Exhibits Development Group
Exhibits Development Group (EDG) is a privately held, woman-owned traveling-exhibition company that develops, distributes, and operates museum-quality exhibitions globally, placing content in nearly 200 institutions, entertainment destinations, and owned venues for museums, science centers, and cultural organizations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersFarmington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Exhibits Development Group does
Exhibits Development Group (EDG) is a privately held, woman-owned company founded in 2006 by CEO Amy Noble Seitz and headquartered at the historic Union Depot in St. Paul, Minnesota. The company curates, develops, markets, and globally distributes traveling museum exhibitions across art, science, history, and popular-culture categories, operating from three Minnesota locations (St. Paul headquarters, a Farmington office, and the operated Chateau Theatre in Rochester). Its portfolio spans 15+ active exhibitions including blockbuster IP-driven properties such as MythBusters (with Discovery Communications), Sherlock Holmes (with the Conan Doyle Estate), Dressing The Abbey and Costume Couture (with Cosprop), the LEGO Brick series (with artist Warren Elsmore), Princess Diana artifacts, and STEAM-focused Electric Playhouse Travels (with Electric Playhouse), which uses projection mapping, sensor tracking, and WebGL/JavaScript-based interactive content.
EDG generates revenue through five primary streams: exhibition tour placement and booking fees (transaction fees for hosting rights), exhibition design and development services (project management, curatorial research, fabrication), tour operations and logistics (customs coordination, CITES permits, installation, maintenance, retail strategy, charged as professional services), sales/marketing and distribution services on behalf of third-party exhibition organizers (licensing/commission structure), and the CultureNut marketplace platform (launched 2019) that facilitates buying, selling, and exchanging idle assets between cultural institutions. The company also operates the Chateau Theatre in Rochester as an owned-venue cultural destination. Go-to-market is sales-led, with direct enterprise outreach to museums, science centers, alternative venues (e.g., Destiny USA's 26M-visitor "Muzium"), and exhibition organizers, complemented by conference presence at AAM and AMM, webinars, PR, and the EDG website. The company has placed exhibitions in nearly 200 institutions across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Oceania, and Latin America, and employs between 11–50 people.
Exhibits Development Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Exhibits Development Group
- Legal name
- Exhibits Development Group
- Website
- https://exhibitsdevelopment.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Exhibits Development Group (EDG) is a privately held, woman-owned traveling-exhibition company that develops, distributes, and operates museum-quality exhibitions globally, placing content in nearly 200 institutions, entertainment destinations, and owned venues for museums, science centers, and cultural organizations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Exhibits Development Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Traveling Museum Exhibition Services
- NAICS
- Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Exhibition & Trade Show Management (Conference-Adjacent) (THAHACAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- General Consumer Expos & Trade Shows (MPAGAFAA), Content Asset Libraries & Template Marketplaces (stock, characters, themes) (EDAFAHAI)
Keywords
Where Exhibits Development Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Farmington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Exhibits Development Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Exhibition Tour Placement & Booking Fees: EDG generates revenue by placing traveling exhibitions at museums, science centers, and alternative venues globally. Institutions pay for the right to host an exhibition for a defined period. EDG manages the full tour schedule and placement.
- Exhibition Design & Development Services: EDG provides full-service exhibition design and development including project management, curatorial research, design, fabrication, production management, and financial modeling. Clients include international museums, private collections, and alternative venues.
- Tour Operations & Logistics Services: EDG offers comprehensive tour operations including logistics, customs coordination (CITES permits, import/export), registrarial services, installation/de-installation, maintenance, insurance, and retail strategy. These are charged as professional services to exhibition owners and host venues.
- Sales, Marketing & Distribution Services: EDG is engaged by exhibition organizers to sell and market their exhibitions globally. This includes market research, B2B/B2C marketing campaigns, PR, direct sales, contract negotiation, and IP/brand management. EDG takes a commission or fee for placements.
- CultureNut Platform: EDG launched the CultureNut platform in 2019 to reduce cultural waste from museums and cultural institutions. The platform facilitates the buying, selling, and exchanging of idle assets between cultural institutions, potentially generating platform-based revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Exhibition Size-Based Pricing (under 7,000 sq ft) |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Exhibition Size-Based Pricing (over 7,000 sq ft) |
| Other | Annual | Early Booking Discount — Evolution |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Exhibits Development Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Exhibits Development Group (EDG) develops, markets, and globally distributes traveling museum exhibitions across art, science, history, and popular culture categories. The company offers full-service exhibition lifecycle support including international sales and venue placement, tour operations (logistics, customs, installation, maintenance), and exhibition design and development. EDG also operates the CultureNut platform, a marketplace where cultural institutions can buy, sell, and exchange idle assets to reduce cultural waste.
Product overview
Exhibits Development Group (EDG) is a global leader in traveling exhibitions offering a portfolio of physical exhibition experiences across art, science, history, and popular culture categories. The company operates as both an exhibition developer and distributor, providing three core service lines: Sales & Marketing (international sales and venue placement), Tour Operations (logistics, installation, and maintenance), and Exhibition Design & Development. The product portfolio includes themed brick exhibitions (Brick History, Brick Odyssey, Brick Journeys, Brick Dinos, Brick Wonderland, Brick Fairytales), historical and cultural exhibitions (Sherlock Holmes, Dressing The Abbey, Costume Couture, Diana: Love Life Legacy, The Cavern Club Experience), science exhibitions (Evolution, MythBusters, Electric Playhouse Travels), photography exhibitions (Elvis at 21, Becoming Bob Dylan), and environmental exhibitions (Environmental Graphiti). Additionally, EDG operates the Culturenut platform for cultural institutions to exchange idle assets. The company serves museums, science centers, galleries, and alternative venues including malls, casinos, train stations, and cruise ships globally.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CultureNut: A marketplace platform for cultural institutions to buy, sell and exchange idle assets, launched in 2019 to reduce cultural waste from museums, theatres and edutainment producers
- CultureNut Xchange
Products and services
- Brick Dinos A traveling exhibition featuring authentic LEGO brick dinosaur sculptures designed for venues between 400 and 700 square metres, developed in conjunction with paleontologists. Includes 4 Stop and Wonder mega-scale exhibits, 20 paleo scenes, and 3 Fun Facts stations.
- Costume Couture Exhibition celebrating 60 years of costume design by Cosprop (founded by Oscar-winner John Bright), featuring 75+ couture costumes from films including Out of Africa, Emma, Pirates of the Caribbean, Little Women, Downton Abbey, and Peaky Blinders.
- Diana: Love, Life, Legacy A traveling tribute exhibition showcasing 300+ original Princess Diana artifacts on tour for the first time ever, including her most iconic, personal, and historically significant objects. Developed with The Princess & The Platypus Foundation.
Quantifiable outcome
- Liberty Science Center reported unprecedented attendance and membership growth during Beyond Rubik's Cube's run
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Exhibits Development Group
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Exhibits Development Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Exhibits Development Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- Electric PlayhousemajorEDG collaborated with Electric Playhouse (a creative firm based in Albuquerque, New Mexico) to create Electric Playhouse Travels, a STEAM immersive experience for the museum community. Electric Playhouse contributed its unique technology and digital creativity (projection mapping, sensor tracking), while EDG provided global touring expertise and distribution. The exhibition debuted at the Boston Museum of Science and has since been shown in Boston, Detroit, Wichita, Grand Rapids, and Montreal.
- Discovery CommunicationscoreEDG partnered with Discovery Communications (the world's number-one non-fiction media company) to extend the MythBusters: The Explosive Exhibition for another five years and expand it into a global tour. The exhibition is also developed in partnership with the Museum of Science and Industry Chicago (MSI) and Geoffrey M. Curley + Associates (GMC+A). The original North American tour ran 7 years across 17 cities. The global extension adds up to 15 more cities, with discussions in the USA, Canada, UK, Scandinavia, Germany, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and Latin America.
- Meow WolfmajorEDG unveiled a major collaboration with Santa Fe-based Meow Wolf to present a new, game-changing exhibition-experience at the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) annual meeting. Meow Wolf creates immersive multimedia experiences that transport audiences into fantastic realms of storytelling. Their first major installation 'House of Eternal Return' is a collaboration of over 100 local artists. EDG planned to bring Meow Wolf's creative format to institutions and cities nationwide.
- Destiny USAcoreEDG entered a long-term partnership with Destiny USA, the sixth largest shopping, dining and entertainment destination in the US (26M annual visitors), to install four traveling exhibitions in a new 7,500 sq ft entertainment space called 'The Muzium' on the third level of the venue. EDG designed the gallery space and selected exhibitions spanning art, science, popular culture, and history. The partnership opened with The Magical History Tour: A Beatles Memorabilia Exhibition on November 9, followed by Beyond Rubik's Cube, MythBusters: The Explosive Exhibition, and additional exhibitions.
- Italian Entertainment Network (IEN)majorEDG announced an exclusive collaboration with the Italian Entertainment Network (IEN), Rome, Italy for the co-development and distribution of 15 new exhibitions for the international cultural community. The exhibitions cover art, science, and history from Italy's greatest ancient sites and institutions. The partnership was to be spearheaded with highly acclaimed projects for art and science museums.
- Geoffrey M. Curley + Associates (GMC+A)coreGMC+A serves as content lead and exhibition designer for key EDG exhibitions including Sherlock Holmes: The Exhibition and MythBusters: The Explosive Exhibition. Geoffrey M. Curley supported the design and development team with extensive backgrounds in special effects and experiential exhibition design. The relationship spans multiple exhibitions over many years.
- Conan Doyle Estate LimitedmajorThe Conan Doyle Estate Limited collaborated with EDG and Geoffrey M. Curley + Associates on the development of Sherlock Holmes: The Exhibition, granting access to the literary character's legacy and associated artifacts for the exhibition.
- Museum of Science and Industry Chicago (MSI)coreMSI was a co-development partner for the MythBusters: The Explosive Exhibition, which premiered at MSI in Chicago in March 2012. MSI is listed as a key client and collaborator in EDG's partnership portfolio.
- Concurrently with The AimesmajorEDG co-produced the Evolution dinosaur exhibition with The Aimes (co-founded by Piero Cozzi, former CEO of Filmmaster MEA and producer of Olympic opening/closing ceremonies). The Aimes provides artistic and sensory expertise for immersive experiences. The Evolution exhibition sold out in its first month.
- Stage 9 ExhibitsmajorEDG announced the third chapter in Stage 9 Exhibits' popular Expedition Dinosaur series ('Expedition Dinosaur: Into the Deep') for global distribution. Stage 9 Exhibits is described as the creator of the popular Expedition Dinosaur series.
- Contemporanea Progetti (Florence, Italy)majorEDG collaborated with Contemporanea Progetti (creative partners based in Florence, Italy) to deliver a significant international tour for SAMURAI: Sunrise, Sunset. The exhibition presents approximately 100 fine objects from the Museo Stibbert's Japanese collection, one of the most exceptional collections outside of Japan.
- Fairy BricksminorEDG collaborates with Fairy Bricks to tour Brick Wonderland (LEGO fairytale sculptures) and Brick Fairytales (LEGO storybook characters) exhibitions, which feature interactive LEGO brick models capturing beloved children's story characters.
- Warren ElsmoremajorWarren Elsmore is the artist and creative force behind EDG's Brick series exhibitions including Brick History, Brick Odyssey, Brick Journeys, Brick Dinos, Brick Wonderland, and Brick Fairytales. His team designs and develops all LEGO brick sculptures for these exhibitions.
- Cosprop Ltd. (London, England)majorCosprop Ltd., London, organized the Dressing The Abbey and Costume Couture exhibitions. Cosprop is a legendary costume house founded by Oscar-winner John Bright, responsible for costumes in films like Out of Africa, Emma, Pirates of the Caribbean, Little Women, and TV series including Downton Abbey and Peaky Blinders.
- The Princess & The Platypus FoundationmajorDeveloped Princess Diana: Love, Life, and Legacy exhibition with The Princess & The Platypus Foundation, which provided access to an unparalleled private collection of Princess Diana's most iconic personal and historically significant artifacts (300+ original objects on tour for the first time ever).
- University of Chicago Fossil Lab / Paul SerenomajorEDG partnered with world-renowned paleontologist Paul Sereno and the University of Chicago Fossil Lab (top-ranked paleontology program in the US) for the Dinosaurs of the Sahara exhibition. The lab discovered over 100 tons of fossil material in Niger and Morocco, including SuperCroc and Pterosaur specimens.
- Govinda GalleryminorEDG collaborated with Govinda Gallery to develop and distribute Elvis at 21 (Alfred Wertheimer photographs) and Becoming Bob Dylan (Ted Russell photographs) traveling photography exhibitions.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Exhibits Development Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- ARTECHOUSE: ARTECHOUSE operates digital immersive art installations in major cities, often in non-traditional venues similar to EDG's Muzium model at Destiny USA. It competes for the same alternative-venue, technology-driven cultural experience audience and overlaps with EDG's Electric Playhouse Travels exhibition.
- Meow Wolf: Meow Wolf is an immersive multimedia arts and entertainment company that builds permanent and traveling narrative-driven experiences (House of Eternal Return, Omega Mart). EDG even partnered with Meow Wolf to bring its format to museum audiences—positioning Meow Wolf as a competitor in the immersive/alternative-venue exhibition space.
- The Jim Henson Company: Jim Henson Company develops IP-based traveling exhibitions featuring Muppets, Labyrinth, Fraggle Rock, and Jim Henson's Creature Shop content. It competes for similar family- and IP-driven museum bookings that EDG targets with MythBusters, Beatles, and Princess Diana exhibitions.
Direct peers
- Imagine Exhibitions: Founded by Tom Zaller, Imagine Exhibitions is a leading producer and distributor of traveling museum exhibitions with a comparable IP-licensing model (e.g., Downton Abbey, Jurassic World, Hunger Games). It directly competes with EDG for museum venue placements and offers similar sales/marketing and tour operations services globally.
- Stage 9 Exhibits: Stage 9 Exhibits is the creator of the popular Expedition Dinosaur series, which EDG distributes globally. Both companies occupy the dinosaur/ancient-life traveling exhibition niche, compete for science center bookings, and collaborate on a per-exhibition basis.
- Premier Exhibitions (now operating under different ownership): Premier Exhibitions built a global traveling exhibition business around premium IP such as Titanic artifacts and BODIES...The Exhibition, operating in the same museum-venue distribution channel as EDG. Although the company has gone through bankruptcy, its historical model and re-emergence under successor entities make it a comparable traveling-exhibition peer.
- Dino Don Inc. Dino Don Inc. is a specialist producer of life-sized animatronic dinosaur exhibitions that tour science centers and museums worldwide. It competes directly with EDG's dinosaur/ancient-life titles (Dinosaurs of the Sahara, Brick Dinos, Expedition Dinosaur series) for similar science center and family audience placements.
- SITES (Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service): SITES is the Smithsonian's dedicated traveling exhibition arm, producing and circulating high-quality exhibitions across the U.S. and internationally. Like EDG, it handles exhibition development, tour scheduling, and venue placement—often partnering with museums that compete with EDG for the same institutional clients and IP.
Broad incumbents
- National Geographic Society Exhibitions: National Geographic has historically licensed its brand and imagery for major traveling exhibitions (Tutankhamun, Queens of Egypt, National Geographic Photo Ark). It competes with EDG for premium science and history museum placements but does so as a content licensor rather than a full-service tour operator.
- Neon (formerly Global Experience Specialists / GES): Neon (the rebranded GES, owned by Viad Corp) is a major exhibit and event services provider handling trade shows, corporate events, and branded environments. While it does not specialize in museum traveling exhibitions, it competes for broader experiential marketing and design-build work that overlaps with EDG's design/development services.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Customer concentration
Exhibits Development Group social profiles
Digital presenceExhibits Development Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Exhibits Development Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Exhibits Development Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Exhibits Development Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Exhibits Development Group 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 Exhibits Development Group
What does Exhibits Development Group do?
Exhibits Development Group (EDG) develops, markets, and globally distributes traveling museum exhibitions across art, science, history, and popular culture categories. The company offers full-service exhibition lifecycle support including international sales and venue placement, tour operations (logistics, customs, installation, maintenance), and exhibition design and development. EDG also operates the CultureNut platform, a marketplace where cultural institutions can buy, sell, and exchange idle assets to reduce cultural waste.
Is Exhibits Development Group a public or private company?
Exhibits Development Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Exhibits Development Group founded?
Exhibits Development Group was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Exhibits Development Group based?
Exhibits Development Group is headquartered in Farmington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Exhibits Development Group make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Exhibition Tour Placement & Booking Fees are the primary driver. The others are exhibition Design & Development Services, tour Operations & Logistics Services, sales, Marketing & Distribution Services and cultureNut Platform.
Who are Exhibits Development Group's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are ARTECHOUSE, Meow Wolf and The Jim Henson Company. Direct peers are Imagine Exhibitions, Stage 9 Exhibits, Premier Exhibitions (now operating under different ownership), Dino Don Inc. and SITES (Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service). Broad incumbents are National Geographic Society Exhibitions and Neon (formerly Global Experience Specialists / GES).
Does Exhibits Development Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Exhibits Development Group.
What industry is Exhibits Development Group in?
Exhibits Development Group's product category is Traveling Museum Exhibition Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHACAF, Exhibition & Trade Show Management (Conference-Adjacent), with a secondary code of MPAGAFAA, General Consumer Expos & Trade Shows. Its NAICS code is 711 and its SIC code is 7900.