GES - Global Experience Specialists

What GES - Global Experience Specialists does

GES - Global Experience Specialists is a privately held, Las Vegas-headquartered exhibition and trade show management company that delivers end-to-end services for event organizers, exhibitors, and event agencies. Founded in 1939 as Manncraft and rebranded through the Greyhound and Viad ownership eras, GES today operates across the United States, Canada, Europe (notably the UK and Netherlands), the Middle East (Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Qatar), and India, with 13+ US offices, 24 global warehouse and production facilities, and work in 75+ countries. Its service stack spans show planning, creative and design, operational execution, sponsorship consulting, exhibitor success, shipping and logistics, and accommodations, supported by owned sub-brands including Spiro (experiential agency and custom exhibits), Visit by GES (event registration and data platform), onPeak (event accommodations and housing), and ShowTech (Canadian electrical and lighting). The company is privately held by Truelink Capital following a 2025 buyout, with 2Heads (a London-based creative agency) acquired in December 2025 as the first add-on under that ownership.

The technology layer combines self-service ordering (ordering.ges.com, the GES Plus Series including Exhibit Systems+ and GES Transportation+), cloud-based event management via Visit, and an accommodations booking engine through onPeak, alongside in-house design and graphics production. GES runs a hybrid go-to-market: enterprise and agency clients are served by dedicated account teams and field sales across regions, while exhibitors can self-order standardized booth packages, shipping, and logistics online. Revenue is generated primarily through professional services tied to live-event execution (organizer and agency contracts), one-time and packaged rentals of exhibits and booth systems, transaction-based logistics including transportation and material handling, and accommodations/housing services; pricing is quote-based with all-inclusive Exhibit Systems+ bundles and consolidated invoicing. The company manages 4,000+ live experiences and serves 150,000+ exhibitors annually, serving as official contractor or full-service partner for marquee events such as Crufts, PDAC, IMEX, and Messe Frankfurt exhibitions across multiple verticals including healthcare, mining, financial services, agriculture, and entertainment.

Name

GES - Global Experience Specialists

Legal name

Global Experience Specialists, LLC

Website

https://ges.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

GES is a global exhibition and trade show management company serving event organizers, agencies, and exhibitors across the US, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and India with end-to-end services spanning show planning, creative and design, logistics, and accommodations, operating 24 warehouse and production facilities and executing 4,000+ live events annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Show and Exhibition Services

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)

Keywords

• Trade show services
• Exhibition management
• Event logistics
• Booth rental solutions
• Experiential marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Las Vegas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices18 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Exhibition and Trade Show Services: GES provides comprehensive exhibition and trade show management services including show planning, creative design, operational excellence, sponsorship consulting, exhibitor success, and experiential strategy for event organizers. Services are delivered across the entire event lifecycle from planning through execution and tear-down.
2. Exhibit Rentals and Booth Systems: Rental and sale of exhibit booths, display systems, and custom builds through Exhibit Systems+ and Spiro custom exhibits. Includes turnkey packages with flooring, furnishings, graphics, and accessories.
3. Shipping and Logistics Services: Comprehensive logistics including material handling, transportation, warehousing, and customs services for trade show materials. Includes round-trip shipping, advance warehousing, and on-site representation.
4. Event Accommodations and Housing: Hotel accommodations and housing services through onPeak, a GES company with over 30 years of experience booking hotel rooms for events

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

GES is a global exhibition and trade show management company that provides end-to-end services for organizers, agencies, and exhibitors, including show planning, creative and design, operational excellence, sponsorship consulting, exhibitor success, and logistics. The company also offers turnkey booth rental systems, custom exhibit builds, event accommodations, and digital event management platforms. GES operates 24 global warehouse and production facilities and serves 150,000+ exhibitors across 75+ countries annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Spiro: Experiential agency and custom exhibit solutions provider within the GES family
• Visit by GES
• onPeak
• ShowTech
• GES Plus Series
• Exhibit Systems+
• GES Transportation+
• GES Logistics

Products and services

• GES Core Exhibition and Event Services Comprehensive exhibition and trade show management services for organizers covering show planning, creative design, operational execution, sponsorship consulting, exhibitor success, and experiential strategy delivered across the entire event lifecycle.
• Exhibit Systems+ Turnkey trade show booth rental solution providing easy-to-order, affordable displays with configurable backwalls at 10, 20, or 30 feet wide, including flooring, furnishings, accessories, installation, dismantle labor, material handling, and shipping bundled into a single all-inclusive package.
• Spiro Custom Exhibits Experiential agency within the GES family that designs and produces brand-first custom stand solutions and scalable exhibits for multiple shows worldwide, including for technology, financial services, and consumer brands.
• GES Logistics and Shipping Comprehensive event logistics service including material handling, domestic and international shipping, customs clearance, advance warehousing, and the GES Transportation+ roundtrip domestic logistics offering for shipments under 5,000 lbs.
• onPeak Event accommodations and housing services provider under GES that manages hotel bookings, contract negotiations, and housing logistics for events, with over 30 years of industry experience booking millions of hotel rooms annually.
• Visit by GES Cloud-based event management platform providing event registration and data services used across UK, Europe, Middle East, and India operations to optimize event planning and execution.
• ShowTech Power and Lighting Lighting and electrical services for live events and trade shows at premier venues in Canada, offered through ShowTech Canada as part of the GES collective.
• GES Agency Services Full-service event production support for creative, marketing, and event agencies including pre-production planning, budget management, venue-specific logistics, design engineering, on-site crew management, and post-show reconciliation backed by nationwide union labor and 24 global warehouse and production facilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,000+ live experiences managed annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• 2HeadscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 20252Heads is a London-based creative agency specializing in design-led brand experiences for technology, financial services, and consumer brands across North America and Europe. Founded in London with additional offices in Los Angeles and Montreal, 2Heads joined GES's global experiential agency Spiro, expanding GES's creative footprint in UK and Europe.
• Messe Frankfurt Middle EastmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGES partners with Messe Frankfurt Middle East to deliver event services, demonstrating professional commitment and proactive approach that exceeded expectations. GES navigated challenges with poise and efficiency for Messe Frankfurt events.
• Visit by GEScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisit is an event management platform and GES company providing registration and data services for events. Visit operates as part of GES's collective offerings, enhancing digital event capabilities across European and Middle Eastern markets.
• The Kennel Club (Crufts)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGES has been a long-standing partner for Crufts, the world's largest dog show held at the NEC Birmingham. GES's contribution has been essential to making Crufts a great success year after year.
• IMEX GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGES works with IMEX Group to challenge each other at every show to reach new heights of sustainability practices that benefit the industry and the planet. IMEX is a leading exhibition company in the meetings and events industry.
• Clarion EventsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGES partners with Clarion Events, a UK-based event organizer, to provide confidence and expertise for exhibitors whether they are exhibiting for the first time or increasing their investment.
• onPeakcoreStrategic or Co-development PartneronPeak is a GES company and leading provider of accommodations and housing services for the events industry for over 30 years. Booking millions of hotel rooms each year, onPeak leverages innovative technology and industry expertise for hotel contract negotiations and marketing.
• ShowTech Power and LightingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShowTech is a GES company providing lighting and electrical services in Canada for live events and trade shows at premier venues. Part of the GES collective of event service companies.
• Association Of Event Organisers Ltd (AEO)minorOthersGES actively supports and participates in AEO, a UK-based association for event organizers, contributing to industry development and best practices.
• Center For Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR)minorOthersGES participates in CEIR, the leading research organization for the exhibition and event industry, supporting industry research and knowledge development.
• Exhibition Services & Contractors Association (ESCA)minorOthersGES is a member of ESCA, supporting standards and best practices for exhibition services and contractors.
• Event Supplier And Services AssociationminorOthersGES participates in the Event Supplier And Services Association, contributing to industry standards and professional development.
• International Association Of Exhibitions And Events (IAEE)minorOthersGES is an active member of IAEE, supporting the global exhibitions and events industry through participation in industry initiatives and events.
• Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA)minorOthersGES supports PCMA, a leading organization for professionals in the meetings and events industry, contributing to education and professional development.
• Society Of Independent Show Organizers (SISO)minorOthersGES participates in SISO, supporting independent show organizers and contributing to industry collaboration.
• Women In ExhibitionsminorOthersGES supports Women In Exhibitions, demonstrating commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the events industry.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Freeman: Freeman is the largest direct competitor to GES in North American exhibition, event, and brand experience services, offering similar end-to-end official contractor, design, and logistics services for trade shows and corporate events.
• Czarnowski Display: Czarnowski Display is a major US-based custom exhibit builder and event marketing agency serving corporate exhibitors and brands — directly comparable to GES's Spiro subsidiary and core exhibit services line.
• Moss Inc. Moss is a leading custom exhibit and brand environment provider serving enterprise exhibitors with design, fabrication, and logistics — comparable to GES's Exhibit Systems+ and Spiro custom exhibit offerings.
• GL Events: GL Events is a French-listed global exhibition services company operating venue management, event production, and exhibitor services across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas — overlapping with GES on multi-region exhibition contractor and event logistics work.
• Jack Morton: Jack Morton is a global brand experience agency producing events, exhibits, and digital activations for major brands — closely aligned with GES's experiential strategy offerings for enterprise clients.
• George P. Johnson Experience Marketing: GPJ is a long-standing global experiential marketing agency providing exhibit design, event production, and brand experiences — closely comparable to GES's Spiro creative/experiential agency offering, particularly after the 2Heads acquisition.
• Sparks: Sparks is a global experiential marketing agency specializing in brand activations, exhibits, and live events for enterprise clients — directly comparable to GES's Spiro experiential agency and event-driven GTM motion.

Broad incumbents

• RX Global (Reed Exhibitions): RX Global operates a portfolio of trade shows and exhibitions worldwide and frequently engages GES-type official service contractors — a broad incumbent that is more an organizer partner/competitor than a like-for-like services peer.
• Informa Markets: Informa Markets is the world's largest trade show organizer, operating hundreds of B2B exhibitions and serving many of the same organizers as GES's customers — a broad incumbent that overlaps with GES as a customer/supplier relationship rather than direct services competition.

Regional players

• MCH Group: MCH Group operates major Swiss exhibition venues (e.g., Messe Basel) and runs its own exhibitions, with related event services — comparable in function but primarily Europe-centric and overlapping more with venue/event organization than with GES's pure-play services model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GESGlobal

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A2 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about GES - Global Experience Specialists