ShowTex

What ShowTex does

ShowTex NV is a Belgian-headquartered, privately-held manufacturer and service provider specializing in flame-retardant textiles, curtain tracks, motion-control systems, and projection surfaces for the events, theatre, and entertainment industries. Founded in 1983 by Koen and Wim, the company has grown over four decades into a globally distributed operation with more than fourteen wholly-owned country offices spanning Europe, the Middle East, North America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania, supported by nearly 400 employees. Its product portfolio is organized into masking and draping, backdrops and ceilings, projection and light effects, scenic design and decoration, suspension and hardware, flooring, and custom fabric finishing — including proprietary systems such as HiSpeed Reveal, ShowTrack, OrientTrack, GiantMirror, DekoTaft, and ShowLED Star Cloths, with in-house screen welding, rail bending, and printing capabilities.

The business operates a hybrid revenue model combining one-time product sales, a rental programme for flame-retardant curtains, tracks and reveal systems, and installation/professional services delivered through local in-country teams. Pricing is custom and quote-based, with multi-year contract cadences for venue customers. Customers are diversified across theatres and cultural venues, live music and concert tours, trade shows and exhibitions, corporate events and product launches, TV/film studios, theme parks, museums, fashion shows, and workspaces/retail/hospitality — with named accounts including Universal Beijing Resort, Puy du Fou, Ferrari World, Efteling, Audi, Cercle Music, Moment Factory, MAD Madrid Artes Digitales, OMA, M2M Music, the Government of Abu Dhabi, CCTV, and Eurovision France. Distribution is exclusively direct via the country-office network plus a website-driven request-a-quote channel, supported by content marketing, a multi-language website, a knowledge hub, a print catalog (Curtain Call), and presence at trade shows. The ECO by ShowTex sub-brand extends the offering into sustainable, certified, and recycled-fiber ranges (including the Loop line).

Name

ShowTex

Legal name

ShowTex NV

Website

https://showtex.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

ShowTex NV is a Belgian-founded, privately-held manufacturer of flame-retardant textiles, curtain tracks, motion-control and projection systems serving theatres, live events, exhibitions, theme parks, museums and broadcasts across 14+ countries with nearly 400 employees, operating a hybrid model of product sales, rental, and installation services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Theatrical Textiles & Stage Hardware

NAICS

Curtain and Linen Mills (31412), Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills (3133)

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)

akta.pro primary industry

Backline & Musical Instrument Rental (MPAGAKAJ)

Keywords

• Flame-retardant fabrics
• Stage curtain tracks
• Theatrical draping systems
• Motion control systems
• Event projection surfaces

Headquarters

HQ city

Burcht

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Direct sales of flame-retardant fabrics, curtain tracks, motion control systems, projection surfaces, and hardware. Products are sold directly to customers with custom finishing in ShowTex's own workshops.
2. Rental Services: Rental of high-quality, flame-retardant curtains, tracks, and reveal systems for one-off events, touring productions, or venue fit-outs. Rental service is positioned as both cost-effective and sustainable through reuse.
3. Installation & Professional Services: Expert installation services by local teams worldwide, including in-house fabric printing, screen welding, rail bending, and reveal technology tailored to venue and technical needs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

ShowTex manufactures and supplies flame-retardant fabrics, curtain track systems, motion control mechanisms, projection surfaces, and reveal technology for the events, theatre, and entertainment industries. The company delivers an all-in-one service spanning in-house fabric printing, screen welding, rail bending, and reveal technology, plus professional installation, with both outright sale and rental models available worldwide.

Product overview

ShowTex is a global provider of flame-retardant fabrics, curtain tracks, and motion control systems for the events, entertainment, and theatrical industries. The product portfolio centers on a comprehensive range of textile solutions organized into main categories: Masking & Draping (including dim/blackout fabrics, acoustic solutions, stage velvets), Backdrops & Ceilings (cyclorama, scrim, printables, ShowLED star cloths), Projection & Light Effects (screens, glassless mirrors, hologram effects, light diffusers), Scenic Design & Decoration (stretch fabrics, string curtains, metallics), Suspension & Hardware (curtain tracks, HiSpeed Reveal, ShowTrack, AutoReveal systems), Flooring (dance floors, tapes), and Fabric Finishing services. The company operates through rental and purchase models, with ECO by ShowTex representing its sustainable product line featuring recycled and eco-certified materials. ShowTex serves diverse industries including theatre, performing arts, corporate events, fashion, live music, museums, TV/film, theme parks, and trade shows across offices in Europe, Middle East, Americas, Asia, Africa, and Australia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ECO by ShowTex: Sustainable product line featuring recycled materials and eco-certified textiles.

Products and services

• Masking & Draping Flame-retardant textiles for masking and draping in theatres, venues, and events, including dim and blackout fabrics, acoustic solutions, stage velvets, and event masking products. Sold to theatres, concert halls, and event production companies.
• Backdrops & Ceilings Background fabrics and ceiling treatments including cyclorama, muslin, canvas, scrim, netting, gauze, printables, laser-cut designs, and ShowLED star cloths for theatres, studios, concerts, and immersive exhibitions.
• Projection & Light Effects Projection screens, projection fabrics, glassless mirrors, hologram effects, light diffusers, and screen frames and rollers for events, conferences, and immersive installations.
• Scenic Design & Decoration Decorative textile products including sheer, silk and lightweight fabrics, stretch fabric, string curtains, textured materials, and metallics for scenic and spatial design applications.
• Suspension & Hardware Curtain tracks, track operation systems, rollers and reveals, pipe and drape systems, frame tensioning, suspension accessories, and storage and transport equipment for hanging and operating curtains and backdrops.
• Flooring Stage and event floor coverings including dance floors, tapes, and cleaners for stages, dance performances, and event venues.
• Fabric Finishing Custom finishing services including in-house hemming, pleating, screen welding, rail bending, fabric printing, and treatment of fabrics tailored to specific venue and technical requirements.
• HiSpeed Reveal System High-speed automated reveal system used for dramatic unveiling effects at events, product launches, and artist reveals.
• ShowTrack & OrientTrack Curtain Track Systems Motorized and manual curtain track systems (including ChainTrack variant) for automated curtain operation in theatres, venues, and event spaces.
• AutoReveal & Kabuki Reveal Systems Automated reveal systems, including Kabuki stage reveal mechanisms, used for controlled unveiling of stage elements and dramatic special effects during performances.
• GiantMirror Large-format glassless mirror fabric panels that create reflective and holographic visual effects for exhibitions, TV shows, and immersive installations.
• ShowLED Star Cloths LED-embedded fabric panels that produce starry sky and lighting effects for stage backdrops.
• DekoTaft Decorative Fabric Versatile decorative stretch fabric used for spatial decoration, transforming venues and stages with seamless 3D scenic surfaces.
• DekoSilk & Spinnaker Signature Fabrics Silk-like decorative fabric and innovative textile for elegant scenic applications and dramatic atmospheric reveals.
• DanceCarpet Specialized floor covering designed for dance performances and events.
• Rental Products Rental program offering flame-retardant curtains, tracks, and reveal systems for one-off events, touring productions, and venue fit-outs, positioned as a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to one-off purchases.
• ECO by ShowTex Sustainable Line Sustainable fabric collection with Oeko-Tex and Cradle to Cradle eco-certifications, including the Loop line containing at least 20% recycled fibers, for environmentally conscious projects.
• Installation & Professional Services Expert installation services delivered by local ShowTex teams worldwide, including custom fabric printing, screen welding, rail bending, and reveal technology tailored to venue and technical needs, from concept to installation.

Named customers14 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Gerriets: German-based manufacturer of theatrical fabrics, projection screens, and acoustic draperies with a comparable global footprint. Gerriets is the closest direct competitor to ShowTex in flame-retardant stage textiles and motion systems.
• J&C Joel: UK-based manufacturer and installer of theatrical fabrics, stage curtains, and acoustic solutions serving theatres, touring productions, and venues. Highly comparable product portfolio and customer base to ShowTex, particularly in Europe and the Middle East.
• Rose Brand: US-based supplier of theatrical fabrics, draperies, stage curtains, and custom scenic solutions for Broadway, events, and themed entertainment. Closest American competitor to ShowTex with overlapping flame-retardant fabric and curtain track offerings.
• Cyclo Stage Drapes: UK-based manufacturer of stage drapes, tracks, and rigging for theatres and live events. Comparable to ShowTex in core drapery and track systems, particularly for UK and European venue customers.
• Triple E: UK-based designer and manufacturer of curtain track systems and stage engineering hardware. Direct peer in the hardware/curtain-track segment that complements ShowTex's ShowTrack, OrientTrack, and ChainTrack product lines.
• Area Four Industries (Milos): Manufacturer of trussing, rigging, and staging structures for the live events industry. Directly comparable to ShowTex's suspension, hardware, and structural event solutions across the same concert, exhibition, and corporate-event customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Production Resource Group (PRG): Global provider of entertainment and event production services including lighting, video, rigging, and scenic elements. A broader incumbent whose scenic and stage solutions overlap with ShowTex's staging and motion offerings, though PRG spans the full production value chain.
• TAIT: Global stage engineering and automation company delivering staging, scenic automation, and show-control systems for live entertainment and themed attractions. Comparable in staging and motion-control capabilities, though TAIT is a much larger, full-service engineering firm.

Emerging players

• disguise: Provider of visual production technology for immersive experiences, broadcast, and live events, including projection mapping and real-time rendering platforms. Comparable as an emerging immersive-tech peer whose projection surfaces compete with ShowTex's projection fabrics and GiantMirror.

Others

• Christie: Manufacturer of projection and visualization systems used in cinemas, events, and immersive experiences. An enabling technology provider rather than direct competitor, but Christie projectors are often paired with ShowTex projection fabrics in shared end-customer installations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ShowTexWorldWide
• Facebookfacebook.com/showtex
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/showtex
• Instagraminstagram.com/showtexinmotion
• Pinterestpinterest.com/showtex

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries15 records

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 ShowTex