Expo Stars

What Expo Stars does

Expo Stars Interactive Limited, founded in 2007 and headquartered in Manchester, is a privately held global exhibition services firm operating under the positioning "The Exhibition Performance Agency." The company sells three core professional services — Exhibition Strategy, Staff Training, and Booth Staffing — targeted at three distinct buyer groups: exhibitors, exhibit builders, and show organisers. Its delivery model rests on a distributed international bench of multilingual exhibition professionals (covering at least eight languages) who are deployed at major trade shows including Mobile World Congress, CES, Bett, AWS Summits, and ITEXPO. Revenue is generated via quote-based project and programme fees for strategy consulting, interactive engagement training (including CPD-certified TEO Masterclasses), and booth staffing (brand ambassadors, lead generators, hosts, interpreters, product demonstrators). The company supplements services with proprietary IP — the five-pillar Trade Show Engagement Optimisation (TEO) Framework, the iMA personality assessment integration, and a free ROI calculator / TEO scorecard — and operates the Tabsview booking management platform and mobile application for staff scheduling and field reporting. Expo Stars has delivered 3,500+ projects across 100+ cities in 53 countries and is founder-led by Managing Director Lee Ali. Its go-to-market combines direct sales, a partnership channel (notably with the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce and several show organisers), and a content-led funnel anchored by The Expo Factor podcast and a free-resource library.

Name

Expo Stars

Legal name

Expo Stars Interactive Limited

Website

https://expostars.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Expo Stars is a Manchester-based global exhibition services firm founded in 2007, providing exhibition strategy, staff training, and booth staffing to exhibitors, exhibit builders, and show organisers across 53 countries, supported by its proprietary TEO framework and Tabsview booking platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Show and Exhibition Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Trade Shows & Exhibitions (Booths, Show Management) (BPAFAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Exhibition staffing services
• Trade show consulting
• Booth staff training
• Exhibition strategy
• Event engagement talent

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Exhibition Strategy Consulting: Strategic consulting services for exhibition planning, attendee engagement optimization, and exhibition ROI improvement
2. Staff Training Services: Interactive engagement training programs including booth staff training, sales team preparation, and CPD-certified masterclasses
3. Booth Staffing: Providing professional exhibition staff including brand ambassadors, lead generators, event hosts, booth managers, interpreters, product demonstrators, and presenters for trade shows globally
4. Trade Show Engagement Optimisation Workshop: CPD-certified training workshop focusing on five pillars of Trade Show Engagement Optimization for exhibitors

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Expo Stars provides three core trade show services for exhibitors: (1) Exhibition Strategy consulting to help companies attract, engage, and qualify attendees and improve exhibition ROI; (2) Staff Training programmes using the proprietary Trade Show Engagement Optimisation (TEO) five-pillar framework; and (3) Booth Staffing, supplying multilingual on-site engagement talent including booth hosts, product demonstrators, lead generators, and emcees for trade shows globally.

Product overview

Expo Stars operates as a unified service portfolio under 'The Exhibition Performance Agency' brand, offering three core services (Exhibition Strategy, Staff Training, and Booth Staffing) that work together to deliver comprehensive exhibition success solutions. The company has developed proprietary methodologies including the Trade Show Engagement Optimisation (TEO) Framework and Exhibitor Success Programme, supported by the Tabsview booking management platform. Additional offerings include a CPD-certified Exhibition Engagement Workshop/Masterclass, free resources (ROI Calculator, iMA Assessment, TEO Scorecard), and The Expo Factor Podcast. Services span strategy consulting, staff training, multilingual booth staffing, and post-event follow-up processes across 53 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Expo Factor: Expo Stars' own podcast series featuring industry experts discussing trade show success, engagement strategies, and exhibition optimization.
• Tabsview

Products and services

• Exhibition Strategy Strategic consulting service helping companies attract, engage, and qualify attendees at exhibitions, differentiate their exhibit booth from competitors, and generate greater ROI from trade shows.
• Staff Training Interactive engagement training programme combining exhibition strategy, preparation, lead generation, attendee engagement, measurement, and human psychology to help teams become exhibiting masters.
• Booth Staffing Provides access to international exhibition engagement talent including booth hosts, emcees, product demonstrators, and lead generators, fully briefed on client business and objectives for trade show success.
• Trade Show Engagement Optimisation (TEO) Framework A proprietary five-pillar education programme that helps exhibitors achieve optimal results through strategic planning, engagement mastery, booth staffing excellence, KPI assessment, and follow-up strategies.
• Exhibitor Success Programme A comprehensive programme designed to drive rebooking rates and ensure exhibitors have clear strategies to proactively engage attendees, achieving lasting exhibiting success.
• Tabsview Booking management platform and mobile application used for managing staff profiles, bookings, and field reporting for exhibition engagements.
• Exhibition Engagement Workshop / TEO Masterclass CPD-certified training workshop focusing on the five pillars of Trade Show Engagement Optimisation, delivered in partnership with GM Chamber.
• Facilitation Services Expert facilitation services for exhibition success programmes, helping exhibitors maximise their trade show outcomes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20% increase in quality leads achieved by client Sync at Bett 2023
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 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

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Greater Manchester Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Exhibition Engagement Workshop delivered on May 23, 2024 at Elliot House, Manchester. GM Chamber collaboration for CPD-certified training program on Trade Show Engagement Optimisation.
• ProSymmetryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerClient testimonial praising skilled professionals and follow-up consultancy services that dramatically increased lead capture and trade show success.
• Event Tech Live and Event Sustainability LivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpo Stars delivers exhibitor masterclass at these events covering TEO framework, strategic planning, engagement tactics, and follow-up processes.
• Business Design Centre LondonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for exhibitor masterclass sessions at the Business Design Centre London.
• Magnet ProductionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPodcast guest Ken Newman is founder/CEO; shares trade show insight and presentation strategies through The Expo Factor podcast.
• FreemanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReference to Freeman Exhibit Surveys research on trade show attendance patterns; referenced in content marketing.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• GES (Global Experience Specialists): One of the largest global providers of exhibition services including booth design, logistics, and onsite staffing for trade shows. Most directly comparable to Expo Stars as a one-stop trade show services partner for exhibitors across major global shows.
• Impact XM: Global experiential marketing agency delivering trade show exhibits, brand activations, and event staffing. Closely comparable to Expo Stars' combination of strategy, training, and onsite engagement services.
• The Expo Group: US-based trade show and event services company providing face-to-face engagement, exhibit design, and event management for exhibitors and organisers. Direct competitor in the trade show engagement services space.
• Sparks: Experiential marketing agency (part of Freeman) specialising in trade show exhibits, digital experiences, and audience engagement. Competes with Expo Stars for exhibitor engagement and strategy budgets.
• TBA Global: Independent live and experiential agency producing events, exhibits, and trade show programmes for global brands. Closely comparable on trade show strategy and on-booth engagement execution.

Regional players

• Messe Frankfurt: One of the world's largest trade fair organisers, operating across consumer goods, textiles, and industrial sectors. An Expo Stars partner-style counterparty (show organiser) rather than direct competitor; comparable as a benchmark for category scale.

Emerging players

• Allied Global Marketing: Boutique experiential and trade show marketing agency providing strategy, staffing, and onsite activation services. Comparable in size and service mix to Expo Stars, with overlap on exhibitor success programmes.

Broad incumbents

• Freeman: Largest global brand experience and exhibition services company, covering booth build, audiovisual, and event staffing. A broad incumbent whose services overlap Expo Stars' booth staffing and strategy offerings, but at significantly greater scale.
• Jack Morton Worldwide: Global brand experience agency building events, exhibits, and sponsorship programmes. Comparable to Expo Stars in the experiential/trade show space but operating at significantly larger scale and brand budget.
• George P. Johnson Experience Marketing: Large award-winning experiential marketing agency focused on brand experiences, events, and trade show programmes. Overlaps with Expo Stars on the strategy and engagement-training side, but typically serves larger enterprise budgets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ExpoStarsInteractive
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/expostars-interactive-ltd-
• Xx.com/expostars

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 Expo Stars