ShowState
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersReading, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What ShowState does
ShowState Limited is a UK-based event technology solutions company, founded in 2004 and headquartered in Reading, Berkshire, that designs and delivers on-site and hybrid event production for corporate clients, hotels, conference venues and the AV trade. Its service portfolio spans six lines: Production (full AV production including 3D design, content creation, staging, lighting and sound), Equipment Hire (AV rental available 24/7/365 with no minimum order or delivery charges), Venue Solutions (on-site AV equipment and embedded staff at hotels/conference centres), Scenery (in-house custom design and fabrication up to 30m wide using wood, plastic, metal, canvas and LED fixtures), Virtual & Hybrid (remote participation delivery), and Trade (wholesale AV hire to other production companies). The business operates an enterprise field-sales motion with dedicated project managers and 24/7 availability, drawing on a team described in the 11-50 employee range to deploy crews of around 40 for large install windows within 12 hours.
Its technical stack is built around industry-standard AV hardware (projectors up to ultra-widescreen blended configurations, intelligent lighting, scalable P.A. systems, interactive audience engagement tablet platforms), proprietary in-house scenery manufacturing, and 3D design capability rather than software platforms or APIs; no public-facing API, SDK, or MCP is offered. Revenue is generated through professional services (full production), one-time equipment hire, managed venue partnerships, and trade hire, with no public pricing tiers. Named enterprise customers include Microsoft, HP, Deloitte LLP, Hilton, McDonald's, Hugo Boss, Holland & Barrett, Adidas, PatSnap and Southern CO-OP, alongside venue partners such as Crowne Plaza, De Vere, Macdonald Hotels, The Roseate and Foxhills, giving ShowState a diversified logo book across technology, hospitality, retail, F&B, fashion, professional services and non-profit verticals.
The company serves event programmes primarily in the UK with documented international delivery in Paris, Prague and Sofia, and is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, acquisitions or ownership changes since founding.
ShowState firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ShowState
- Legal name
- ShowState Limited
- Website
- https://showstate.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ShowState industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Event Production Services
- NAICS
- Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Event Production & Technical Services (Staging, Lighting, Sound, Video) (MPAGAAAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Event Production & Technical Services (AV/Lighting/Staging) (MPAAAGAB), Trade Shows & Exhibitions (Booths, Show Management) (BPAFAGAD), Onsite Installation, Dismantle & Labor Management (I&D Crews) (THAHAHAL)
Keywords
Where ShowState is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Reading
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
ShowState business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Event Production Services: Complete production service including audio visual equipment supply, 3D design, stage set design and build, content creation and management. Single source complete production service for events.
- Equipment Hire: Hire of audio visual equipment to venues and clients. Equipment includes projectors, lighting, sound systems, plasma screens, microphones and full conference packages. Open 24/7, 365 with no delivery/collection charges.
- Venue Solutions: On-site venue technology solutions including provision of new AV equipment, on-site AV staff, and ongoing access to production services. Partnership model with hotels and conference centres.
- Trade Hire: Hire services to other audio visual hire companies, production companies and events trade professionals. Competitive pricing allowing trade partners to protect their margin.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Equipment hire rates available with no minimum order |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
ShowState product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ShowState provides end-to-end event technology solutions for corporate events, venues, and AV trade partners, operating as a single-source complete production service. Offerings span audio visual equipment hire (projectors, lighting, sound, plasma screens, microphones), bespoke stage and scenic design and build, 3D design and content creation, on-site AV staffing, and virtual/hybrid event delivery. Services are available 24/7, 365 days a year, with no delivery, collection, minimum-order, or emergency call-out charges.
Product overview
ShowState is an event technology solutions company offering a unified portfolio of six core service areas: Production (complete AV production, 3D design, content creation, staging, lighting, sound), Virtual & Hybrid (remote event delivery), Equipment Hire (24/7 AV equipment rental), Venue Solutions (on-site technology deployment with staff), Scenery (custom scenic design, build and installation), and Trade (wholesale AV equipment for industry partners). These services are designed to work independently or in combination, providing complete event solutions from equipment provision through to full production management and custom scenic elements.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Production Complete event production services for corporate clients, acting as a single-source full production service. Covers audio visual equipment supply, 3D design, stage set design and build, content creation and management, projection, lighting, sound, and on-site technical staffing for events of any size in any location.
- Virtual & Hybrid Virtual and hybrid event solutions enabling remote participation and audience engagement alongside in-person event production.
- Equipment Hire Audio visual equipment hire available 24/7, 365 days a year, with projectors, lighting, sound systems, plasma screens, microphones and full conference packages. Includes no delivery, collection, minimum-order, or emergency call-out charges.
- Venue Solutions On-site venue technology partnership for hotels and conference centres: provision of new event technology equipment, on-site AV staff, and ongoing access to ShowState production services, positioned as an extension of the venue's events department.
- Scenery Custom scenic design, build, and installation services including conference sets, stages, exhibition stands, and bespoke scenic solutions, fabricated in-house from wood, plastic, metal, canvas, and LED fixtures, with experience delivering solutions up to 30 metres wide.
- Trade Trade hire department supplying audio visual equipment to other AV hire companies, production companies, and events trade professionals, from single items to full conference packages, with competitive pricing to protect trade partner margins and 24-hour support.
Quantifiable outcome
- 40-strong team deployed for large events within 12-hour install windows
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use ShowState
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ShowState technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
ShowState partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ShowState competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hawthorn: UK-based full-service event production company offering AV hire, staging, lighting, rigging, set design and venue solutions for corporate events. Direct competitor to ShowState across corporate clients, venues and trade hire.
- White Light: UK event production specialist delivering lighting, audio, video and set/scenery solutions to corporate and live events. Closely comparable service mix including equipment hire and venue partnerships.
- Splash Productions: UK event production company delivering AV, lighting, sound and set design for corporate events. Similar scale and customer profile to ShowState.
- AV1 Events: Boutique UK event production and AV hire company serving corporate and private clients. Comparable mid-market positioning and service mix to ShowState.
- Mojo Productions: UK-based event production agency offering AV, staging, lighting and creative event solutions for corporate clients. Comparable size and service portfolio to ShowState in the UK mid-market.
- SFL Group: UK provider of AV equipment hire, event production and venue services with operations across the UK and Ireland. Directly competes with ShowState in corporate AV and venue partnerships.
Broad incumbents
- GES (Global Experience Specialists): International provider of exhibition, event and AV services. Comparable to ShowState's trade show and exhibition side, though operating at significantly larger scale.
- PRG (Production Resource Group): Global provider of entertainment and event production services spanning lighting, video, audio and rigging. Competes with ShowState on larger corporate and live event bids and sets the upper bound on production scale.
- Freeman: Global event experience company offering AV production, scenic design, exhibition services and digital experiences. Overlaps with ShowState's production and scenery capabilities, particularly on large enterprise trade shows.
- Encore Global (formerly PSAV): World's largest provider of in-house AV and event technology services to hotels and venues. Closely comparable to ShowState's Venue Solutions model but at vastly greater scale, with deep hotel chain partnerships.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
ShowState social profiles
Digital presenceShowState financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ShowState leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
ShowState funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ShowState 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 ShowState
What does ShowState do?
ShowState provides end-to-end event technology solutions for corporate events, venues, and AV trade partners, operating as a single-source complete production service. Offerings span audio visual equipment hire (projectors, lighting, sound, plasma screens, microphones), bespoke stage and scenic design and build, 3D design and content creation, on-site AV staffing, and virtual/hybrid event delivery. Services are available 24/7, 365 days a year, with no delivery, collection, minimum-order, or emergency call-out charges.
Is ShowState a public or private company?
ShowState is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ShowState founded?
ShowState was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ShowState based?
ShowState is headquartered in Reading, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does ShowState make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Event Production Services are the primary driver. The others are equipment Hire, venue Solutions and trade Hire.
Who are ShowState's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hawthorn, White Light, Splash Productions, AV1 Events, Mojo Productions and SFL Group. Broad incumbents are GES (Global Experience Specialists), PRG (Production Resource Group), Freeman and Encore Global (formerly PSAV).
Does ShowState have an API?
No public API is recorded for ShowState.
What industry is ShowState in?
ShowState's product category is Event Production Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAAAG, Event Production & Technical Services (Staging, Lighting, Sound, Video), with a secondary code of MPAAAGAB, Event Production & Technical Services (AV/Lighting/Staging). Its NAICS code is 561920 and its SIC code is 7900.