Ion Exhibits
Ion Exhibits is a privately held, full-service U.S. trade show exhibit provider founded in 1991, designing, fabricating, renting, and managing custom booths and brand environments for enterprise clients across manufacturing, food & beverage, healthcare, and technology verticals from its Carol Stream, Illinois facility.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersItasca, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Ion Exhibits does
Ion Exhibits is a privately held, full-service trade show exhibit provider founded in 1991 and headquartered in Carol Stream, Illinois. The company designs, fabricates, rents, ships, installs, and stores custom trade show booths and brand environments for enterprise marketing teams across the United States. Service offerings span custom exhibits, rental exhibits (including Quick Ship pre-designed options and a custom rental line), large-scale Environments, Brand Activations, and the Ion+ multi-show management and storage program; supporting capabilities include in-house creative services, project management, fabrication, and logistics. The client base is enterprise-oriented and diversified across manufacturing, food & beverage/CPG, healthcare & life sciences, and technology verticals, with named accounts including BEKO Appliances, MGP Ingredients, Topy America, Radancy, VIZ Media, and Vericel Corporation.
The underlying technology stack is physical-manufacturing-centric rather than software-centric. Ion Exhibits operates full in-house capabilities for printing, fabrication, quality control, and logistics from its Chicago-area facility, and has built one of the largest BeMatrix modular frame inventories in North America, enabling booth reconfiguration across multiple show sizes. It was among the first exhibit companies to develop significant in-house LED tile capabilities for dynamic digital displays and video walls. The company holds no patents or trademarks disclosed in the available data and reports no AI/ML capabilities, integrations, or applications.
Revenue mechanics are project-based, combining one-time custom builds (starting at approximately $12,000 for a 10x10 booth and scaling into six-figure custom deployments), rental transactions (priced at roughly one-third of comparable purchase cost, with quoted 80%-of-custom-appeal at 60%-of-custom-cost), and recurring managed services through Ion+. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales augmented by an online rental catalog, content marketing, and active participation in industry associations (EDPA Midwest, Sho-Link Cooperative). The company is owned and led by Kevin Fett, who acquired it in 2016; under his leadership, headcount grew from approximately 25 to nearly 50 employees and revenue roughly doubled within three years.
Ion Exhibits firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ion Exhibits
- Legal name
- Ion Exhibits
- Website
- https://ionexhibits.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Ion Exhibits is a privately held, full-service U.S. trade show exhibit provider founded in 1991, designing, fabricating, renting, and managing custom booths and brand environments for enterprise clients across manufacturing, food & beverage, healthcare, and technology verticals from its Carol Stream, Illinois facility.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ion Exhibits industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Trade Show Exhibit Services
- NAICS
- Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (541850), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)
- SIC
- Partitions, Shelvg, Lockers, & Office & Store Fixtures (2540)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Exhibition & Trade Show Management (Conference-Adjacent) (THAHACAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Booth Maintenance, Refurbishment & Reuse Programs (THAHAHAM), Trade Show, Exhibit & Event Logistics Moving (HSAKAKAK)
Keywords
Where Ion Exhibits is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Itasca
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Ion Exhibits business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Custom Exhibit Design and Fabrication: Ion Exhibits designs and fabricates custom trade show exhibits for clients, providing tailored solutions for specific shows and brand requirements. This includes structural fabrication, graphic production, and custom features.
- Trade Show Rental Exhibits: Ion offers rental exhibit solutions that allow clients to rent structural components with custom graphics and modifications. Renting costs roughly a third of a comparable purchase, eliminating long-term storage commitment.
- Quick Ship Exhibit Solutions: Pre-designed Quick Ship exhibit options using ready-to-customize structures that streamline timelines for clients with compressed schedules.
- Exhibit Management and Storage (Ion+): Ion+ program provides secure, climate-controlled storage for exhibit assets between events, along with multi-show management ensuring consistent branding and logistics coordination.
- Logistics and Installation Services: Full staging services and on-site supervision for booth setup and teardown, including coordination with trusted partner installers and management of show floor logistics.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | 10x10 Trade Show Booth - Starting at $12,000 |
| Hybrid | Pay-as-you-go | Custom Rental Exhibits |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Custom Purchase Exhibits |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Quick Ship Rental Solutions |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels10 records
Ion Exhibits product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ion Exhibits is a full-service trade show exhibit provider that designs, fabricates, and manages custom and rental exhibits for enterprise clients across major U.S. trade shows. All design, fabrication, printing, LED tile integration, logistics, and storage are delivered in-house from the company's Greater Chicago facility, supporting clients through the entire exhibit lifecycle from strategic planning to on-site installation and dismantle.
Product overview
Ion Exhibits is a full-service trade show exhibit provider offering a unified platform of design, fabrication, rental, and logistics services. The core offering consists of Custom Trade Show Exhibits and Rentals (including Quick Ships pre-designed options), complemented by brand experience services including Environments and Brand Activations. The portfolio spans from small 10x10 inline booths to large island exhibits and multi-story structures. Supporting modules include Custom Elements (LED walls, double decks), Creative Services, Project Management, Fabrication, Logistics, and the Ion+ multi-show management program. All capabilities are delivered in-house from the company's Greater Chicago manufacturing facility, giving clients a single partner from strategy through execution.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Ion+: Exhibit management program offering storage and maintenance of exhibit assets between events to support multi-show programs.
Products and services
- Custom Trade Show Exhibits Bespoke trade show exhibit design and fabrication tailored to specific brand requirements, audience goals, and show specifications. Includes strategic partnership, creative design, and project management from concept through delivery. Aimed at enterprise marketing teams and trade show coordinators.
- Trade Show Booth Rentals Rental exhibit inventory including modular BeMatrix frame systems and custom rental options. Allows clients to achieve custom-quality appearance at reduced capital commitment compared to purchasing, with rental costs roughly a third of comparable purchase costs.
- Quick Ships Pre-designed rental exhibit options that can be customized and shipped quickly, ideal for smaller events, pop-ups, sales meetings, and time-sensitive show requirements. Smaller booths can be delivered in 4-8 weeks with expedited design and fabrication.
- Environments Large-scale exhibit environments and immersive brand spaces designed for major trade shows and events, spanning multiple booth configurations including double-deck and island layouts.
- Brand Activations Experiential marketing activations that create immersive brand experiences beyond traditional trade show booths, including pop-up lounges, outdoor activations, and branded environments.
- Custom Elements Custom fabrications and design elements including LED walls, double-deck structures, interactive displays, and specialized booth components for unique brand presentations.
- Ion+ Exhibit Management Program Multi-show exhibit management and storage program that handles logistics coordination, secure climate-controlled storage between events, asset maintenance, and inventory management for clients with recurring trade show schedules.
Quantifiable outcome
- Revenue roughly doubled within three years of Kevin Fett acquiring company in 2016
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Ion Exhibits
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Ion Exhibits technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Ion Exhibits partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Sho-Link CooperativeminorIon Exhibits joined Sho-Link Cooperative in July 2025, expanding their marketing and go-to-market reach through this industry association network.
- BeMatrixcoreIon Exhibits has built one of the largest BeMatrix frame inventories in North America, enabling them to offer extensive modular exhibit solutions using BeMatrix's frame system technology.
- General Service Contractors (Freeman, GES)coreIon Exhibits works with official general contractors at trade show venues for material handling, dock scheduling, labor ordering, and installation/dismantle coordination. These partnerships are essential for navigating venue rules and show-floor logistics.
- EDPA (Exhibit Design and Producers Association)coreIon Exhibits maintains active involvement in the Exhibition and Event Industry through EDPA. Kevin Fett served as EDPA Midwest Chapter President, and the company participates in industry advocacy, training programs, and professional development initiatives.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights5 records
Ion Exhibits competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Ion Exhibits social profiles
Digital presenceIon Exhibits financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ion Exhibits leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Ion Exhibits funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ion Exhibits 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 Ion Exhibits
What does Ion Exhibits do?
Ion Exhibits is a full-service trade show exhibit provider that designs, fabricates, and manages custom and rental exhibits for enterprise clients across major U.S. trade shows. All design, fabrication, printing, LED tile integration, logistics, and storage are delivered in-house from the company's Greater Chicago facility, supporting clients through the entire exhibit lifecycle from strategic planning to on-site installation and dismantle.
Is Ion Exhibits a public or private company?
Ion Exhibits is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Ion Exhibits founded?
Ion Exhibits was founded in 1991. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Ion Exhibits based?
Ion Exhibits is headquartered in Itasca, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ion Exhibits make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Custom Exhibit Design and Fabrication is the primary driver. The others are trade Show Rental Exhibits, quick Ship Exhibit Solutions, exhibit Management and Storage (Ion+) and logistics and Installation Services.
Does Ion Exhibits have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ion Exhibits.
What industry is Ion Exhibits in?
Ion Exhibits's product category is Trade Show Exhibit Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHACAF, Exhibition & Trade Show Management (Conference-Adjacent), with a secondary code of THAHAHAM, Booth Maintenance, Refurbishment & Reuse Programs. Its NAICS code is 541850 and its SIC code is 2540.