PPM Media, Inc.

Our Executive Team

Philip McKay, President and CEO

Philip McKay has a proven track record as a successful senior executive with many of the leading trade show companies, including Gartner Vision Events, Penton Media, Key3Media, and Hannover Fairs (producer of CeBIT). In 2004, Mr. McKay was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from Tradeshow Week magazine for his outstanding contributions to the global events industry. Mr. McKay served as Group Vice President and General Manager of Gartner Vision Events, a recognized leader in hosted events for the IT industry. He conceived, developed and led the team that introduced the CeBIT brand to the U.S. marketplace. Mr. McKay also served as Senior Vice President of International for Key3Media Group, overseeing the company's portfolio of approximately 20 events in Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia . Previously, he also served as Group Managing Director of Penton Media's extensive family of global trade shows. Mr. McKay currently serves on the board of IAEM (International Association for Exhibition Management), is actively involved in SISO (Society of Independent Show Organizers), sits on the CEIR Strategic Planning Board and is on the Editorial advisory council for Tradeshow Executive Magazine.

Peter Gordon, Senior Vice President

Peter Gordon has 20 years of experience as a senior-level executive with leading event and marketing organizations including Softbank Corporation, Ziff-Davis, Key3Media, and Hannover Fairs. Mr. Gordon's company, Gordon Communications Group, has served as a major marketing and communications consultant to leading event organizations, including Gartner Vision Events, PennWell Corporation and others. Other event producer clients have included CNET, RSA Security, as well as major convention center and CVB operations in Boston and elsewhere. He was previously the Vice President of Corporate Communications for both Key3Media and Ziff-Davis, responsible for strategic messaging to worldwide customer communities, investors and media. Previously he was the creative director for such major trade show brands as COMDEX and Networld+Interop, and was actively involved in the initiative to launch the CeBIT brand in the United States.

Steve Sind, Senior Vice President, International Business Development

In addition to his role with PPM Media, Steve Sind is President and CEO of Global Event Strategies, LLC, an international consulting firm established in January 2002 to serve the media, exhibition and event industries. Global Event Strategies has offices in the US , Hong Kong and Beijing , plus associates in more than 20 countries. Previously Steve was Vice President and Director, International for Penton Media. Prior to joining Penton in 1998, Mr. Sind was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), a global organization serving the needs of the exhibition industry. During 15 years with Reed Exhibitions, the world's largest trade show organizer, he held a variety of senior level positions. Prior to joining Reed in 1981, he was appointed by the US Secretary of Commerce as director of the historic US National Economic and Trade Exhibition held in Beijing in 1980. In 1997, Mr. Sind was named by the US Meeting News magazine as one of the "Top 25 Most Influential" individuals in the exhibition industry.

Paul Samargedlis, Vice President, Sales and Business Development

Paul Samargedlis has over 10 years of experience as a senior-level sales and business development executive for leading events organizations. He has headed and/or been an integral contributor for sales teams for COMDEX, Hanley Wood, and Hill Holiday Exhibition Services where he was one of the original employees and helped build HHES into one of the most successful event producers in the healthcare IT and construction areas. Mr. Samargedlis has most recently served as a sales consultant and advisor to organizations that include Time Warner and Gartner.