Our Story
WHO WE ARE
Since 1991, AMG Research has been a strategic partner for companies, organizations, and institutions seeking to develop and launch new products and services, understand customer expectations of price and value, or evaluate strategic opportunities.
We created Beyond the Table Research to bring two of our core strengths – recruiting and exceptional client service – to a wider audience of research practitioners. With this goal, we opened Pittsburgh’s only built-to-spec research venue in 2018.
This expansion has allowed us to be a true full-spectrum resource, providing recruiting, hosting, and project management to a wide variety of data-driven professionals and deep-domain expertise to clients with end-to-end needs.
Your Partner in Strategic Research
Beyond the Table Research is flexible, experienced, and scalable resource partner for executing business-to-consumer, business-to-business, political opinion, and litigation research.
First and foremost, we specialize in recruiting. We have the resources to work at scale, the experience to tap into low-incidence audiences, and the patience and discipline to maintain a quality-first path to fulfillment. Beyond the Table Research is excited to offer our clients a modern, versatile and productive venue for in-person data collection when direct physical interaction is important, and the reach and convenience of online research for when those factors matter most.
What you Can Expect from Us
- Evaluate your recruiting needs with realism and rigor
- Plan ahead and anticipate both challenges and opportunities
- Communicate clearly and transparently, every step of the way.
- Number of Studies
- Typical Show Rate
- Panel Size
Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
That’s true! The city of Pittsburgh encompasses a relatively small section of the Pittsburgh area and is surrounded on all sides by a multiplicity of independent municipalities, many of which are only a few minutes from the urban center. For reference, Pittsburgh has a population of around 300,000, Allegheny County has a population of around 1,250,000, and the Pittsburgh metropolitan area has a population of around 2,450,000.
Don’t get us wrong – we love to experience the dining and cultural activities that downtown has to offer, but the combination of rivers, bridges, and tunnels make it an unfriendly place to drive and park. We intentionally chose a near-suburban location to avoid downtown’s challenging topography.
We’re fortunate to have a number of convenient options in close proximity to our facility, with the closest being literally across the street! Whether you’re looking for convenience or would like to experience more of the city during your trip, we’d be happy to make recommendations.
About 25 minutes pretty consistently throughout the day. It’s an easy, mostly highway drive.
We see research as a tool for gathering the information and context necessary to make better and more timely decisions, and we therefore see this debate as misleading - the “best” method is entirely a product of your research goals and operational considerations. In general:
- In-person research in a purpose-built venue allows for rich conversation and direct interaction with physical products.
- Virtual research is ideal for speaking with niche audiences (due to a larger geographic footprint) and lends itself well to in-depth interviews.
- In-home and in-store research helps capture behaviors and opinions in authentic contexts.
Some research involves a combination of multiple methods. Regardless of your project’s needs, we can support any mode of data collection.
We custom-designed our facility to create ideal conditions for frictionless and impactful research:
Facility Features
- Free and abundant parking
- Convenient location less than ¼ mile from a major highway
- Ground floor access
- Extra-wide hallways and double doors to accommodate large products or displays
- Wrap-around observation for multi-angle viewing
- Designed to isolate researchers/observers from waiting area
- Modular tables and flexible seating allow for both large and small-format configurations
- Comfortable, well-appointed lounges with in-suite snacks and cold beverages
- One-way mirrors for direct observation
- Accessible to people with disabilities
- Separate conference room available for meals, debriefs, and intraday productivity
- Kitchenette
- Secure on-site storage
- Dedicated Project Manager and Hostess provide all-day support
- Extensive assortment of common office supplies
Technology Integration
- High-definition audio and video recording, full pan-tilt-zoom functionality
- Integrated live-streaming support
- Wireless internet at 30Mb/s
- Video recording – live streaming
- Large screen, high-definition televisions with both wired and wireless access
- Onsite color printing and copying
BTTR has several room sizes available: Focus Group 1 (North Shore) is 19’ x 21’, Focus Group 2 (Mt. Washington) is a 26’ x 20’ room, and our Think Tank (South Side) is 19’ x 14’.
Our team includes two moderators who each have multiple decades of relevant experience. Additionally, we collaborate with a large network of category experts on a contract basis. Research has been our passion since 1991, and we’re confident we can bring the right capabilities and experience to bear to maximize the impact of your research.
Absolutely! Our flexible, proprietary capabilities make it easy for any internal or external stakeholders you designate to view research in real time. Furthermore, everyone will be able to communicate with one another within the viewing platform.
We can also live-stream on-location research as needed, allowing your observers to travel with you into participant homes or field locations (after appropriate permission has been collected, of course).
Participating in Market Research
In the world of research, a panel is nothing more than a pool of people who have signaled potential interest in participating in research activities. Maintaining a panel makes it easier for us to match participants with the opportunities that best fit their life experience and interests.
We maintain both a consumer panel (for general interest topics) and a panel specifically for medical and healthcare sector professionals.
By joining our panel, you will regularly receive email invitations to take screening surveys that help us determine whether you would be a good fit for an upcoming research opportunity. If your answers indicate that you may qualify, one of our interviewers will reach out via telephone to verify your eligibility and invite you to participate.
Another great way to learn about new opportunities to participate is by following our Facebook page.
Absolutely! In fact, referrals are a great way for us to reach specific audiences. If you know someone who you think would like to participate in research, please encourage them to join our panel!
Recruiting Services
Beyond the Table Research is uniquely positioned to recruit a wide variety of both consumer and professional audiences.
Within Western Pennsylvania, we regularly recruit consumer audiences such as:
- Voters (according to voting history and partisan lean)
- Lapsed, current, or prospective consumers of a particular product or services
- Jury-eligible residents of specific geographies or communities
- Patients with particular conditions or medical history
- Family members and caregivers of certain classes of patients.
Both in Pennsylvania and nationally, we specialize in recruiting from every facet of the healthcare industry, including:
- Physicians (Primary Care as well as Specialists)
- Nurses (including different specialties like surgical or labor & delivery)
- Clinical and Occupational Therapists
- Equipment technicians (Respiratory Techs, Sleep Techs, Sterile Processing Techs, etc.)
- OR/Nurse managers
- Hospital purchasing/supply chain management
- Hospital administrators, including VP and C-Suite levels
Our full-time, in-house interview team evaluates each prospective research participant not only relative to the study eligibility criteria, but also in regard to their disposition, temperament, level of engagement and articulation. Additionally, our experienced project managers continuously review bookings, and screen respondents for past participation.
We send all booked participants a detailed confirmation email, place remind calls to re-confirm their participation and try very hard only to schedule engaged and motivated respondents in the first place. If we do learn of a cancellation, we spring into action immediately in search of a replacement
We regularly conduct in-home use trials and other asynchronous research on a national scale. We selectively recruit participants from across other markets when we believe that doing so creates genuine value for our clients. We’re also more than happy to help manage multi-market research with a Pittsburgh component.
