What ADEX International does

ADEX International is a vertically-integrated experiential fabrication services provider founded in 1978 and headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, with additional offices in Chicago, Salt Lake City, Hong Kong, and Limerick, Ireland. The company designs, fabricates, installs, and manages trade show exhibits, corporate environments, museum installations, event branding, and permanent branded spaces for Fortune 500 companies and global brands across healthcare, consumer goods, technology, automotive, agriculture, financial services, and pharmaceutical verticals. Operations are anchored by a 220,000 sq. ft. climate-controlled manufacturing facility equipped with 5-axis CNC routers, UV and solvent-based printers, and a full welding department, enabling end-to-end control from concept through on-site installation.

The company's service portfolio spans core offerings — Trade Show Exhibits, Museum Design & Fabrication, Corporate Environments, and Event Design & Execution — supported by design, fabrication, project management, logistics, refurbishment, engineering, prototyping, estimating, and installation modules. A proprietary web-based ERP/CRM platform called EvenTrac, custom-built by ADEX's in-house IT team, provides real-time project tracking and client communication. Adjacent offerings include Virtual Services, lead retrieval (through a Zuant partnership), fulfillment, and graphic design and production. Underlying technical capability combines traditional fabrication (wood, metal, plastic, paint, graphics) with immersive elements including augmented reality installations and large-format multimedia environments.

ADEX generates revenue through professional services engagements on a project-based, quote-driven pricing model with no public pricing. The go-to-market motion is enterprise field sales targeting Fortune 500 and global organizations, with long-tenured client relationships — many exceeding 30 years — and a volume signal of 2,000+ national and 250+ global events managed annually. Distribution is direct (no resellers), supported by award-based credibility (Top 40 Exhibit Producers, Fab 50), project portfolio marketing, and a formal RFP intake process. As of May 2026, Driven Tech, Inc. has signed definitive agreements to acquire ADEX International, which would represent the first significant ownership change in the company's 47-year history.

Name

ADEX International

Legal name

ADEX International

Website

https://adex-intl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

ADEX International is a Cincinnati-based, vertically-integrated provider of trade show exhibits, museum installations, corporate environments, and event branding services, serving Fortune 500 enterprises from a 220,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility and managing 2,000+ events annually across U.S., European, and Asian offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Show & Experiential Exhibit Design and Fabrication

NAICS

Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (541850), Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (54185)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

OOH Production, Printing & Installation Services (MPAAAKAJ)

Keywords

• Trade show exhibits
• Experiential marketing services
• Exhibit design fabrication
• Corporate environment design
• Museum exhibit fabrication

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Exhibits and Trade Show Services: Design, fabrication, installation, and refurbishment of trade show exhibits and displays. Projects range from portable booths to permanent installations.
2. Event Management and Logistics: Management of over 2,000 shows and events nationally and over 250 globally annually, with comprehensive logistics, warehousing, and fulfillment services.
3. Virtual and Digital Services: Virtual event solutions and lead retrieval services through partnership with Zuant for mobile data platform and lead capture.
4. Museum and Environmental Design: Design and fabrication of museums, corporate environments, permanent installations, and experiential spaces.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ADEX International provides vertically integrated design, fabrication, installation, and logistics services for trade show exhibits, museum installations, corporate environments, and live events. The company operates a 220,000 sq. ft. climate-controlled manufacturing facility in Cincinnati with state-of-the-art equipment (5-axis CNC routers, UV/solvent printers, full welding) and manages over 2,000 events annually in a turnkey fashion from ideation through final assembly.

Product overview

ADEX International is a trade show displays, exhibits, and experiential marketing company established in 1978. The company operates as a vertically-integrated provider offering ideation, design, manufacturing, and implementation services. Core offerings include Trade Show Exhibits, Museum Design & Fabrication, Corporate Environments, and Event Design & Execution. Supporting services include Design, Fabrication, Project Management, Logistics, Web-Based Management via proprietary EvenTrac platform, Lead Retrieval, Fulfillment, Graphic Design & Production, Engineering, Prototyping, and Installation. The company manages over 2,000 shows annually and operates a 220,000 sq ft climate-controlled manufacturing facility in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trade Show Exhibits Custom design, fabrication, installation, and refurbishment of trade show booth exhibits ranging from portable 10x10 booths to large-scale permanent installations spanning thousands of square feet for enterprise clients across industries such as medical devices, consumer goods, technology, healthcare, and automotive.
• Museum Design & Fabrication Design and fabrication of museum installations including historical displays, interactive exhibits, and museum environments, including augmented reality experiences.
• Corporate Environments Design, fabrication, and installation of corporate interior spaces, office graphics, branded environments, wayfinding, and signage programs for enterprise clients across multiple locations.
• Event Design & Execution Comprehensive design and execution services for corporate events, sports properties, entertainment venues, and public events including venue branding, wayfinding, sponsorship activation, and on-site coordination.
• Fabrication Services In-house master craftsmanship fabrication in wood, metal, and plastic executed with advanced manufacturing equipment, offered as a standalone capability to support trade show, museum, and corporate environment projects.
• Logistics & Facility Management Comprehensive show logistics, warehousing, transportation, and facility management for trade show and event clients in a turnkey model including refurbishment and storage between events.
• Virtual Services Virtual event solutions supporting clients in building relationships, educating audiences, and selling when physical events are not feasible.
• Lead Retrieval Turnkey lead capture solution delivered through partnership with Zuant, providing trade show exhibitors with a mobile data platform for capturing and managing leads on-site.
• Fulfillment Services Web-based ordering, management, and shipping of exhibit products and collateral with custom order entry and management systems supporting recurring marketing fulfillment needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 225,000 record crowd supported at Western & Southern Open with flawless execution
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers25 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Interbrand Design ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerADEX partnered with Interbrand Design Forum as design agency to collaboratively create the Kinze Innovation Center - a 28,000 sq. ft. permanent agricultural museum at Kinze Manufacturing's corporate headquarters.
• Dell TechnologiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerADEX designed, produced, and installed Dell Technologies' new Data Solutions Centre in Limerick, Ireland - described as one of the best spaces Dell has anywhere on the planet.
• National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerADEX has been the premier trade show partner for NADA events, executing multiple client projects including 14 clients, over 20,000 square feet of custom exhibits, four double decks, and three 'Best of Show' awards.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Freeman: Freeman is the largest full-service trade show and experiential marketing company in North America, providing design, fabrication, logistics, and on-site services for the same Fortune 500 customer base as ADEX. Both companies compete head-to-head on enterprise exhibit programs and large-scale event management.
• GES (Global Experience Specialists): GES provides end-to-end trade show and event services including custom exhibit design, fabrication, logistics, and show management. It serves many of the same enterprise verticals (technology, healthcare, consumer goods) and competes directly with ADEX for Fortune 500 exhibit RFPs.
• Czarnowski Display Services: Czarnowski is a long-standing exhibit design and fabrication house offering custom exhibits, museums, and corporate environments with vertically integrated production capabilities. It targets the same enterprise customer base and similarly emphasizes turnkey design-to-installation service like ADEX.
• Hill & Partners: Hill & Partners designs and fabricates custom trade show exhibits and branded environments for mid-to-large enterprise clients, including museums and experiential programs. It competes with ADEX in the custom exhibit fabrication segment for similar corporate customers.
• 3D Exhibits: 3D Exhibits is a custom exhibit design and fabrication company serving enterprise clients across technology, healthcare, and consumer industries. Its vertically integrated approach and focus on large-scale modular and custom exhibits closely mirrors ADEX's service model.
• George P. Johnson Experience Marketing: George P. Johnson designs and produces brand experiences, trade show exhibits, and permanent installations for global enterprise clients. It overlaps with ADEX on experiential marketing, museum/environment work, and multi-thousand-square-foot custom installations for Fortune 500 brands.
• Jack Morton Worldwide: Jack Morton is a global brand experience agency producing events, exhibits, and experiential installations for major consumer and B2B brands. It competes with ADEX on enterprise experiential programs, particularly where the scope spans trade shows, brand activations, and immersive environments.
• Sparks: Sparks is a global experiential marketing agency and exhibit producer (formed from the merger of Sparks, Moss, and GMG) that designs and fabricates custom exhibits and brand experiences. It is one of ADEX's closest scaled competitors on enterprise trade show and environment work.
• The Trade Group: The Trade Group designs and fabricates custom trade show exhibits, branded environments, and corporate events with in-house production capabilities. It serves many of the same Fortune 500 verticals and competes directly with ADEX for mid-to-large exhibit programs.
• Derse: Derse is a fourth-generation, family-owned exhibit design and fabrication house with a full-service model covering design, production, warehousing, and on-site services. Like ADEX, it has been operating for decades, is vertically integrated, and targets large enterprise clients across trade shows, events, and permanent installations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ad-ex-international

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 ADEX International