INNOV8

What INNOV8 does

INNOV8 is a privately held, full-service experiential exhibit and event agency headquartered in Trumbull, Connecticut, with a second operations facility in Clinton, CT. Founded in 1985 by three University of Bridgeport classmates (Donna Shea, Andy Pandiani, and Eugene Shapiro) as Innovative Display & Design, Inc., the company rebranded to INNOV8 INC in 2024 and was acquired the same year by Pinnacle, an award-winning experiential marketing house with six full-service US facilities. INNOV8 serves Fortune 500 and enterprise clients across healthcare, technology, consumer goods, manufacturing, specialty chemicals, and audio technology, with named engagements for UnitedHealth Group, Salesforce, Pivotal Software, Sennheiser, Regeneron, Boeing Distribution, Gilead, Pure Storage, and others.

The company's offering spans the full experiential production stack: strategy and design, custom exhibit fabrication, large-format graphics, rental, logistics, installation/dismantling, and storage for trade shows and live events; end-to-end user conference and sales kickoff production; brand activations; virtual and hybrid event solutions via the proprietary EVENTSTREAM 360, EVENTSTREAM Webinar, and EVENTSTREAM Forum platforms; workplace interior design; and international programs. The technology base is centered on the EVENTSTREAM virtual event platform family and a self-service client portal plus payment infrastructure.

INNOV8 generates revenue through project-based custom quoting, with a non-refundable 50% deposit required upon acceptance and balance due before shipping or event date; late payments carry a 1.5% per month fee. Distribution is direct enterprise field sales with dedicated account managers and a 24-hour inbound inquiry response, supported by an international programs team. The company maintains top-of-funnel presence via LinkedIn, YouTube, a content blog, and participation in industry events such as HIMSS, NAB, InfoComm, and major technology conferences.

Name

INNOV8

Legal name

INNOV8 INC

Website

https://innov8.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Experiential Marketing Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Industrial Design Services (54142), Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (541850), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741), Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Event Production & Technical Services (AV, Lighting, Staging) (BPAFAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hybrid Event AV & In-Room Integration (Room Kits, Switching, Capture, Projection) (THAHAOAF), Hybrid/Virtual Meetings Production & AV Services (THACAFAM), Audio-Visual Equipment Rentals (Sound, Projection, Screens) (HSACAFAF), Meeting & Event Program Technology (Registration, Apps, Badging) (THACAFAB), Live Streaming & Broadcast Production (Multi-camera, Encoding, CDN Delivery) (THAHAOAB)

Keywords

• Experiential marketing services
• Trade show exhibits
• Event production services
• Brand activation services
• Live event management

Headquarters

HQ city

Trumbull

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Event Production Services: Design, manufacturing, printing, rental, logistics, installation, dismantling, and storage services for trade show booths and exhibits. Project-based pricing with deposits and milestone payments.
2. Consultation and Strategy: Expert advice and guidance on booth design and event participation, strategy development for brand engagements
3. Rental Services: Provision of rental booth systems, furniture, audio-visual equipment, and accessories for events

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

INNOV8 is a full-service experiential exhibit and event agency that designs, fabricates, and produces trade show exhibits, live events, user conferences, brand activations, digital and hybrid experiences, workplace interiors, and international event programs. The company delivers end-to-end services covering strategy, creative design, manufacturing, printing, rental, logistics, installation, dismantling, and storage for enterprise brand engagements. It also operates proprietary virtual event platforms (EVENTSTREAM 360, Webinar, and Forum) to support hybrid event delivery.

Product overview

INNOV8 is a full-service experiential exhibit and event agency providing comprehensive brand experience solutions. The company operates through a unified service model offering face-to-face trade shows and live events, user conferences, brand activations, digital and hybrid experiences, workplace interiors, and international event programs. Supporting these core services are virtual event solutions including EVENTSTREAM 360, EVENTSTREAM Webinar, and EVENTSTREAM Forum for digital engagement. Additional offerings include strategy and design services, exhibit fabrication and production, content and graphic design, plus self-service tools such as a payment portal and client login portal. INNOV8 was acquired by Pinnacle and operates as part of their experiential marketing network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EVENTSTREAM 360: Virtual exhibit and event solution platform offered by INNOV8
• EVENTSTREAM Webinar
• EVENTSTREAM Forum

Products and services

• EVENTSTREAM 360

Quantifiable outcome

• Sponsorship revenue increased by 40% at SpringOne Platform conference
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• PinnaclecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerINNOV8 was acquired by Pinnacle, an award-winning experiential marketing house with 6 full service facilities across the US. This acquisition makes INNOV8 part of a larger network while maintaining its brand identity and operations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jack Morton Worldwide: Global experiential brand experience agency owned by IPG that designs and produces live, digital, and hybrid events for Fortune 500 brands. Directly comparable to INNOV8 in scope (strategy, design, production) and enterprise client base.
• George P. Johnson Experience Marketing: One of the largest independent experiential marketing agencies, specializing in trade shows, user conferences, and brand activations for enterprise tech and healthcare clients. Closely comparable to INNOV8 in service mix and target verticals.
• Freeman: Full-service event production and brand experience company with significant trade show and live event capabilities for enterprise clients. Comparable to INNOV8 in offering end-to-end event services including AV, fabrication, and digital experiences.
• MKG: Independent experiential marketing and event agency serving major brands with live, digital, and hybrid event programming. Comparable mid-size direct competitor to INNOV8 with similar service breadth and enterprise focus.
• Momentum Worldwide: Omnicom-owned experiential marketing agency focused on brand activations, trade shows, and consumer-facing experiences for global brands. Directly comparable in offering and client base to INNOV8.
• Pinnacle: Parent company of INNOV8 and an experiential marketing house with 6 US full-service facilities. Directly comparable in offering (strategy, design, production) and is now the same operating entity as INNOV8 post-acquisition.
• GMR Marketing: Experiential marketing agency specializing in sports, entertainment, and brand activation experiences for major sponsors and brands. Comparable in offering experiential event services to enterprise clients.
• Sparks: Global experiential agency producing brand experiences, pop-ups, trade shows, and digital activations for enterprise clients. Comparable to INNOV8 in service breadth and Fortune 500 focus.

Emerging players

• Bizzabo: Hybrid and virtual event platform offering registration, engagement, and analytics tools. Comparable to INNOV8's EVENTSTREAM 360/Webinar/Forum platforms as a competing technology-led event experience solution.

Broad incumbents

• Cvent: Large enterprise event management platform with registration, virtual event, and venue sourcing offerings. Comparable to INNOV8's EVENTSTREAM stack and represents a scaled incumbent alternative in event technology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC5llxt4V8gXhsPPHsGU_Nww
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/innovative-display-&-design
• Xx.com/innov8display
• Facebookfacebook.com/Innov8-Inc-106834369371498

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about INNOV8