What Gecko Group does

Gecko Group is a privately held, West Chester, Pennsylvania-based professional services firm specializing in exhibit design, interpretive planning, wayfinding systems, environmental design, and branding for cultural institutions. Founded in 1998, the company employs a small team of approximately 10 artists, designers, writers, and creative thinkers led by President Ellie Byrom-Haley. Its core client base comprises more than 100 zoos, aquariums, museums, botanical gardens, and government visitor centers across the Mid-Atlantic and Eastern United States.

The firm offers an integrated suite of services covering Exhibit Design, Exhibit Development, Environmental Design, Wayfinding Planning & Design, Donor Recognition Signage, Interpretive Master Planning, and Content Development & Writing. There is no proprietary software platform; technical capability centers on multidisciplinary design execution — graphic design, multimedia production, interactive development, and spatial design — coordinated through a collaborative process of stakeholder engagement, content expert consultation, and iterative design development. Fabrication and installation are delivered through recurring partner relationships with firms such as ArtGuild, Inc. and USA, Inc.

Gecko Group generates revenue on a project-based, quote-driven model with no publicly disclosed pricing or rate cards. Clients are acquired through direct outreach, the AZA annual conference, professional referrals, and website inbound; the firm maintains multi-decade client relationships, including a 20+ year engagement with the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. The company has earned seven Association of Zoos and Aquariums exhibit awards, the 2022 Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums 'Making an Impact Award,' and holds Women Business Enterprise (WBE) certification since 2017.

Name

Gecko Group

Legal name

Gecko Group

Website

https://geckogroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gecko Group is a privately held, West Chester, Pennsylvania-based interpretive and exhibit design firm serving more than 100 zoos, aquariums, museums, botanical gardens, and cultural institutions across the United States through project-based professional services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Museum and Cultural Institution Design Services

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Landscape Architectural Services (54132)

akta.pro primary industry

Conservation & Research Lodges (Citizen Science, Field Stations with Guests) (THAAAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

National Park & Conservancy Lodges (THAGAIAI)

Keywords

• Exhibit design services
• Interpretive planning
• Wayfinding design
• Environmental design
• Donor recognition signage

Headquarters

HQ city

West Chester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Exhibit Design Services: Project-based professional services for museum, zoo, and cultural institution exhibit design, including interpretive planning, content development, graphic design, and fabrication oversight.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gecko Group is a design services firm that creates visitor experiences for museums, zoos, botanical gardens, and cultural institutions through exhibit design, interpretive planning, wayfinding systems, environmental design, donor recognition signage, and content development. The firm transforms storylines into dimensional, engaging physical experiences using graphic design, spatial design, and multimedia production, working collaboratively with client content experts from initial concept through installation.

Product overview

Gecko Group is a design firm offering a comprehensive suite of physical exhibit and environmental design services. The core offerings include Exhibit Design and Exhibit Development for museums, zoos, and cultural institutions, complemented by Environmental Design, Wayfinding Planning & Design, Donor Recognition Signage, Interpretive Master Planning, and Content Development & Writing services. These services work together as an integrated approach to creating compelling visitor experiences through storytelling, beautiful design, and strategic interpretation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Exhibit Design
• Exhibit Development
• Environmental Design
• Wayfinding Planning & Design
• Donor Recognition Signage
• Interpretive Master Planning
• Content Development & Writing

Quantifiable outcome

• 7 AZA Award-winning exhibits (including multiple AZA Exhibit of the Year Awards)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• USA, Inc.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDesign/build fabrication partner for the John James Audubon Center project. USA, Inc. handled fabrication and installation of exhibit elements designed by Gecko Group.
• HabithequecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Victoria Prizzia of Habitheque on the 'Pool: A Social History of Segregation' exhibition at Fairmount Water Works. Gecko Group designed the exhibit graphics while Habitheque created the overall exhibit concept.
• ArtGuild, Inc.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFabrication partner working with Gecko Group on multiple projects including the Mercer Museum's Doan Gang exhibit and Winterthur Museum's orientation exhibit.
• Plankton ArtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIllustrators engaged by Gecko Group to create vibrant banner designs for Pittsburgh Botanic Garden's parking lot banners.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Gallagher & Associates: Washington, DC-based exhibit and interpretive design firm serving museums, zoos, aquariums, and cultural institutions with master planning, exhibit design, and media integration—directly comparable to Gecko Group's core museum/zoo client base and service mix.
• Local Projects: New York-based experience design firm specializing in interactive exhibits for museums, cultural institutions, and public spaces, including major zoo and aquarium work—directly comparable as a multi-disciplinary exhibit design peer serving the same institutional verticals.
• C&G Partners: New York-based design firm delivering exhibit, branding, wayfinding, and digital experience work for museums, cultural institutions, and public spaces—directly comparable on service mix (exhibit + wayfinding + branding) and client verticals.
• StudioMB: Boston-based exhibit design firm serving museums, historic sites, zoos, and corporate cultural spaces with interpretive planning, exhibit design, and graphic production—directly comparable as a mid-size studio peer in the same institutional verticals.
• Roto Design: Ohio-based exhibit and interpretive design firm serving zoos, museums, and nature centers—closely comparable on the cultural institution and zoo sub-vertical where Gecko Group has won multiple AZA awards.
• Thinkwell Group: Los Angeles-based experience design and production firm serving museums, theme parks, zoos, and brand destinations—comparable as a peer in cultural institution and zoo experience design, though broader in scope (also covers theme parks and brand experiences).
• Luci Creative: Chicago-based exhibit design and fabrication firm serving museums, visitor centers, zoos, and corporate environments—comparable as a multi-disciplinary exhibit design peer in the same institutional vertical.
• Splitbeam Studios: Toronto-based exhibit design and fabrication firm specializing in immersive museum and visitor center installations—comparable as a peer in cultural institution exhibit work with a more fabrication-heavy operating model.
• Christopher Chadbourne & Associates: Museum planning and interpretive design firm serving zoos, aquariums, science centers, and cultural institutions—directly comparable on the interpretive planning and exhibit design services Gecko Group provides to the same institutional verticals.

Broad incumbents

• ESI Design (now part of NBBJ): Long-established exhibit and experience design firm acquired by global architecture firm NBBJ; serves major cultural institutions and aquariums with large-scale interpretive and interactive exhibits. Comparable as a peer in museum exhibit design but with substantially greater scale and resources than Gecko Group.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/geckogroupdesign
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gecko-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/geckogroupdesign
• Xx.com/geckogroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Gecko Group