Trade Show Executive
Trade Show Executive is a Chicago-based B2B media company that publishes a monthly magazine, newsletters, and data reports, and operates the Gold 100 and Fastest 50 awards for the U.S. trade show and exhibitions industry.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Trade Show Executive does
Trade Show Executive (TSE) is a privately held B2B media and intelligence company serving the U.S. trade show and exhibitions industry from Chicago, IL. Founded as a trade publication in 2008 (with firmographic references to 1999), TSE publishes a monthly magazine, a weekly breaking-news newsletter, and a Young Professionals monthly newsletter, and operates the TSE Talks podcast. Its flagship commercial assets are the Gold 100 Awards (since 2010), recognizing the 100 largest U.S. trade shows by paid exhibit space, and the Fastest 50 Awards (since 2018), recognizing the fastest-growing shows by exhibit space, exhibitor, and attendee growth.
The company's data and intelligence products include the ZOOM Calendar (a trade show directory), the Dashboard of Trade Show Performance report, the Medical Show Report, the semi-annual Pardon Our Dust Report on venue expansions, and the World's Top Convention Centers directory. TSE monetizes through four channels: print and digital magazine subscriptions, newsletter subscriptions, award-program entry fees and summit attendance, and advertising and sponsorships sold via a media kit. Distribution is multi-channel — website, email, podcast, social media (Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Flickr), and two annual awards summits — and TSE maintains content partnerships with the four leading exhibition industry associations (UFI, CEIR, IAEE, PCMA) as well as suppliers Freeman and Lippman Connects. Leadership comprises Gabrielle Weiss (Vice President and Editor-in-Chief) and Carri Jensen (Director of Research); the company operates with 11–50 employees.
Trade Show Executive firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Trade Show Executive
- Legal name
- Trade Show Executive
- Website
- https://tradeshowexecutive.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Trade Show Executive is a Chicago-based B2B media company that publishes a monthly magazine, newsletters, and data reports, and operates the Gold 100 and Fastest 50 awards for the U.S. trade show and exhibitions industry.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Trade Show Executive industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Trade Show and Exhibition Industry Media
- NAICS
- Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industry Trade Shows & Expos (MPAGAGAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Industry-Specific B2B Trade Show Organizers (THAHABAB), Trade Shows & Exhibitions (Booths, Show Management) (BPAFAGAD), General & Multi-Industry Trade Show Organizers (THAHABAA)
Keywords
Where Trade Show Executive is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Trade Show Executive business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Magazine Subscriptions: Print and digital magazine subscriptions providing trade show industry news, analysis, and coverage
- Newsletter Subscriptions: Weekly breaking news newsletter and Young Professionals monthly newsletter for industry professionals
- Award Program Participation: Revenue from Gold 100, Fastest 50, and Dashboard awards entry forms and event attendance
- Advertising and Sponsorships: Media kit available for advertising opportunities across print, digital, and event properties
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Trade Show Executive product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Trade Show Executive is a B2B media company that publishes a monthly trade magazine, newsletters, and digital news for the exhibitions and trade show industry. It runs industry-recognized award programs (Gold 100 and Fastest 50), produces benchmarking data products (Dashboard of Trade Show Performance, ZOOM Calendar, Pardon Our Dust, Medical Show Report), and hosts an interview podcast (TSE Talks). Its products are sold via subscriptions, advertising/sponsorships, and award-program entry fees to event organizers, venues, and industry suppliers.
Product overview
Trade Show Executive operates as a multi-platform media company serving the trade show and exhibitions industry. Its core offerings include TSE Magazine (monthly publication), the Gold 100 and Fastest 50 Awards programs (industry recognition), the TSE Talks podcast (interviews with industry leaders), and data tools including the ZOOM Calendar (trade show directory) and Dashboard of Trade Show Performance reports. The company also publishes specialized reports like the Pardon Our Dust Report and Medical Show Report, and operates a Young Professionals program with dedicated newsletters. The portfolio is unified under the Trade Show Executive brand as a B2B media and intelligence platform for the exhibitions industry.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- TSE Gold 100: Annual awards program recognizing the 100 largest trade shows in the U.S.
- TSE Fastest 50
- TSE Talks
- TSE Zoom Calendar
Products and services
- TSE Magazine Monthly trade publication covering news, trends, and analysis for trade show and exhibition industry executives in the U.S.
- Gold 100 Awards Annual recognition program honoring the 100 largest U.S. trade shows based on net square feet of paid exhibit space, with entry via online submission and an in-person summit.
- Fastest 50 Awards Annual recognition program honoring the 50 fastest-growing U.S. trade shows based on percentage growth in net square feet, exhibitors, and attendees.
- TSE Talks Podcast Podcast (originally the Power Lunch series) featuring interviews with trade show industry leaders, distributed via Libsyn and major podcast platforms.
- ZOOM Calendar Comprehensive trade show calendar and directory listing events with dates, venues, attendance metrics, and exhibitor information for the U.S. trade show industry.
- Dashboard of Trade Show Performance Benchmarking data report capturing post-show growth metrics in net square feet, exhibitors, and attendees for U.S. trade shows, tied to industry award submissions.
- Pardon Our Dust Report Semi-annual industry report tracking venue expansions and new event facilities at major convention centers across North America.
- Medical Show Report Specialized industry report focusing on medical and healthcare trade show performance metrics within the U.S. exhibitions market.
- World's Top Convention Centers Annual directory ranking and profiling major convention centers globally, used as a reference for the venue industry.
- Newsletter Subscriptions Recurring email newsletter subscriptions including the weekly Editor's Picks breaking news bulletin for industry professionals and a monthly Young Professionals newsletter.
Companies that use Trade Show Executive
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Trade Show Executive technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Trade Show Executive partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- UFI - The Global Association of the Exhibition IndustrycoreTSE covers UFI news and events including the UFI Global Congress and learning initiatives. UFI provides industry research and global exhibition industry standards.
- CEIR - Center for Exhibition Industry ResearchcoreTSE covers CEIR research reports and benchmarking studies for small, midsize, and healthcare B2B exhibitions. CEIR provides industry research data featured in TSE coverage.
- IAEE - International Association of Exhibitions & EventscoreTSE covers IAEE Expo! Expo! annual meeting and awards. Partnership includes TSNN Awards collaboration.
- PCMA - Professional Convention Management AssociationcoreTSE covers PCMA Convening Leaders event and provides content on business events industry trends.
- FreemanminorTSE covers Freeman research reports including Trends Reports, Learning Trends Report, and End-of-Year Recap. Freeman provides industry research data.
- Lippman ConnectsminorJoint industry survey on attendee acquisition trends conducted with TSE and EVOLIO Marketing.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Trade Show Executive competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- TSNN (Trade Show News Network): Trade Show News Network is the most direct peer to Trade Show Executive — both are B2B media brands covering trade shows, with editorial news sites, award programs (STAPLES), and event-industry data. Operated under Tarsus Group.
- Event Industry News: Event Industry News is a UK-headquartered trade title covering exhibitions, conferences, and live events globally. Comparable to TSE in editorial scope and audience (events industry professionals).
- BizBash: BizBash covers the events industry with a focus on corporate events, festivals, and conferences. Comparable audience of event professionals and overlapping advertiser base with TSE.
- Successful Meetings (Northstar Meetings Group): Successful Meetings is a long-standing business events publication covering meetings, incentives, and trade shows — directly comparable editorial scope to TSE, owned by Northstar Meetings Group.
- MeetingsNet: MeetingsNet covers the meetings, conventions, and business events industry with editorial, awards, and research — a closely aligned peer to TSE's exhibition-focused platform.
- Exhibitor Magazine: Exhibitor Magazine is the trade publication for exhibit and trade show marketers, covering exhibitor-side logistics, booth design, and trade show participation. Direct overlap with TSE's audience and editorial focus.
- Convene (PCMA): Convene is the official publication of PCMA serving the business events strategist community — directly comparable to TSE's audience of trade show and event executives, and PCMA is itself an active TSE partner.
Broad incumbents
- Skift: Skift is the largest digital media brand in travel and events, covering meetings, incentive travel, and exhibitions alongside broader hospitality. A broader incumbent that competes with TSE for executive attention and event-industry advertising dollars.
- Informa Markets: Informa Markets is the world's largest trade show organizer and a major advertiser and partner target for TSE. While not a media peer, it is the dominant customer-side incumbent and shapes the entire ecosystem TSE covers.
Others
- Freeman (research arm): Freeman is the largest brand experience / exhibition services company and publishes Trends Reports that TSE covers. As a research publisher and TSE partner, Freeman is an ecosystem participant that both competes for and supplies content attention in this niche.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Trade Show Executive social profiles
Digital presenceTrade Show Executive financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Trade Show Executive leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Trade Show Executive funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Trade Show Executive M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Trade Show Executive
What does Trade Show Executive do?
Trade Show Executive is a B2B media company that publishes a monthly trade magazine, newsletters, and digital news for the exhibitions and trade show industry. It runs industry-recognized award programs (Gold 100 and Fastest 50), produces benchmarking data products (Dashboard of Trade Show Performance, ZOOM Calendar, Pardon Our Dust, Medical Show Report), and hosts an interview podcast (TSE Talks). Its products are sold via subscriptions, advertising/sponsorships, and award-program entry fees to event organizers, venues, and industry suppliers.
Is Trade Show Executive a public or private company?
Trade Show Executive is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Trade Show Executive founded?
Trade Show Executive was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Trade Show Executive based?
Trade Show Executive is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Trade Show Executive make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Magazine Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are newsletter Subscriptions, award Program Participation and advertising and Sponsorships.
Who are Trade Show Executive's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are TSNN (Trade Show News Network), Event Industry News, BizBash, Successful Meetings (Northstar Meetings Group), MeetingsNet, Exhibitor Magazine and Convene (PCMA). Broad incumbents are Skift and Informa Markets. Freeman (research arm) is listed as an others.
Does Trade Show Executive have an API?
No public API is recorded for Trade Show Executive.
What industry is Trade Show Executive in?
Trade Show Executive's product category is Trade Show and Exhibition Industry Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAGAA, Industry Trade Shows & Expos, with a secondary code of THAHABAB, Industry-Specific B2B Trade Show Organizers. Its NAICS code is 561920.