What Xsem does

XSEM is a Leeds-headquartered, founder-owned brand engagement agency established in 2004 by Dan Bardgett and Michael Gwilliam. Originally launched as a sports event marketing agency, XSEM has evolved into a full-service creative agency delivering conferences, exhibitions, brand activations, loyalty programmes, gamification campaigns, and premium corporate golf events. The firm serves enterprise and mid-market clients across five verticals: pharmaceutical (a specialist six-person division contributing nearly 20% of revenue), retail/FMCG, manufacturing and construction, automotive, and technology, with a customer roster including Molson Coors, Wienerberger, Co-op Wholesale, Samsung, PPG, Arla, Carling, Jack Daniel's, and Bestway Retail.

The agency's core offering is service-based professional delivery, with one notable digital product — a bespoke Trade Show Deals Portal that enables suppliers to transact in real time with attendees at exhibitions. Revenue is generated through project-based fees across five service categories (Conferences, Exhibitions, Brand Experiences, Loyalty Programmes, Corporate Golf), with delivery spanning the UK, Europe (France, Spain, Malta), North America, Africa, and Asia. XSEM operates a partner-led, senior-staffed go-to-market model, combining in-house creative, ABPI-trained pharmaceutical expertise, proprietary digital tooling, and ESG-integrated event delivery (carbon offsetting, sustainable stand design). The business is privately held with no disclosed institutional funding and 40+ employees.

Name

Xsem

Legal name

XSEM Ltd

Website

https://xsem.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

XSEM is a Leeds-based, founder-owned brand engagement agency founded in 2004, delivering end-to-end events, exhibitions, brand activations, loyalty programmes and corporate golf services for enterprise and mid-market clients across pharmaceutical, retail/FMCG, manufacturing, automotive and technology sectors in the UK and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brand Engagement / Event Management Services

NAICS

Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (541850), Advertising Material Distribution Services (54187), Graphic Design Services (54143)

akta.pro primary industry

Customer Experience (CX) & Journey Strategy (MPAAAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

ESG/Sustainability Reputation & Purpose Communications (MPAAAOAN), ESG, Sustainability & Impact Research (BPAHALAL)

Keywords

• Brand engagement agency
• Event management services
• Exhibition design and build
• Corporate loyalty programmes
• Experiential marketing activations

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Event Management and Brand Engagement Services: XSEM generates revenue through providing comprehensive brand engagement services including event management, conferences, exhibitions, brand activations, loyalty programmes, corporate golf, and gamification solutions. Services are tailored to client needs with project-based pricing.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

XSEM is a brand engagement agency that plans, creates, and delivers end-to-end events, exhibitions, brand activations, gamification campaigns, loyalty programmes, and corporate golf experiences for enterprise and mid-market clients. Services span research and strategy, creative development, production, on-site delivery, and post-event measurement, with a specialist pharmaceutical division providing ABPI-compliant programmes for global pharma clients across the UK, Europe, and Asia.

Product overview

XSEM is a brand engagement agency offering a comprehensive suite of event and marketing services. The core offering spans five main service categories: (1) Conferences — including Conference Management, Conference Production, Conference Venue Finding, and Product Launch Events; (2) Exhibitions — including Exhibition Stand Design, Exhibition Management, and the Trade Show Deals Portal digital product; (3) Brand Experiences — including Brand Activations and Gamification; (4) Loyalty Programmes; and (5) Premium Corporate Golf. The agency operates a full end-to-end model from initial concept through creative development, production, delivery, and post-event measurement and ROI analysis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Conference Management End-to-end conference planning and execution covering logistics, scheduling, vendor coordination, AV, technical production, creative development, and on-site support for events of any size.
• Conference Production Specialist conference production including lighting, sound, AV, staging, 3D renders and visualizations, and full technical management for breakout spaces and networking zones.
• Conference Venue Finding Venue scouting, vetting, shortlisting, booking, and contract management for conferences across all sizes from intimate boardrooms to large auditoriums.
• Product Launch Events Product launch event services including venue scouting, creative development, production management, hybrid/livestream integration, and launch strategy for small previews to large-scale reveals.
• Exhibition Stand Design Custom exhibition stand design and build services including 3D design, interactive visualizations, concept development, and sustainable reusable stand options.
• Exhibition Management Trade show management covering planning coordination, venue logistics, stand build management, on-site operations, and technical production for exhibitions and trade fairs.
• Trade Show Deals Portal Bespoke digital portal enabling suppliers to create unique deals, transact with attendees in real-time at trade shows, and track sales and engagement instantly.
• Brand Activations Live brand activation campaigns that engage audiences, raise awareness, and create memorable brand experiences through experiential marketing events.
• Gamification Event and marketing gamification solutions including interactive games, quizzes, challenges, prizes, POS promotions, loyalty programmes, and app-based challenges that drive engagement and data capture.
• Loyalty Programmes Customer rewards and incentive programme design, development, and delivery including tiered reward structures, bespoke marketing platforms, and ongoing programme management.
• Premium Corporate Golf Corporate golf event services and incentive programmes for premium client entertainment and B2B engagement.
• XSEM Specialist Pharma Division Specialist pharmaceutical division delivering compliant, creative event programmes for pharma organisations, including international congresses, sales incentives, network meets, internal training, advisory boards, and educational meetings.

Quantifiable outcome

• £3.7m uplift and 4% market share increase over 12 months for Wienerberger VIP Club programme
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• beam (Events Industry Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerXSEM Director Caroline Medcalf serves as board member of beam, the UK's leading events industry association. This partnership enables XSEM to contribute to industry standards, talent development initiatives, and shaping the future of the events sector through panels and educational programmes.
• Sheffield Hallam UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerXSEM values all routes of education and actively invests in university placement students. Louise Balderson studied Events Management at Sheffield Hallam University before joining XSEM.
• Multiple Venue and Production PartnerscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerXSEM partners with trusted production specialists for lighting, sound, AV, staging and show delivery. They collaborate with venues including Telford International Centre, Silverstone Circuit, Archerfield House, and Co-op Live Manchester for event delivery.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• drp: UK-based mid-sized events, communications and engagement agency with a comparable mix of conferences, exhibitions, brand experiences and internal comms work for enterprise clients. Closest size, geography and service-profile match to XSEM.
• Taylor Bennett: UK brand engagement and communications agency delivering events, campaigns and content programmes for enterprise clients across multiple sectors. Highly comparable in scale, services and senior-led delivery model.
• Smyle: UK-based creative brand experience agency producing events, film and digital content for enterprise clients. Comparable size, creative-led model and end-to-end event production capability.

Broad incumbents

• Jack Morton Worldwide: Global brand experience agency delivering experiential marketing, events and activations for major brands including FMCG, tech and pharma clients. Larger and broader footprint but overlapping service offering and target customer base.
• George P. Johnson Experience Marketing: Global experiential marketing agency focused on events, exhibitions and brand activations for enterprise technology, healthcare and consumer brands. Directly comparable offering, significantly larger scale and geographic reach.
• MCI Group: Global events, association management and conference services group with strong pharma and healthcare practice. Overlaps directly with XSEM's pharma division (congresses, advisory boards, EACs) and conference services.
• Wasserman: Global sports, music and culture marketing agency delivering brand experiences, sponsorships and experiential campaigns. Overlaps with XSEM's brand activation and corporate golf/sports programmes.
• M&C Saatchi: Global creative communications group with dedicated sports, live and experiential practices serving enterprise brands. Adjacent services and overlapping client verticals to XSEM.

Emerging players

• TRO: Global live events and experiential agency with comparable conference, exhibition and brand activation services. Now part of the Global Group, providing scale advantage but with overlapping service mix.

Regional players

• Beattie Group: UK communications group offering brand engagement, events and integrated campaigns for enterprise clients. Comparable mid-tier UK positioning with adjacent rather than identical event-led focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/XsemLtd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Xsem