What Freeman does

Freeman, founded in 1927 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is a privately held, integrated services provider for face-to-face marketing events, operating as a global leader in live events, trade shows, and exhibitions. The company serves Fortune 500 corporations and major trade associations across the full event lifecycle — from strategy and consulting through AV production, exhibit design and fabrication, transportation logistics, and on-site operations — through its core service lines: Conferences & Trade Shows Services, Exhibitor Services, AV Production, and Strategy & Insights. Freeman's technology stack includes the proprietary Freeman Blue Echo AI Spatial Intelligence Platform (an AI-powered 3D venue visualization system deployed across 20 major U.S. convention centers), the Zenus AI behavioral mapping tool for attendee analytics, the upcoming Freeman Exhibitor Services Platform for online ordering and shipping visibility, and the Roundtrip Ready bundled logistics offering. The company operates 10,000+ employees across 20+ North American offices plus international presence in the U.K., China, and Singapore, and runs wholly owned subsidiaries including Sparks (brand experience, acquired 2023), Tag Digital (digital marketing, acquired 2025), mdg (marketing and communications), and BaAM (events and destination management).

Freeman's business model combines multiple revenue streams — event management and production services, exhibit rentals and sales, transportation and logistics, and strategy consulting — primarily executed through direct enterprise sales, strategic partnerships with show organizers, and an online self-serve exhibitor portal. Pricing is quote-based for enterprise services with transparent per-shipment pricing for transportation and bundled savings through offerings like Roundtrip Ready. The go-to-market blends field sales for Fortune 500 and association accounts with industry event presence (PCMA, IMEX, AIA) and a long-tail exhibitor self-serve channel. Customer concentration spans diversified enterprise verticals (healthcare, technology, retail, hospitality, automotive, architecture) with marquee logos including Google, Salesforce, Amazon, Workday, HIMSS, ASCO, RSNA, AIA, Hard Rock, Shoptalk, and Avis. The company pursues growth through a sustained M&A program and technology platform investments, including AI-powered venue visualization and digital exhibitor tools launched in 2025-2026.

Name

Freeman

Legal name

The Freeman Company, LLC

Website

https://freeman.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Freeman is a global leader in live events providing integrated event management, AV production, exhibitor services, and strategy consulting for Fortune 500 corporations and major trade associations across conferences, trade shows, and exhibitions worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Management & Live Event Production Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (541850)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Trade Shows & Exhibitions (Booths, Show Management) (BPAFAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Custom Booth & Stand Design (Concept, 3D, Branding) (THAHAHAA), Exhibition & Trade Show Management (Conference-Adjacent) (THAHACAF), Lighting, LED Walls & Digital Signage for Booths (THAHAHAI), Staging, Scenic & Set Fabrication (Stages, Backdrops, Scenic Builds) (THAHAEAC)

Keywords

• Event management services
• Trade show production
• Exhibit design fabrication
• AV production services
• Event logistics transportation

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices21 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Event Management & Production Services: Full-service event management including conferences, trade shows, and exhibitions. Services include event planning, AV production, exhibit design, installation and dismantle, and on-site operations. Revenue is generated through service fees, equipment rental, and project-based contracts.
2. Exhibit Rentals & Sales: Rental exhibits ranging from 10x10 to 20x20 configurations with consultation, installation, flooring, graphics, and vacuuming included. Also offers custom exhibit design and fabrication services.
3. Transportation & Logistics: Freeman Transportation service handling exhibit shipping with dedicated support, transparent pricing, and coordinated logistics. Roundtrip Ready bundling offers savings on shipping and material handling.
4. Strategy & Insights Consulting: Advisory services including long-term strategy planning, ecosystem analysis, exhibitor and sponsor optimization, revenue optimization, pricing and value modeling, and ROO/ROI impact frameworks.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Freeman provides integrated full-service event management for face-to-face marketing events, including end-to-end conference and trade show production, exhibit design and rental, AV production, exhibit shipping and logistics, and strategy/insights consulting for enterprise corporations and trade associations. The company operates proprietary technology platforms (Blue Echo AI venue visualization, Exhibitor Services Platform) and bundles shipping with material handling under its Roundtrip Ready offering. Revenue is generated through customized event service contracts, equipment and exhibit rentals, transportation fees, and consulting engagements.

Product overview

Freeman is a global leader in live events offering an integrated full-service solutions portfolio for conferences, trade shows, and exhibitions. The company operates as a platform-plus-services model with core offerings including AV Production Services (event production, stage rigging, broadcasting), Conferences & Trade Shows Services (strategy, planning, sponsorship activations, registration), Exhibitor Services (rentals, graphics, furniture, transportation), and Strategy & Insights (growth planning, analytics, audience activation). Key technology products include Freeman Blue Echo, an AI-powered 3D venue visualization platform, and the Freeman Exhibitor Services Platform for online ordering and shipping visibility. Additional services encompass Freeman Transportation with Roundtrip Ready bundled logistics, sustainable flooring solutions (GreenStep Aisle Carpet), and proprietary research publications (Freeman Trends Report, Experience Trends Report). The company leverages a 97-year legacy with recent acquisitions of Sparks (brand experience agency, 2023) and Tag Digital (2025) to expand digital capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• mdg: Marketing and communications agency, a Freeman company, specializing in event marketing strategy.
• Sparks
• Studio Blue
• Freeman Transportation

Products and services

• Conferences & Trade Shows Services Comprehensive event management for conferences and trade shows including strategy and show planning, creative and design, sponsorship activations, marketing, registration, analytics, AV production, program management, housing, and show site services, delivered to enterprise corporations, trade associations, and show organizers.
• Exhibitor Services Complete exhibiting support including exhibit rentals, Freeman Transportation, graphics production and design, furniture, and exhibit AV to create scalable, show-ready exhibits for companies appearing at trade shows and conferences.
• AV Production Services Full-service audio-visual production including event production, stage rigging, event technology, content and scenic design, keynote and breakout production, experiences and activations, and broadcasting and live streaming for conferences and corporate events.
• Strategy & Insights Business growth and event optimization services including accelerate growth planning, increase profitability consulting, and activate audience strategies with performance benchmarking, exhibitor/audience analysis, and ROO/ROI impact frameworks for event organizers and enterprise clients.
• Freeman Transportation Exhibit shipping and logistics service with dedicated carrier scheduling, easy budgeting with upfront quotes valid for 10 days, and streamlined planning for domestic and international exhibit shipments for trade show exhibitors.
• Exhibit Rental Solutions Ready-to-go rental exhibit designs in various sizes (10x10, 10x20, 10x30, 20x20+) with consultation, installation, dismantle, flooring, graphic printing, and first-night vacuuming included, plus custom exhibit design available for trade show exhibitors.
• Exhibit AV Solutions Audio-visual solutions for trade show booths including LED and digital displays, structural lighting, touchscreens and kiosks, audio equipment, educational theaters, and event technology with gamification and AI-powered behavioral mapping (Zenus).
• Freeman Blue Echo (AI Spatial Intelligence Platform) AI-powered 3D venue visualization platform that transforms major convention centers into photorealistic, fully navigable digital environments for event planning, enabling visualization months before on-site arrival with measurement-grade accuracy and reusable venue scan assets for event organizers and designers.
• Freeman Exhibitor Services Platform Digital platform for exhibitors offering online ordering, interactive checklists, and real-time shipping visibility to simplify and modernize the exhibitor experience at trade shows.
• Roundtrip Ready Simplified transportation package bundling roundtrip shipping and material handling with 10% savings at participating shows, one invoice, one coordinated team, and simplified logistics for exhibitors.
• GreenStep Aisle Carpet Sustainable event flooring solution designed as a new standard for environmentally responsible trade show and conference aisle carpeting.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% reduction in printed panels (22x28) and 95% reduction in printed directional signs at HIMSS 2024
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability11 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Clarity MediacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Freeman and Clarity Media launched an integrated marketplace for easier, smarter event sponsorships. This partnership enables event organizers to streamline sponsorship sales and management through a unified platform solution.
• Global DMC PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Global DMC Partners President and CEO Catherine Chaulet delivered a keynote at the company's annual Connection event, highlighting the global MICE industry valued at approximately $1.2 trillion in 2025. The partnership represents a network of destination management companies collaborating on global events.
• mdgcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022mdg, a Freeman company, partnered with IBIE to implement a strategic marketing plan aligning campaign materials, new event brand, and attendee journey. The partnership helped IBIE exceed projections by over $1 million.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• GES (Global Experience Specialists): GES is the most direct competitor to Freeman in North American trade show services, offering exhibit design, fabrication, installation/dismantle, and on-site event logistics for major conventions and exhibitions. Operates with comparable end-to-end service model and similar Fortune 500 customer base.
• Jack Morton Worldwide: Jack Morton is a global brand experience agency that designs and produces events, exhibits, and immersive experiences for major brands — directly comparable to Freeman's Sparks subsidiary and broader experiential services portfolio.
• Maritz Global Events: Maritz Global Events is a direct peer in full-service corporate event management, incentive programs, and meeting production, competing for the same enterprise and association clients as Freeman in the meetings and events space.
• George P. Johnson Experience Marketing: GPJ is a leading experiential marketing agency specializing in large-scale brand experiences, trade shows, and live events for technology and automotive clients — directly comparable to Freeman's experiential and exhibit design offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Informa Markets: Informa Markets is one of the world's largest trade show organizers and event operators, running hundreds of B2B exhibitions globally. While primarily an organizer (upstream of Freeman), it competes for end-to-end event service revenue and represents a much larger incumbent in adjacent space.
• RX Global (Reed Exhibitions): RX Global, part of RELX, is one of the world's largest exhibition organizers, operating events in 30+ countries. As a broad incumbent it competes both as organizer and increasingly as a full-service provider for event experiences comparable to Freeman's integrated offerings.
• Emerald Holding: Emerald operates a large portfolio of B2B trade shows and events across multiple verticals. As a publicly traded incumbent in the trade show industry, it competes with Freeman for both exhibitor relationships and event production mandates.

Emerging players

• Cvent: Cvent is a leading event management software platform for enterprise meetings and events, providing registration, venue sourcing, and attendee management. It is a tech-driven emerging competitor that increasingly serves the same enterprise and association clients that Freeman supports on the on-site logistics side.
• Bizzabo: Bizzabo is an event experience platform providing registration, engagement, and analytics software for in-person, hybrid, and virtual events. While not a direct logistics competitor, its growing platform risks disintermediating Freeman's online ordering portal and adjacent services.

Regional players

• MCH Group: MCH Group is the Swiss venue operator behind major Basel/Zurich exhibition centers and event brands (Art Basel, etc.), operating a vertically integrated venue-and-show model analogous to Freeman's U.S. show management business but concentrated in European markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@tfcbrands
• Facebookfacebook.com/freemanfans
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-freeman-company
• Instagraminstagram.com/freeman.events
• Xx.com/freemanco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A10 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Freeman