Oceanside, CA — Trade show veteran Philip McKay launched a company this Spring that organizes invitation-only hosted-buyer events and will also keep a traditional exhibition’s brand visible all year long.
McKay said The nGage Company will provide a unique business experience to maximize his client’s time and profitability. His events bring in the cream of the crop of an industry sector and create a private business environment with networking, cutting-edge content and fresh new strategies. The company also provides a year-round rallying point that will continue to generate leads for the participants.
McKay said his hosted events are different from others. “We are incorporating web, social-media, digital and event strategies all into one massive lead generation for the communities we serve,” McKay said.
The nGage Company has launched two events since opening its doors March 1. Two more events are ready to debut and McKay has his eye on having eight others up and running by the end of next year. The nGage company is also prepared to provide show management services and partner with show organizers on hosted-buyer events that can be either co-located with existing shows or operate as separate branded events before or after the main exhibition.
“Marrying a hosted event to a traditional trade show gives organizers something that appeals to high-level executives who may not have the time or inclination to mingle with hundreds of random colleagues,” McKay said.
“To get to the key executive, real-time contact is critical,” McKay told Trade Show Executive. “But it has to be compelling enough to get them out of the office. They like to be part of a community that is growing and they can provide input into.”
“We like to consider ourselves community builders, but not just for face-to-face,” he said. “And our goal is to be the drivers of those communities, not the center of them.”
Attendees at The nGage events are each issued a customized “toolkit” packed with the information about the conference that best suits their goals and needs. After returning home, attendees continue to have contact with The nGage in-house experts in their particular sector. “This is more than just using social networks or the Cloud to stay in touch. It’s about staying in contact with the attendees continuously,” McKay said.
McKay was most recently executive vice president for Questex Media where he worked on similar hosted-buyer events. His new venture builds on the idea by providing marketing and lead services beyond the closed-door confines of most hosted events.
With the boom in digital and mobile communications, hosted events are now able to reach out to attendees before and after they take place while also giving access to those community members who did not attend. In fact, McKay told TSE, hosted events need to be a part of the general mix even though they are exclusive by nature. “We are going to build these communities so that they meet face-to-face at the top of the pyramid.”
Reach Philip McKay at (603) 471-0816 or pmckay@thengagecompany.com
