Yahoo's Semel to keynote Microsoft advertising powwow

Speaking of Microsoft's advertising ambitions, next week is Microsoft's eighth annual Strategic Account Summit (SAS).

SAS is the MSN online-advertising conference. Like Mix '07, SAS doesn't feature Microsoft speakers only. In fact, on Tuesday, Yahoo Chairman and CEO Terry Semel will address the invitees on the state of the online advertising industry, as well as share the stage with MSN Corporate Vice President and Chief Media Officer Joanne Bradford to discuss "The New Network."

(Let the Microsoft-acquires-Yahoo rumors begin again! Update: I was just kidding. But I guess others aren't. On May 4: Bill's Hard Drive and Yahoo declines to comment on Microsoft speculation.)

Oh, yeah. Chairman Bill Gates is headlining the two-day SAS event, too. As is Distinguished Engineer (and former Yahoo employee) Gary Flake, who will likely show off more of the adCenter Labs research projects that are being jointly developed by Microsoft's LiveLabs and MSN adCenter teams.

From the agenda, Microsoft's SAS 2007 looks to be more of a schmooze-fest more than a place where Microsoft will share a lot of previously undisclosed info. But it could also be a perfect venue for Microsoft to unveil yet another advertising-oriented acquisition.