Merkle (www.merkle.com), the nation's largest and fastest growing independent customer relationship marketing agency, announced it is hosting the 2010 Interactive Marketing Immersion Xperience (I-MIX) program for 30 college juniors and seniors considering careers in marketing. I-MIX is a week-long intensive program taking place Monday, August 2, through Friday, August 6, 2010 at Merkle's corporate headquarters in Columbia, Md.

Throughout the week, partcipants will learn about current and emerging trends in direct and interactive marketing from leading practitioners and academics. A unique blend of educational sessions, leadership and team building exercises, and group projects, I-MIX offers students the opportunity to deepen their understanding of strategic concepts and practical marketing applications while improving their networking skills.

To be selected for the I-MIX program, students were required to complete a comprehensive application earlier this year. This is the first time that Merkle has been involved in sponsoring and hosting I-MIX, which is being held in cooperation with the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation (DMEF), a 501(c)(3)nonprofit corporation headquartered in New York City that works to attract, educate, and place top college students in the business of direct/interactive marketing.

Merkle is pleased to be the lead sponsor for I-MIX," said Craig Dempster, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, Merkle. "The program is an incredible chance for college students to gain firsthand knowledge and learn best practices from marketing professionals who are actively involved in shaping the industry every day."