A group of veteran industry professionals has launched a consultancy company – the Event Advisory Group – designed to help associations, trade show organizers, publishers and corporations improve the financial, brand and operational performance of their events.

Formed in early 2016 and officially launched six weeks ago, EAG features an executive team of five seasoned event professionals, who boast 120 collective years of event management, marketing and operational experience and a comprehensive knowledge of producing and launching events ranging from large global trade shows to small conferences and corporate meetings.

The EAG executive team are as follows:

·      Rick Dobson, Jr., CEM, with more than 38 years of event management and business development experience, and a proven track record of improving results for association-sponsored events including the National Association of Broadcasters’ NAB Show.

·      Ray Luca, who for more than 20 years has managed events ranging from large, city-wide trade shows to small conferences including Worldwide Food Expo, Pack Expo, Society of Toxicology Expo and AFCEA’s military technology events.

·      Mike Muldoon, whose 35-year career has included managing a host of top-tier trade shows, and advising and consulting with dozens of premiere trade associations and organizations in a wide range of industries.

·      Courtney Nazareno, M.Ed., an experienced educator, professional coach and facilitator with extensive experience developing and implementing training programs focused on building staff capacity and driving long-term growth.

·      Karen Vogel, who brings 25 years of experience managing branding, marketing and business development for trade show organizers, Fortune 500 companies, an event technology start-up, and marketing and event agencies.

“We recognized a significant gap in support provided to organizations that are struggling with their events, including the uncertainty about strategic direction, lack of staff resources and knowledge to implement new initiatives or technologies, and pressure to produce more revenue and attendance without increasing costs,” said Mike Muldoon, who co-founded the group along with Luca and Nazareno.

He added, “Adding new partners Karen Vogel and Rick Dobson to the team rounds out the extensive event experience of the group, including event and revenue growth strategies, branding, marketing, sales, operations and technologies.”

With a robust menu of services to choose from, ranging from branding, market positioning, data analysis and strategic planning to revenue enhancement, attendance building, strategic partnerships and technology implementation, clients have the option of implementing EAG’s recommendations on their own or having EAG continue on in a support capacity and help guide them in implementation, according to Dobson.

“Most companies serving the event industry are either pitching management services or selling a specific product, (whereas) EAG is a true consultancy,” Dobson said.

He continued, “Our proprietary ‘360°Review’ ensures that virtually every aspect of a client’s event is examined in depth after which we deliver a comprehensive report detailing our findings (which include) recommendations for how to save costs, drive additional revenues, find efficiencies and enhance the performance of their events.”

In the short time since its official launch, EAG already is acquiring and working with clients, including a company that hired EAG to create and implement strategies for its first-time participation as an exhibitor, according to Dobson.

“I’ve known the founding partners of EAG for years and jumped at the chance to join a group that can offer so much to the event industry,” he said. “With the partners’ combined knowledge and experience, EAG is uniquely qualified to assist (organizations and companies) in overcoming virtually any challenges they face with their events.”

Dobson continued, “The emphasis we place on mentorship and helping organizations make ongoing improvements is especially exciting.”