What Downing Exhibits does

Downing Exhibits is a U.S.-based custom trade show exhibit design and fabrication company headquartered in Akron, Ohio. Founded in 1972, the company operates two manufacturing plants totaling 300,000 sq. ft. and employs over 100 designers, managers, and craftspeople. It serves enterprise corporations and retail brands across multiple verticals, producing custom exhibits for trade shows, corporate environments, permanent installations, and in-store retail displays, with documented clients including Stanley Black & Decker, Snap-On, Sherwin Williams, Lincoln Electric, Infor, and Fiskars.

The company delivers an end-to-end service stack spanning strategic planning, creative design, in-house fabrication, an internal print lab, storage and warehousing, logistics and freight, onsite labor, and field supervision. Technology-enabled offerings include hi-resolution LED video walls, virtual and augmented reality experiences, touch-based interactive displays, and holographic/transparent screens, all delivered as project-based add-ons. The Exhibit Force digital asset management platform supports the company's portable and rental product line, and Downing Retail Displays operates as a separate sub-brand serving retail merchandising customers.

Downing Exhibits is structured as a privately held Ohio Subchapter S Corporation, family owned and operated with no disclosed institutional, private equity, or venture capital backing. Revenue is generated through quote-based project pricing across custom exhibit fabrication, retail display manufacturing, rental services, digital technology integration, and storage/warehousing. Distribution is executed via direct enterprise sales from the Akron headquarters, with claimed service reach across North America and internationally. The company has retained multiple clients for more than 45 years, indicating durable relationship-driven revenue, though financial performance is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Downing Exhibits

Legal name

Downing Exhibits

Website

https://downingexhibits.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Downing Exhibits is a custom trade show exhibit and retail display design and fabrication company headquartered in Akron, Ohio, serving enterprise corporations across multiple industries since 1972 with in-house manufacturing, logistics, and digital technology integration services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Show Exhibits & Custom Displays

NAICS

Custom Architectural Woodwork and Millwork Manufacturing (337212)

SIC

Miscellaneous Furniture & Fixtures (2590)

akta.pro primary industry

Pavilion & Country/Group Exhibit Build-Outs (THAHAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Event Fabrication & Scenic/Set Build (Custom Builds, Installations) (BPAFAGAK)

Keywords

• Trade show exhibits
• Custom exhibit fabrication
• Retail display manufacturing
• Corporate event services
• Immersive display technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Akron

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Exhibit Design & Fabrication: Custom design and fabrication of trade show exhibits, corporate environments, and permanent installations for enterprise clients
2. Retail Display Manufacturing: Designs, manufactures, warehouses and ships retail store displays
3. Rental Services: Turnkey rental options for portable displays on a project basis
4. Digital & Technology Services: LED video walls, VR/AR, interactive and holographic display solutions as part of exhibits
5. Storage & Warehousing: Storage and warehousing services for exhibits and displays

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Downing Exhibits designs, fabricates, and installs custom trade show exhibits, corporate environments, permanent installations, and retail store displays for enterprise clients. The company provides end-to-end project management, including strategic planning, creative design, in-house printing, storage and warehousing, logistics and freight, on-site labor, and field supervision. It also integrates immersive technology such as LED video walls, VR/AR, and interactive displays into exhibit experiences.

Product overview

Downing Exhibits is a custom exhibit and retail display design and fabrication company founded in 1972, operating as a single unified offering rather than a modular platform. The core product encompasses exhibit design, fabrication, storage, and logistics for trade shows, events, and permanent installations. Key product lines include Downing Retail Displays (a dedicated sub-brand for retail store displays), Digital & New Technology Services (LED video walls, VR/AR, touch-interactive, holographics), Portables & Rentals, and Exhibit Force Digital Asset Management. The company owns and operates two manufacturing plants with 300,000 sq. ft. of facilities and 100+ employees, serving clients throughout North America and internationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Exhibit Design & Fabrication Services End-to-end custom exhibit design and fabrication for trade shows, events, conferences, corporate environments, and permanent installations. Includes strategic planning, creative collaboration, architectural development, graphic design, project management, on-site labor, field supervision, show services, logistics, freight, in-house print, storage, and warehousing. Targeted at enterprise corporations exhibiting at trade shows and events.
• Downing Retail Displays Specialized sub-brand offering that designs, manufactures, warehouses, and ships retail store displays for retail brands and merchandising programs. Provides in-store brand presentation and point-of-sale display solutions.
• Digital & New Technology Services Technology-enhanced exhibit solutions including hi-res LED video walls, virtual and augmented reality, touch-base interactive displays, and holographics and transparent displays. Designed for enterprises seeking immersive brand experiences at trade shows and events.
• Portables & Rentals Turnkey rental options and a full line of portable displays for clients needing flexible exhibit solutions. Includes Exhibit Force Digital Asset Management for managing exhibit assets across multiple shows and programs. Targeted at clients who need short-term or recurring exhibit solutions without permanent ownership.

Named customers18 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• George P. Johnson Experience Marketing: One of the largest custom trade show exhibit and experiential marketing firms globally, offering end-to-end design, fabrication, and on-site services for enterprise brands. Directly comparable to Downing Exhibits on core custom booth build, multi-show program management, and immersive technology integration.
• MC2 (MC Squared): An employee-owned exhibit and event marketing agency specializing in custom exhibit design, fabrication, and program management with multiple U.S. production facilities. Closely comparable in business model, customer type (enterprise), and custom fabrication capability.
• Sparks: Global experiential and exhibit agency delivering custom brand experiences, trade show exhibits, and immersive environments for enterprise clients. Overlaps with Downing on custom exhibit design, fabrication, and live event execution.
• DisplayWorks: Custom exhibit and retail display designer/fabricator serving enterprise and brand clients with fabrication, installation, and warehousing. Directly comparable on core custom booth and retail display manufacturing with similar long-tenure enterprise client base.
• Czarnowski Display: Long-established custom exhibit, event, and museum display fabricator serving enterprise B2B brands. Overlaps with Downing on custom exhibit design, fabrication, and corporate environment/permanent installations.
• Exhibit Concepts: Mid-sized U.S. exhibit house specializing in custom trade show exhibits, corporate environments, and event fabrication. Compares directly to Downing on custom design, in-house fabrication, and enterprise client focus.
• 3D Exhibits: Custom trade show exhibit builder offering design, fabrication, logistics, and on-site services for enterprise brands. Closely comparable end-to-end service model with similar enterprise customer profile.
• Optima Graphics / EDE Group: Custom exhibit and display manufacturer with extensive fabrication capacity and global delivery. Direct competitor in custom exhibit build-out and retail display manufacturing for enterprise brands.

Broad incumbents

• Freeman (Freeman Company): Largest brand experience and event services company in North America providing exhibit design/fabrication alongside show services, audio-visual, and logistics. A much larger incumbent with overlapping custom exhibit capabilities but a far broader service portfolio.
• GES (Global Experience Specialists): Major exhibit, event, and brand experience provider serving enterprise customers with custom exhibit fabrication, show services, and on-site logistics. Competes head-to-head with Downing on trade show booth builds for large enterprise accounts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/downingexhibits
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/downing-exhibits

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 Downing Exhibits