Former President Bill Clinton will give the keynote address at Promax/BDA’s June conference in New York on media marketing.

President Clinton’s appearance makes him the first former president to provide the keynote address at the annual gathering. Previously, Anderson Cooper, Larry King, Robert Kennedy Jr. and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich have served in the role.

“We are pleased and honored by the opportunity to host President Bill Clinton as our keynote speaker this year,” said Promax/BDA Chairman Michael Benson, who also serves as ABC Entertainment’s executive vice president of marketing. “Our membership will certainly benefit from President Clinton’s experience and wisdom as a prominent world leader and respected statesman as well as from his efforts inspiring humanitarianism around the globe.”

Since leaving public office, Mr. Clinton has devoted himself to his William J. Clinton Foundation, which works to solve problems including childhood obesity in the United States, climate change, global poverty and HIV/AIDS.

“As an organization dedicated to furthering the roles of our members as the world’s foremost television marketers, what better example to provide to them than this global communicator whose vision and accomplishments, both during his presidency and beyond, have touched billions,” Mr. Benson said.

Promax/BDA is preparing for its biggest annual event amid a shuffle in its executive ranks that has left longtime president Jim Chabin on indefinite leave and has placed Lee Hunt in the role of interim managing director. The group’s board met yesterday to discuss Mr. Chabin’s future role at the organization, people familiar with the situation said.

(Editor: Romanelli)