Small Business Expo

What Small Business Expo does

Small Business Expo is a privately held US B2B event company founded in 2008 and headquartered at 5 Penn Plaza, New York, that produces what it describes as America's largest B2B networking conference series for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Its core product is a multi-city trade show and conference circuit held across 16+ major US markets including New York City, Chicago, Boston, Miami, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, and Washington DC, with each expo drawing approximately 5,000 attendees and 100+ exhibitors. The platform combines a free attendee admission model with paid exhibitor offerings (booth packages, sponsorship tiers, and a Pay Per Lead service priced at $10 per qualified lead) and is supported by a mobile app (TSP Events), interactive floorplans via SocialTables integration, and structured networking formats including Speed Networking, Business Card Exchange, and Happy Hour Mixer sessions.

The company has built a digital ecosystem around the core expo business that includes Small Business University (a free online webinar and on-demand education platform with 1,000+ sessions), Shmooze (a 24/7 online networking community), The Best of Small Business Awards (an annual national recognition program now in its eighth year), The Small Business Blog, and a State of Small Business research series (the 2026 report drew 11,426 survey responses). Its enterprise sales motion targets Fortune 500 exhibitors and sponsors such as Wells Fargo, Amazon, Google, Meta, IBM, T-Mobile, AT&T Business, Intuit, Indeed, and GEICO, while the attendee acquisition motion is self-serve digital (email to 500,000+ subscribers, 1.2M+ social followers) and word-of-mouth driven.

The business model is event-driven with a two-sided monetization structure: attendees enter for free at scale (100,000+ SMB owners reached annually; 800,000+ lifetime registrations), while revenue is captured from corporate exhibitors and sponsors on the supply side through booth fees, multi-tier sponsorship packages, and usage-based Pay Per Lead. The company is bootstrapped and founder-led with no venture capital or private equity involvement disclosed in the available data, and operates as an LLC with 11-50 employees. No financial figures are publicly disclosed, and the technology stack is primarily event management and lead capture tooling rather than AI-driven personalization or analytics.

Name

Small Business Expo

Legal name

Small Business Expo LLC

Website

https://thesmallbusinessexpo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Small Business Expo, founded in 2008 and headquartered in New York, produces America's largest B2B networking conference series for small business owners and entrepreneurs, running free expos in 16+ US cities with 100+ exhibitors per event and 100,000+ SMB attendees annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Networking Events and Trade Show Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

akta.pro primary industry

Industry-Specific B2B Trade Show Organizers (THAHABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industry Trade Shows & Expos (MPAGAGAA), Trade Shows & Exhibitions (Booths, Show Management) (BPAFAGAD), Virtual Trade Shows & Expos (Digital Booths, Lead Capture) (MPAGAOAB)

Keywords

• B2B trade shows
• Business networking events
• Small business conferences
• Exhibitor marketing services
• Business lead generation

Headquarters

HQ city

New City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Exhibitor Booth Fees: Revenue from selling booth space and exhibition tables to businesses wanting to showcase their products and services to small business owners at the events. This is a primary revenue stream with tiered booth sizes and locations.
2. Sponsorship Packages: Premium sponsorship tiers allowing major brands to gain prominent visibility at events. Includes logo placement, speaking slots, and exclusive branding opportunities.
3. Pay Per Lead Service: A usage-based revenue stream where exhibitors pay $10 per qualified lead captured at events. This provides predictable per-transaction revenue and incentivizes exhibitor investment.
4. VIP Badge Premium: Premium attendee badges offering enhanced access to workshops, networking sessions, and exclusive events. Creates additional revenue from attendees seeking differentiated experiences.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Small Business Expo produces large-scale in-person B2B trade shows and business networking conferences in major US cities, bringing together thousands of small business owners, entrepreneurs, exhibitors, and sponsors. The company also offers the Pay Per Lead service (starting at $10 per qualified lead) for exhibitors seeking measurable ROI, complemented by the Small Business University free online webinar platform and the TSP Events mobile application for attendee engagement.

Product overview

Small Business Expo operates a multi-faceted platform consisting of in-person B2B trade shows and business networking conferences held across 16 major U.S. cities (Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, and Washington D.C.), complemented by digital services including the Pay Per Lead Service for real-time sales leads, Small Business University for free online webinars, and the TSP Events App for attendee engagement. The company also runs the Best of Small Business Awards recognition program and maintains content platforms including The Small Business Blog and Shmooze networking community. Additional offerings include exhibitor marketing tools, floorplan access, Business Card Exchange, Speed Networking, and Happy Hour Mixer sessions. The portfolio is anchored by free admission to in-person events, with premium options such as VIP badges and paid lead generation services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Small Business University: Free online education platform offering webinars and on-demand business courses for entrepreneurs and small business owners.
• The Best of Small Business Awards
• Shmooze

Products and services

• In-Person Expo Events Large-scale B2B trade shows and business networking conferences held in 16+ major US cities, featuring workshops, exhibitor halls, keynote presentations, and networking opportunities for small business owners, entrepreneurs, and start-ups. Free for attendees; exhibitors pay for booth space.
• Pay Per Lead Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,000+ small businesses attend each expo event
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GooglecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGoogle participates as a major exhibitor and sponsor at Small Business Expo events, showcasing its digital tools, advertising platforms (Google Ads), and business solutions to the small business audience. This partnership provides Google with direct access to thousands of small business decision-makers.
• AmazoncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAmazon serves as an exhibitor at Small Business Expo events, presenting its business solutions, e-commerce tools, and AWS services to small business owners. The partnership enables Amazon to reach a concentrated audience of entrepreneurs and SMB owners.
• Wells FargocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWells Fargo is a recurring major sponsor and exhibitor at Small Business Expo events, promoting its financial services products to small business customers including loans, credit cards, and banking solutions.
• T-MobilecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerT-Mobile participates as an exhibitor showcasing mobile and business communication solutions to small business owners. The partnership provides access to entrepreneurs seeking business mobile plans and technology solutions.
• IntuitcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerIntuit exhibits at Small Business Expo events to demonstrate its accounting software (QuickBooks), payroll solutions, and business management tools to the small business owner audience.
• Meta (Facebook)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMeta participates as an exhibitor showcasing its social media advertising platforms and business tools to small businesses looking to grow their digital marketing presence.
• AT&T BusinesscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAT&T Business exhibits at Small Business Expo to reach small business owners with its communication, internet, and technology solutions for businesses.
• Comcast BusinesscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerComcast Business participates as an exhibitor offering internet services and technology solutions tailored for small businesses.
• IBMcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerIBM exhibits at Small Business Expo showcasing enterprise technology solutions adapted for small and medium businesses, including cloud services and AI tools.
• GEICOcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGEICO participates as an exhibitor offering commercial insurance, business insurance, and liability coverage products to small business owners.
• IndeedcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerIndeed exhibits at Small Business Expo to connect with small business owners seeking hiring and recruitment solutions for their growing businesses.
• Delta Air LinescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDelta Air Lines participates as an exhibitor promoting business travel solutions and corporate account programs to small business owners who travel for business.
• IKEAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIKEA exhibits at Small Business Expo showcasing commercial and office furniture solutions for small businesses setting up or upgrading their workspaces.
• StaplesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStaples participates as an exhibitor offering office supplies, technology products, and business services to small business attendees.
• Shark TankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerShark Tank representatives appear at Small Business Expo events, providing visibility and endorsement for the small business community and attracting entrepreneurs seeking investment opportunities.
• Mercedes-BenzminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMercedes-Benz participates as an exhibitor showcasing commercial vehicle options and luxury business transportation solutions for small business owners.
• FiservminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFiserv participates as an exhibitor offering payment processing, financial technology, and merchant services to small business owners.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Inc. (Mansueto Ventures): Inc. operates Inc. 5000 conferences and SMB-focused events targeting the same US entrepreneur and small business owner audience as Small Business Expo, with a comparable brand-led event model.
• Entrepreneur Media: Entrepreneur Media runs Entrepreneur-hosted expos, awards (Entrepreneur of the Year), and educational content for SMBs and founders — a direct peer in audience, format, and monetization approach.
• Startup Grind: Startup Grind operates a global community and event series for entrepreneurs and startup founders, closely overlapping with Small Business Expo's entrepreneur/startup attendee segment and workshop-led format.
• SCORE Association: SCORE is a US SBA resource partner running free workshops, mentoring, and small business events nationwide — directly competing for the same SMB educational content and workshop demand as Small Business University.
• Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses: Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses delivers cohort-based education and convenings for US SMB owners, competing with Small Business Expo for the same high-intent SMB audience seeking growth-oriented programming.

Broad incumbents

• Informa Markets: Informa Markets is one of the world's largest B2B exhibition organizers; while it operates at a vastly larger scale and across many verticals, its trade show operating model, exhibitor monetization, and city-tour structure are analogous to Small Business Expo's.
• RX (Reed Exhibitions): RX organizes large B2B and consumer trade shows across dozens of industries and geographies; it competes for enterprise exhibitor marketing dollars and venue logistics in many of the same US cities Small Business Expo operates in.
• Emerald Holding (EmeraldX): Emerald produces B2B trade shows and conferences across multiple industries; it is a broader incumbent whose vertical events compete with Small Business Expo for enterprise exhibitor budgets in shared US venues.

Emerging players

• TechCrunch: TechCrunch Disrupt and TechCrunch events target startup founders and early-stage entrepreneurs — an adjacent SMB/startup audience — but skew more tech-investor focused rather than general SMB.

Others

• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA): The SBA runs national Small Business Week events, resource fairs, and educational programming for the same SMB audience; it is a publicly funded ecosystem participant that influences, rather than directly competes with, the SMB event market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SmallBizExpos
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SmallBusinessExpo
• Facebookfacebook.com/SmallBusinessExpo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/small-business-expo
• Instagraminstagram.com/theSmallBusinessExpo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Small Business Expo