Press Releases

RLJ's Naylor Association Solutions Acquires TechMedia, the Leading Producer of Digital Marketing Conferences in the U.S.

09/16/2019

McLean, Va., September 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- RLJ Equity Partners' company Naylor Association Solutions has announced the acquisition of TechMedia, the leading producer of digital marketing conferences in the United States. Naylor is the leading provider of engagement and revenue generation services through its outsourced software, communications, event and management services, which it provides to the trade and professional association market in the U.S. and Canada.

"This acquisition is a key step in the ongoing evolution of Naylor's platform of services," said Jerry Johnson, an RLJ partner and Chairman of Naylor.  "Naylor has a unique blend of services in SaaS, communications, events and management that enable them to super-serve the association market in a way no other single provider can. We're very excited about what Naylor and TechMedia can do together."

Founded in 2001 in North Carolina, TechMedia produces 20 conferences annually through its Digital Summit series. These multi-day conferences focus on digital marketing and marketing technology, and incorporate sponsor exhibitors plus top-flight networking with brand marketers, digital strategists and entrepreneurs. TechMedia also produces ancillary products for digital marketers including single-day workshops, webinars and a variety of online content.

"Adding the TechMedia conference business to the Naylor portfolio not only expands and diversifies our event portfolio, it will provide the association market with better access to world-class digital marketing content," said Naylor President and CEO Alex DeBarr. "It's just a great business that has been growing 30 to 40 percent each year and brings with it a creative and strong team.

"We're excited to work with co-founders Eric and Scott on multiple levels and opportunities," he concluded.

"We're really excited to join the Naylor family," said TechMedia co-founder Eric Gregg. "We think there's a great cultural fit that will provide significant opportunity to further leverage and monetize our substantial arsenal of Digital Summit content through Naylor's communications, websites, newsletters and other related brand extensions," Gregg added.

In addition to the Digital Summit conferences, Naylor's event portfolio now includes the management of 14 association-owned trade shows, 10 appointment-based events through its Global Exchange Events division, and 95 association meetings through the WJ Weiser association management division.

"Digital Summit will continue to be the de facto community for digital marketers," stated co-founder Scott Hedrick. "Our partnership with Naylor will allow the digital marketing community to further flourish and continue to expand within the association market and beyond."

Hedrick and Gregg will join Naylor's management team as executive vice presidents, and will also have responsibility for Naylor's Global Exchange Events portfolio of one-on-one appointment-based events.

Since being acquired by RLJ in 2013, Naylor has acquired market-leading service offerings in the career/job board, association management software and association management service areas. These services complement Naylor's communications, advertising and event products and provide a wide scope of services that can be delivered on a standalone basis or as part of an integrated package.

About Naylor Association Solutions: Celebrating 50 years in the association community, Naylor builds strong trade and professional associations by delivering solutions that engage members and generate non-dues revenue. We offer a comprehensive set of solutions, including communications strategy, print and digital communications, full service event management, advertising, sponsorships and exhibit sales, career centers, online learning, association management, and association management software (AMS). Our expertise and breadth of services help us see opportunities others miss, and our commitment to excellent customer service fuels our passion to help associations achieve more success. Naylor's headquarters is located in McLean, Va. with additional offices in Alpharetta, Ga.; Gainesville, Fla.; Hunt Valley, Md.; Schaumburg, Ill.; and Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Visit www.naylor.com for more information.

About TechMedia: Founded in 2001 as a voice for the digital economy, TechMedia's flagship product is the Digital Summit conference series, which hosts over 20,000 digital marketers annually. The definitive community for those seeking to further their knowledge and skill set in the ever-evolving digital ecosystem, the Digital Summit series produces over 1,000 sessions annually on digital marketing best practices and tactics. Visit www.digitalsummit.com for the complete event calendar, sponsorship information and additional resources.