Following the recent acquisition of NDA’s favourite industry show MAD//Fest by The Ingenuity Group, we sat down with Chris Kemp, Founder, to explore the journey of the business, what lies ahead for the company and its key initiatives. The discussion touched on agency innovation, growth strategies, and the disruptive impact of its flagship event, MAD//Fest.
The Ingenuity Group has reached its twentieth year. How has the business evolved and where does MAD//Fest fit?
I set up The Ingenuity Group in 2005, and like many businesses, COVID gave us the opportunity to reflect on where we were and what we wanted to achieve. The pandemic changed the agency world, and we adapted.
Before COVID, we focused on lead generation, PR, events, and content to help agencies develop new relationships. We helped agencies find the right brand partners and, increasingly, brands find the right agencies. Coming out of the pandemic, we decided to keep investing and growing The Ingenuity Group. Along the way, we made some acquisitions, including Future Factory, a leading lead-generation business, and Reg & Co, which strengthened our sponsorship and partnership side.
We also expanded our talent pool to build out our brand advisory side, helping brands run the best possible pitches. The missing piece in our mission to connect the marketing world was a big event that could bring everything together.
That’s where MAD//Fest came in. We saw it as the perfect addition to The Ingenuity Group. It’s fun, inclusive, and about 50% of attendees are brands, which made it the ideal event for us.
What can we expect from the MAD//Fest brand moving forward?
The audience at MAD//Fest is a mix of martech, adtech, agencies, and brands. It fits perfectly with the rest of The Ingenuity Group. The MAD//Fest brand has done fantastic work with initiatives like MAD//UpNorth and MAD//Masters, and we see a lot of potential in expanding these offerings. There’s great collaboration across the different parts of our business, but MAD//Fest is crucial to our future growth.
We’re committed to continuing to innovate. When I founded The Ingenuity Group, it was about disrupting and changing the market. That same spirit drives MAD//Fest.
We’re inclusive of both large and small agencies and brands. The team behind MAD//Fest has done an incredible job, and the event has gained a stellar reputation. For us, it’s about maintaining that momentum and continuing to drive innovation.
How has The Ingenuity Group disrupted the market, and what challenges have you faced?
Sales prospecting is the lifeblood of any business, especially in service industries. Every CEO is focused on how to grow the business, and there are a lot of established ways to do this: using intermediaries, PR agencies, content, events.
None of these approaches are wrong; it’s about finding the right mix for your business. Some CEOs are natural new business developers, while others are more focused on client work, and it’s important to have a model that fits your agency’s strengths.
What we’re trying to do at The Ingenuity Group is take both a top-down and bottom-up approach. We help agencies drive conversations and relationships at the top of the funnel, but we’re also deeply connected to brands when they’re looking for agencies. This means we’re not just prospecting—we’re helping brands find the best talent for their needs.
What’s the biggest mistake agencies make when trying to attract brands?
The most common mistake is assuming everyone knows who they are. I always smile when agencies tell me they know brands like Sky or Heineken, but when I ask what they’re doing about those relationships, the answer is often underwhelming.
The best agencies invest in relationships and maintain them. They have an identity, a proposition, and they share meaningful content with their clients.
Agencies often rely too much on inbound leads or their networks. But to succeed in new business, you have to be proactive. You can’t just sit back and expect opportunities to come to you.
What’s next for The Ingenuity Group and MAD//Fest?
We’ll keep innovating and driving the MAD//Fest brand forward. The show was incredibly well-attended, and people loved the content. Our next step is MAD//UpNorth in February, and we’re excited about continuing to grow both the event and the business. We believe there’s a huge opportunity ahead for both The Ingenuity Group and MAD//Fest.
