals" remains of paramount concern to television networks. Among the challenges unique to Europe are cross-cultural promotion and the difficulties of negotiating the region's various languages and time zones. The increasing shift from government-run channels to private ones has raised the stakes for stations looking to find and maintain audiences. This is precisely where the conference comes in, according to PROMAX Europe Co-Chair Carmen Alzner: "At our Rome conference, we will focus on communications in a multichannel environment. We can all learn from each other's experiences."

Chabin expects roughly 650 executives at this year's PROMAX Europe, up from Barcelona's 500, though still modest compared with the roughly 7,000 who gathered last summer in Chicago for the North American PROMAX. The two-day PROMAX Europe, presented in association with BDA International, will offer an international selection of speakers and sessions on subjects ranging from maximizing advertising dollars to motion picture promotion. In each case, the accent will be distinctly European. Day one offers "Euro Markets - On the Run? a close look at the demographics of individual nations: analysts will break down market variables such as viewership, advertising revenue and channel offerings. In the "Movie Trailers" session, advertising executives from Sony Pictures will explain the secrets to the marketing strategies behind international Hollywood hits like Jerry Maguire and Men in Black. "A Branding Fairy Tale" will examine the most effective methods of station branding in an era of increased competition.

Slated for both days is "Cheap Tricks," a seminar on handling limited budgets without letting the seams show. "Is Anyone Out There?" also runs both days. On day one, MTV will reveal the results of its man-on-the-street survey about European trailers; in the second session, seminar attendees themselves will serve as judges and respond to several new promos.

On the docket for day two are "Ready, Steady, Cook!", which gives three separate promotional teams a go at the same material to see who can whip up the most exciting campaign; "Best If Used Before" a how-to on keeping designs fresh and innovative for viewers with short attention spans; and "Europe Goes Digital," a forum on the digital technology that threatens to change the face of television.

More judgment is on the way Tuesday evening, when the conference will wind up with the second PROMAX Europe Awards. Chabin explained that the awards ceremony will be more than mere ceremonial medal-swapping. Along with creating an archive of good work, the prize winners must "set a standard - and I think it's very much needed in Europe. European kids watch promos and are motivated by them.They see that their television is more than just a propaganda took" Chabin said. Prizes will be offered in a total of 21 categories with titles that range from "Meet the Press" to "Drama Queen"; honors range from Best Print Ad to Best Themed or Seasonal Corporate Campaign. Other prizes include Best Mixed Media Campaign, Best Sports Promo and Best Web Site.

In Chabin's eyes, a PROMAX conference will be relevant only if it addresses the increasing difficulty stations are having in luring viewers now that air time is becoming "more and more precious." With the expansion of the Internet ("a very competitive entertainment medium") and a younger, less "loyal" generation of television viewers using the remote control, Chabin sees the promoter's job as the equivalent of "catching viewers as they are running by the aisle of a supermarket." This issue alone unites the world's television markets, even if nations need to address the challenge on an individual basis.

PROMAX, with more than 2,100 member companies in more than 50 countries, is keeping busy: PROMAX Latin America is set for November in Miami.