More than 350 executives from the electronic publishing and information industries converged February 1-2 in New York City for the 4th annual SIIA Information Industry Summit.

Attendees gathered inside the newly-renovated Gotham Hall to hear the leaders of the digital content industry discuss their outlook and strategies, critical trends and the overall forecast for 2005.

The industry's positive outlook was reflected in generally upbeat keynote presentations, panel discussions and audience Q&A sessions. The resurgence of the dormant online advertising market was first on everyone's mind, with some panelists confidently predicting near-term online ad growth rates of 40% and higher.

The impact of search engine technology and its disruptive effect on the digital content industry was discussed in depth and made especially timely on the Summit's first day by Google's announcement of their billion-dollar 4th quarter.

Some panelists predicted that consumers would soon recognize the value in premium content and rely less on search engines like Google. Others announced that they had stopped swimming upstream and had established - or were exploring - business relationships with search engines.

The ascendance of the Google brand led was universally acknowledged as a watershed event; leading panelists to speculate that strong content branding was no longer just about marketing but about survival.

The 2005 Information Industry Summit brought together a knowledgeable and engaged group that's keenly aware of both the potential threats and opportunities that exist in the coming year.