What Exhibit Source does

Exhibit Source, Inc. (ESi) is a privately held, full-service trade show exhibit company founded in 1982/1983 and headquartered in South Holland, Illinois, operating from an 80,000-square-foot fabrication facility with an additional 90,000 square feet of warehousing. The company designs, fabricates, stores, transports, installs, and dismantles custom trade show exhibits for enterprise clients across medical imaging, pharmaceuticals, food processing, packaging machinery, machine tools, industrial equipment, and consumer goods. Its core products include custom exhibits, modular exhibits, custom rental exhibits, and a full in-house graphics department, bundled under the Service+PLUS™ turnkey program and supported by the Cost Accounting Summary (CAS) budgeting system and an Online Asset Management platform. ESi holds EACA certification and HCEA membership, maintains warehouse and field-support nodes near the Chicago, Las Vegas, and Atlanta convention centers, and extends international coverage through alliance partners across Europe, Asia, South America, Australia, South Africa, and UAE.

The business model blends project-based custom fabrication (one-time fees), subscription-style rental exhibits and warehousing/storage (recurring fees), professional services for transportation and logistics, and managed services for full trade show program administration, all priced via custom quotes on multi-year contract frameworks. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales driven by a Get a Quote form, dedicated account managers, and a portfolio of named enterprise customers including Pfizer, Siemens, Bosch, Hitachi, Mazak, Sara Lee, Coleman, Okuma, and Stonyfield Farms. The company claims over 90% client retention, a 98%+ customer satisfaction index, and 95% of surveyed customers reporting that ESi designs exceeded expectations, and it is led by President Robert Hopkins with no disclosed outside investors or parent entity.

From a technology standpoint, ESi runs an in-house stack spanning graphic design, custom woodworking, metal and fabric fabrication, digital imaging, and specialty trade show transportation with computerized tracking. Differentiated operational assets include its three-node convention-center-adjacent warehouse footprint, 26-city direct field-support coverage, 60 years of combined in-house design experience, and union-licensed production facilities, with no disclosed AI, software-as-a-product, or data platform beyond its CAS and Online Asset Management tools.

Name

Exhibit Source

Legal name

Exhibit Source, Inc.

Website

https://exhibitsourceinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Exhibit Source (ESi) is a privately held, full-service trade show exhibit company that designs, fabricates, stores, transports, and installs custom exhibits for enterprise clients across medical, industrial, food processing, packaging, and consumer goods industries, operating from a Chicago-area headquarters with warehouse nodes in Las Vegas and Atlanta.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Show Exhibit Services

NAICS

Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (541850), Showcase, Partition, Shelving, and Locker Manufacturing (337215)

SIC

Miscellaneous Furniture & Fixtures (2590)

akta.pro primary industry

Trade Show & Exhibition Marketing (Booth Design/Build) (MPAAAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Consumer Expos & Trade Shows (MPAGAFAA), Exhibition & Trade Show Management (Conference-Adjacent) (THAHACAF), Trade Show, Exhibit & Event Logistics Moving (HSAKAKAK)

Keywords

• Custom trade show exhibits
• Exhibit design fabrication
• Trade show management
• Exhibit rental services
• Event marketing logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

South Holland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Exhibit Fabrication and Finishing: Design and build custom trade show exhibits, modular exhibits, and portable displays. Revenue generated through project-based fees for custom fabrication, finishing, and custom design work.
2. Custom Rental Exhibits: Rental exhibits and hybrid solutions (client structures combined with custom rental pieces). Also offers pre-designed rental packages. Revenue generated through rental fees as part of exhibit programs.
3. Graphics Production and Finishing: In-house graphics department providing graphic design, layout, C-prints, ink jet prints, display transparencies, banner production, fabric and vinyl sign production, digital imaging services.
4. Warehousing and Transportation Services: Storage options near major convention centers (Chicago, Atlanta, Las Vegas) and competitive trade show transportation services. Revenue from storage fees and transportation/logistics services.
5. Trade Show Management and Support: Full-service program management including exhibit installation and dismantling, refurbishing and maintenance, and dedicated account/project management.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Exhibit Source, Inc. (ESi) designs, fabricates, and manages custom trade show exhibits, modular exhibits, and custom rental exhibits for enterprise clients across medical, industrial, food, and high-tech industries. The company provides end-to-end services including in-house graphics production, exhibit transportation, secure warehousing near major U.S. convention centers, installation and dismantling, refurbishment, and turnkey program management via its Service+PLUS™ offering.

Product overview

Exhibit Source, Inc. (ESi) is a full-service trade show exhibit company offering a comprehensive portfolio of physical products and services. The core offerings include custom trade show exhibits, modular exhibits, and custom rental exhibits, supported by integrated services such as graphics production, transportation, warehousing, and the Service+PLUS™ program for turnkey trade show management. The company combines in-house fabrication capabilities with a global network of partners to deliver exhibits from concept through installation and dismantling. Additional offerings include the Cost Accounting Summary system for budget management, kiosk solutions, and refurbishment services. ESi operates primarily serving the industrial, food, high-tech, and medical industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Service+PLUS: A turnkey approach to meeting trade show needs by covering clients from concept to show and back, worry-free. Includes services such as show services forms preparation, ESi supervisor assignment, phase planning, labor coordination, travel planning, and cost accounting summary.

Products and services

• Custom Trade Show Exhibits Bespoke trade show booth designs tailored to client specifications, supporting marketing and sales goals with award-winning exhibit designs for enterprise clients.
• Modular Exhibits Pre-designed, reconfigurable exhibit systems that offer flexibility for multiple shows while maintaining brand consistency for enterprise clients.
• Custom Rental Exhibits and Booths Rental trade show displays that can be customized with lighting, furniture, storage cabinets, flooring, and graphics; offered as one-time rentals or ongoing rental programs, including pre-designed affordable packages and custom rental/hybrid solutions.
• Service+PLUS™ Trade Show Management Program Turnkey trade show management covering show services forms preparation, ESi supervisor assignment, phase planning, on-site labor, travel planning, cost reconciliation, competitive labor rates, traffic coordination, invoice reconciliation, cost accounting supervision, and pre/post-show meetings, with 24/7 support.
• Graphics Production and Finishing In-house graphic design, layout, C-prints, ink jet prints, display transparencies, banner production, fabric sign production, vinyl sign production, and digital imaging services for trade show exhibits.
• Exhibit Transportation Services Trade show logistics including bids from multiple carriers, specialty carrier divisions, air-ride suspensions, nationwide computerized tracking, and 24/7 phone support for exhibit shipments.
• Secure Warehousing Trade show display storage in Chicago, Atlanta, and Las Vegas near major convention centers with climate control, 24/7 monitoring, and 90,000 square feet of storage capacity.
• Exhibit Installation and Dismantling On-site booth setup and teardown services using skilled craftsmen who built the exhibits in ESi's factory.
• Exhibit Booth Refurbishing and Maintenance Booth restoration and upkeep services including post-show inspections and repairs to maintain trade show materials between events.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% of independently surveyed customers indicated ESi designs consistently exceeded expectations
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers26 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• International Alliance Partners NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESi maintains an established international network of industry professionals to provide trade show support across Europe, Asia, South America, Australia, South Africa, UAE, and North America. The network eliminates the time-consuming task of researching overseas exhibit and event service providers for clients.
• EACA (Exhibitor Appointed Contractor Association)coreOthersESi is certified by the Exhibitor Appointed Contractor Association. All ESi production facilities are licensed with local carpet, electrical, carpenter, plumbing and transportation unions.
• HCEA (Healthcare Convention and Exhibitors Association)minorOthersESi is a member of the Healthcare Convention and Exhibitors Association. ESi staff are members of the Annual Meeting & Convention Committee and fully support HCEA programs.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hamilton Exhibits: Mid-size U.S. trade show exhibit design and fabrication firm offering custom and modular exhibits, graphics, warehousing, and installation — closely comparable in service mix and customer profile to Exhibit Source.
• Skyline Exhibits: One of the largest custom trade show exhibit design and fabrication companies in North America, offering modular and custom exhibits, rentals, and full-service program management — directly comparable in product/offering and customer base to ESi.
• The Trade Group: Full-service exhibit house providing custom design, fabrication, rentals, logistics, and on-site services — overlapping directly with Exhibit Source's service stack and target verticals.
• 3D Exhibits: Trade show exhibit designer and builder serving enterprise clients in healthcare, industrial, and technology; comparable custom fabrication, rental, and program management offerings.
• Czarnowski Display: Long-established trade show exhibit company providing design, fabrication, and full show services to enterprise brands; comparable to ESi in offering mix, customer base, and integrated service model.
• Downing Exhibits: U.S. exhibit house offering custom exhibit design, fabrication, and full-service trade show management; overlaps with Exhibit Source's core service offering and customer segments.
• Moss Exhibits: U.S.-based trade show exhibit designer and fabricator serving enterprise clients across medical, industrial, and technology verticals; comparable offering portfolio including custom exhibits, rental, and program management.

Broad incumbents

• GES (Global Experience Specialists): Major global provider of exhibition services including custom exhibits, show services, and event management; competes head-to-head with ESi for enterprise convention programs at venues like McCormick Place and Las Vegas Convention Center.
• Freeman: Largest full-service trade show and event solutions provider globally, offering exhibit design/fabrication, show services, and logistics; broader portfolio than ESi but core offerings directly overlap.

Emerging players

• Image 4: Boutique trade show and event exhibit design firm serving primarily consumer and tech brands; narrower scale than ESi but competes on custom fabrication and experiential design.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/exhibit-source-inc

Compliance2 records

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 Exhibit Source