Blackout
Blackout (Blackout Ltd, founded 1990) is a London-headquartered specialist supplier that hires, sells and manufactures event drapes, rigging equipment and bespoke textile solutions for conferences, concerts, exhibitions, theatre, film and television productions across the UK and France.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Blackout does
Blackout is a London-headquartered specialist supplier of event drapes and rigging equipment serving corporate conferences, concerts, exhibitions, product launches, theatre, film and television productions across the United Kingdom and continental Europe via its French subsidiary Blackout Sarl. The company manufactures, hires and sells an extensive catalogue spanning wool serge, velour, Trevira, voile, sharkstooth gauze, LED starcloths, kabuki solenoid drops, AutoReveal curtains, total blackout drapes and decorative finishes (Lame, Festoon, Casement, PUFC, Isodrape), and operates a rigging inventory that includes Prolyte H30V and H40V truss, Thomas Superstruss and Superlite, NH32 ladder beam, X30D triangular truss, gabled and circular truss systems, electric chain hoists (Lodestar, Prostar, Liftket) ranging from 250kg to 2-ton, and Kinesys programmable hoist automation.
Founded in 1990 by Chairman Steve Tuck following 16 years in touring and corporate event rigging, Blackout generates revenue through four streams: equipment hire (drapes, rigging, pipe & drape, LED starcloth, hoists and automation on a project/event basis), product sales (pipe & drape in silver finish, kabuki solenoids, Triple E tab track), bespoke manufacturing (curtains, truss socks, festoons, Austrians, string curtains, kabuki drapes, sails, bags, protective covers, fire-certified materials and printed drapes and banners), and project management services delivered from enquiry to event completion. A multi-talented in-house sewing team produces custom work on specification.
The company operates a direct-to-consumer go-to-market through its Hire and Sales Department, quoting by phone (0208 687 8400) and email ([email protected]) Monday-Friday 8:30-5:30 with urgent-request handling. Approximately 65 dedicated employees plus a freelance crew deliver projects, supported by dedicated project managers (Tom Lambert, Tim Searle, William Bryant), a Managing Director (Chris Brain, joined 1994) and a Director (Kevin Monks, joined 1997, director since 2004) who represents the company on the National Rigging Advisory Group. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; the company maintains an active digital presence via its website, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram plus email newsletters.
Blackout firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Blackout
- Legal name
- Blackout Ltd
- Website
- https://blackout.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Blackout (Blackout Ltd, founded 1990) is a London-headquartered specialist supplier that hires, sells and manufactures event drapes, rigging equipment and bespoke textile solutions for conferences, concerts, exhibitions, theatre, film and television productions across the UK and France.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Blackout industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Event Production Rigging and Drapes
- NAICS
- Curtain and Linen Mills (314120)
- SIC
- Partitions, Shelvg, Lockers, & Office & Store Fixtures (2540), Construction Machinery & Equip (3531)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Pipe & Drape, Backdrop & Room-Divider Rentals (HSACAFAJ)
Keywords
Where Blackout is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Blackout 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
- Equipment Hire: Rental of drapes, rigging equipment, and accessories for events. Pipe & Drape is the most popular hire product, available with various fabrics including Wool Serge, Velour, Voile, Molton, Lamé, Trevira, and LED Starcloth. Rigging hire includes trusses, hoists, and Kinesys automation products.
- Product Sales: Sale of drapes, rigging equipment, and accessories. Extensive range of Pipe and Drape for sale in silver finish. Kabuki Solenoids and Triple E Tab Track available as sale items.
- Bespoke Manufacturing: Custom-made drape products and rigging solutions to client specifications. Manufacturing team creates bespoke curtains, truss socks, Festoons, Austrians, string curtains, kabuki drapes, sails, bags, and protective covers. Can source fire certified materials and provide printed drapes and banners.
- Project Management Services: Dedicated event support from rigging and draping experts, including project management from initial enquiry through to completion.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Hire services for drapes and rigging equipment |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Blackout product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Blackout supplies event drapes, rigging equipment and related accessories on a hire, sale and bespoke manufacturing basis for conferences, concerts, exhibitions, theatre, film and television productions. Its inventory spans fabric drapes (wool serge, velour, Trevira, voile, starcloth, total blackout, etc.), pipe & drape systems, truss (Prolyte, Thomas), electric chain hoists, and Kinesys automation controls. The company also delivers end-to-end project management, from initial enquiry and quote through to on-site installation and dismantle.
Product overview
Blackout is a specialist supplier of event drapes, rigging equipment, and related services for the events industry. The core product portfolio comprises two main categories: Drapes (including Wool Serge, Velour, Trevira, Voile, Sharkstooth Gauze, Star Cloths, Bespoke Drapes, Backdrops, Kabuki Drop Solenoid, AutoReveal Curtains, Total Blackout Drapes, and specialty options like Lame, Festoon, Curtain Swags, Filled Cloth, PUFC, Isodrape, and Casement) and Rigging (featuring Prolyte Truss H30V & H40V, NH32 Ladder Beam, H40V Middle Beam, Thomas Superstruss, Thomas Superlite, X30D Triangular, Circular Truss Systems, Gabled Truss, Ground Support Structures, Rigging Masts, Electric Chain Hoists, and Kinesys Control & Automation). The company operates on a hire, sale, and bespoke manufacturing model, offering project management services to deliver complete event solutions across conferences, concerts, exhibitions, theatre, film, and television sectors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use Blackout
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Blackout technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Blackout partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Blackout competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- J&C Joel: UK-headquartered manufacturer and renter of event drapes, stage curtains and theatrical fabrics with a near-identical product portfolio (Wool Serge, Velour, printed drapes) and global hire network. The closest like-for-like competitor to Blackout's drape hire and bespoke manufacturing offering.
- Unusual Rigging: UK rigging specialist providing truss, hoist and motorised rigging solutions to live events, theatre, broadcast and exhibitions. Comparable on the rigging half of Blackout's offering with overlapping equipment brands and LOLER-compliant services.
- Hawthorn: UK-based provider of event production services including rigging, draping, lighting and staging for corporate and live events. A like-for-like competitor to Blackout across the hire, bespoke and project-management stack.
- White Light: UK event technology supplier offering lighting, rigging, audio and event infrastructure to theatre, corporate events and broadcast. Comparable to Blackout on rigging hire and project-based event services in the UK market.
- Stage One: UK staging and rigging contractor delivering bespoke staging structures, automation and event infrastructure for high-profile live events and exhibitions. Overlaps with Blackout on rigging, automation (Kinesys-style) and bespoke event solutions.
- Gallowglass: UK event crew and services provider supplying installation labour, rigging teams and event logistics to corporate events and exhibitions. Comparable to Blackout on the project-management and installation-services side, though lighter on owned inventory.
Broad incumbents
- PRG (Production Resource Group): Global live-event production giant offering lighting, video, audio and rigging across concerts, corporate events and broadcast. Overlaps with Blackout on rigging and drapes but as part of a much broader production-services portfolio for enterprise clients.
Emerging players
- Harlequin Floors: UK manufacturer and supplier of portable and permanent event/dance flooring. Adjacent to Blackout as part of the broader event-environment supply chain (flooring + drapes + rigging) rather than a direct drape/rigging competitor.
- Adlib Audio Visual: UK provider of event lighting, audio, rigging and video production services. Comparable to Blackout on the rigging hire and event project-management offering, particularly in the concert and corporate segments.
Regional players
- Showpro: Australian event services provider offering rigging, draping, staging and event infrastructure. Comparable product offering to Blackout but geographically focused on Australia/Asia-Pacific rather than UK/Europe.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Blackout social profiles
Digital presenceBlackout financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Blackout leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Blackout subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Blackout funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Blackout 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 Blackout
What does Blackout do?
Blackout supplies event drapes, rigging equipment and related accessories on a hire, sale and bespoke manufacturing basis for conferences, concerts, exhibitions, theatre, film and television productions. Its inventory spans fabric drapes (wool serge, velour, Trevira, voile, starcloth, total blackout, etc.), pipe & drape systems, truss (Prolyte, Thomas), electric chain hoists, and Kinesys automation controls. The company also delivers end-to-end project management, from initial enquiry and quote through to on-site installation and dismantle.
Is Blackout a public or private company?
Blackout is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Blackout founded?
Blackout was founded in 1990. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Blackout based?
Blackout is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Blackout make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Equipment Hire is the primary driver. The others are product Sales, bespoke Manufacturing and project Management Services.
Who are Blackout's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are J&C Joel, Unusual Rigging, Hawthorn, White Light, Stage One and Gallowglass. PRG (Production Resource Group) is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are Harlequin Floors and Adlib Audio Visual. Showpro is listed as a regional player.
Does Blackout have an API?
No public API is recorded for Blackout.
What industry is Blackout in?
Blackout's product category is Event Production Rigging and Drapes. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSACAFAJ, Pipe & Drape, Backdrop & Room-Divider Rentals. Its NAICS code is 314120 and its SIC code is 2540.