The Design Agency

Name

The Design Agency

Legal name

The Design Agency, Inc.

Website

https://designagency.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Design Agency is a privately held, full-service exhibit design, fabrication, and management firm founded in 1974, serving US and global businesses across trade shows, events, corporate environments, museums, and retail with in-house design, production, and on-site services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Exhibit Design and Construction Services

NAICS

Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (541850), Interior Design Services (541410), Industrial Design Services (54142)

SIC

Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700), Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350), Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design (BPAHAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Venue Decor Setup, On-Site Styling & Breakdown (HSACAOAO), Decor Props & Themed Set Rentals (HSACAFAK), Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM), Staging & Rigging Services (MPAGAKAA)

Keywords

• Trade show exhibits
• Exhibit design services
• Custom booth fabrication
• Experiential event environments
• Corporate interior installations

Headquarters

HQ city

Itasca

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Exhibit Design and Construction Services: Project-based fees for custom exhibit design, fabrication, and construction. Services include initial concept, planning, execution, on-site setup/teardown, and ongoing support. Pricing is quote-based and tailored to client needs, project scope, and complexity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Design Agency designs, fabricates, and manages custom exhibits, events, environments, and rental installations for businesses attending trade shows, conferences, and other live-marketing engagements. All work is executed in-house from concept through on-site setup, teardown, and ongoing support, with dedicated account managers and 24/7/365 service coverage across the United States and worldwide.

Product overview

The Design Agency is a full-service exhibit solutions provider offering a unified portfolio of four core product lines: Exhibits (custom experiential exhibit design, fabrication, and management), Events (event booth design and full-service planning/execution), Environments (corporate interiors, lobbies, retail showrooms, and museum installations), and Rentals (hybrid rental showroom designs). These core offerings are supported by integrated service modules including Marketing Support, In-House Design Studio, Project and Program Management, In-House Production, and On-Site Services. The company handles end-to-end development from concept to completion with all capabilities performed in-house, serving clients across diverse markets worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Exhibits Custom experiential exhibit design, building, and management services covering all shapes, sizes, industries, and budgets with strategy and innovation. Targets businesses attending trade shows, exhibitions, conferences, and events.
• Events Event booth design, full-service planning, execution, and management of in-booth presentations, live-marketing initiatives, off-site venues, and themed productions both indoors and outdoors.
• Environments Design, planning, and construction services for permanent and temporary installations including corporate interiors, lobbies, training centers, retail showrooms, and museums.
• Rentals Rental showroom designs combining hybrid components to create targeted turnkey solutions with differentiation from standard stock options.
• In-House Design Studio Creative design services featuring organic collaborative conceptual processes with diverse industrial designers and marketing experts, supported by architectural and graphic design expertise.
• Project and Program Management In-house project, program, and account management including dedicated account managers, expert construction drawings, documentation, and single unified post-show invoicing.
• In-House Production Concept-to-completion fabrication services with talented craftsmen, careful craftsmanship, engineering, and exhibit repair and refurbishment.
• On-Site Services Complete on-site services including setup, teardown, supervision, electrical, drayage, furniture, AV, lighting, and 24/7/365 support.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Freeman: Freeman is the largest global exhibit and event marketing services provider, offering design, fabrication, logistics, and on-site services. Directly comparable to The Design Agency across the full stack of exhibits, events, and environments but at significantly greater scale.
• Hamilton Exhibits: Hamilton Exhibits provides custom exhibit design, fabrication, and program management for trade shows, corporate events, and permanent installations. Directly comparable to The Design Agency's full-service in-house model.
• The Trade Group: The Trade Group designs, fabricates, and manages custom exhibits and event environments with in-house production. A direct mid-market peer to The Design Agency in terms of full-service scope and exhibit-focused offering.
• GES (Global Experience Specialists): GES is a major direct competitor offering end-to-end exhibit design, fabrication, and event services worldwide. Operates an in-house model similar to The Design Agency with a comparable product portfolio across trade shows and corporate events.
• Czarnowski Display Service: Czarnowski is a privately held, multi-generational exhibit and event marketing firm offering design, fabrication, and program management. Highly comparable to The Design Agency in terms of family/independently owned positioning, full-service scope, and longevity in the category.
• Sparks: Sparks is a global experiential marketing agency that designs and builds exhibits, events, and brand experiences. Comparable to The Design Agency in offering integrated design, fabrication, and on-site execution under a single brand.
• MC2 (MC Squared): MC2 is an experiential marketing agency specializing in custom exhibit design, fabrication, and event environments. Directly competes with The Design Agency in the design-build of branded trade show exhibits and corporate environments.
• Derse: Derse is a full-service exhibit and event marketing agency delivering design, fabrication, and program management. Comparable to The Design Agency across the exhibit design and construction core product line for trade show and corporate environment clients.

Emerging players

• 3D Exhibits: 3D Exhibits is a mid-sized exhibit design and fabrication firm serving trade show and corporate clients. Comparable to The Design Agency's core exhibit product line, with somewhat smaller scale and a focus on custom build projects.

Others

• beMatrix: beMatrix is a leading manufacturer of modular aluminum exhibit frame systems used by exhibit builders worldwide. Adjacent to The Design Agency as an enabling supplier whose modular system the firm could leverage for hybrid and rental products.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/designagencyinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 The Design Agency