VALPARAISO | Livemercial hopes its first digital cocktail hour will be a happy hour for digital technology companies in the Valparaiso area.

The event will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 4 at the company's headquarters, 3001 Leonard Drive, Suite 301, in the Eastport Centre Industrial Park. Live music and refreshments will be offered along with a look at Livemercial's recent technology innovations and plans for its new technology center in the former Natural Ovens dome.

"We know first-hand the struggles start-up and even established technology ventures face," Livemercial Chief Executive Officer Johnny Mathis Jr. said. "An alliance of digital companies will plant the seeds for success and help grow our community into a technology powerhouse.

"That's why Livemercial intends to use a portion of the technology center as an incubator to help other companies achieve the growth that we have enjoyed," Mathis said.

The digital cocktail hour is open to the first 100 members of the business community to respond by email at events@livemercial.com or calling (219) 477-3900, ext. 2320.

Headquartered in Valparaiso and with an office in West Palm Beach, Fla., Livemercial was founded in 2002. The company is the largest provider of "instant on" streaming video for email, pop-ups, banners and direct response Web sites.