Gilbert
Gilbert is a family-operated, full-service live experience agency designing, fabricating, and installing premium trade show exhibits, retail and hospitality interiors, and live event environments from its 130,000-ft² Melville, NY manufacturing facility for enterprise brands.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersMelville, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Gilbert does
Gilbert is a private, family-operated live experience agency founded in 1986 and headquartered in Melville, New York, specializing in the design, fabrication, and installation of upscale trade show exhibits, retail and hospitality interiors, and live event environments. The company operates three integrated service divisions—Exhibition (custom trade show exhibits), Architectural (experiential environment design for retail, hospitality, corporate, and residential spaces), and Live (corporate and promotional event production)—all supported by a single 130,000-ft² in-house manufacturing facility that consolidates metal fabrication, woodworking, finishing, and 3D design. Gilbert's technical backbone is built around traditional CAD tooling (AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architectural, Inventor), proprietary warehouse management software, and a specialized installer-supervisor labor model in which craftsmen typically build and install the same components, with extensive internal training required for supervisory status. The company is co-founded and led by President & CEO Barry Ballen alongside COO Matt Ballen, with no external institutional investors or parent company.
Gilbert serves enterprise clients across jewelry (David Yurman, Roberto Coin, Tacori, London Jewelers, Charles Krypell, Bucherer, Betteridge, Frank Adams Jewelers), optical and eyecare (Safilo, Advancing Eyecare, Digital Optometrics, OPTYX), consumer electronics and technology (Canon, Nikon, Lexar, Cisco, Dyson, Colgate-Palmolive), hospitality (Marriott, Hyatt Andaz), media (CBS), and skincare (Biologique Recherche). The business model is project-based professional services revenue from one-time or recurring engagements, with pricing quoted individually per scope and no publicly disclosed standard rates. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales supplemented by industry trade show presence (CES, NAB, PAX, Vision Expo, Licensing Expo) and a referral-driven word-of-mouth motion that the company cites as its primary growth engine. The company also operates strategically located warehouses near major convention centers to support nationwide deployment and white-glove installation services.
Gilbert firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gilbert
- Legal name
- Gilbert, Inc
- Website
- https://gilbertexperience.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Gilbert is a family-operated, full-service live experience agency designing, fabricating, and installing premium trade show exhibits, retail and hospitality interiors, and live event environments from its 130,000-ft² Melville, NY manufacturing facility for enterprise brands.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Gilbert is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Melville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Gilbert business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Custom Exhibit Design and Fabrication: Design, construction, and management of custom trade show exhibits. Revenue is project-based, typically one-time engagements for specific events or permanent installations.
- Experiential Environment Design: Design and creation of retail, hospitality, corporate, and residential environments. Project-based professional services for permanent installations.
- Live Event Production: Design and production of promotional and corporate events including concerts, sponsorship activations, and promotional events.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based custom pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Gilbert product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gilbert is a turnkey live experience agency that designs, fabricates, and installs custom trade show exhibits, permanent commercial interiors (luxury retail, hospitality, corporate, and residential), and live promotional/corporate events. All fabrication is performed in-house at the company's 130,000-ft² facility in Melville, NY, with project-based professional services spanning concept design through 3D rendering, manufacturing, warehousing, transportation, on-site installation, and post-show dismantle and storage.
Product overview
Gilbert is a turnkey live experience agency offering three integrated service divisions under one unified organization: Exhibition (custom trade show exhibits and displays), Architectural (experiential environment design for retail, hospitality, corporate, and residential environments), and Live (live event production and design). All fabrication, finishing, metalwork, and installation is performed in-house at the company's 130,000-ft² manufacturing headquarters in Melville, NY. The three divisions share unified project management, estimating, and installation teams, enabling Gilbert to serve clients across trade shows, permanent retail/hospitality environments, and events from concept through completion.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Exhibition (Custom Trade Show Exhibits) Custom trade show exhibit design, fabrication, warehousing, installation, and event services for brands participating in major industry events including CES, NAB, PAX, Vision Expo East, Licensing Expo, and others.
- Architectural (Experiential Environment Design) Design and creation of experiential environments for retail, hospitality, corporate, and residential markets, including custom millwork, casework, fixtures, and architectural interiors built in-house at the company's 130,000-ft² facility.
- Live (Live Event Production & Design) Full-service live event production and design for promotional and corporate events, encompassing creative design, custom fabrication, audiovisual, catering coordination, entertainment services, and on-site event management.
Quantifiable outcome
- 34 years of operation with continued growth through client satisfaction and word of mouth
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Gilbert
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Gilbert technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Gilbert partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Gilbert competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Freeman Company: Freeman is the largest custom trade show exhibit and brand experience company in the world. It directly competes with Gilbert across trade show fabrication, installation, and event services for enterprise brands, operating at significantly greater scale.
- The Trade Group: The Trade Group designs and fabricates custom trade show exhibits, branded environments, and event productions. It competes head-to-head with Gilbert for mid-market and enterprise exhibit programs with similar in-house manufacturing capabilities.
- Sparks: Sparks is an experiential marketing agency that delivers trade show exhibits, brand activations, and live events for global brands. It is comparable to Gilbert's integrated Exhibition and Live service offerings for Fortune 500 clients.
- Derse: Derse designs and builds custom trade show exhibits, brand activations, and immersive experiences. It directly competes with Gilbert for the same enterprise client base and shares a similar premium, design-led positioning.
- 3D Exhibits: 3D Exhibits designs and fabricates custom trade show exhibits, corporate events, and permanent brand environments. It is a direct peer to Gilbert across all three service divisions with a comparable premium enterprise client mix.
- Jack Morton Worldwide: Jack Morton is a global brand experience agency producing trade show exhibits, live events, and experiential marketing campaigns. It overlaps directly with Gilbert's Exhibition and Live divisions, particularly for large multinational brand clients.
- MKG (Marketing & Experience Group): MKG is an experiential marketing agency creating trade show exhibits, brand activations, and live events. It competes with Gilbert for enterprise experiential budgets and shares a similar integrated service model.
- GES (Global Experience Specialists): GES provides end-to-end trade show and event services including custom exhibit design and fabrication, show logistics, and on-site services. It is a direct competitor to Gilbert in custom trade show exhibits and live event production for large brands.
- Czarnowski Collective: Czarnowski is an experiential marketing agency specializing in custom trade show exhibits, brand environments, and event design. It is highly comparable to Gilbert in offering integrated design-fabrication-installation services to premium enterprise clients.
- Exhibit Concepts Inc. Exhibit Concepts is a custom trade show exhibit builder and experiential design firm serving enterprise clients. It is comparable to Gilbert's Exhibition division with a similar design-build-install model and corporate event focus.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Gilbert social profiles
Digital presenceGilbert financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gilbert leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Gilbert funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gilbert 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 Gilbert
What does Gilbert do?
Gilbert is a turnkey live experience agency that designs, fabricates, and installs custom trade show exhibits, permanent commercial interiors (luxury retail, hospitality, corporate, and residential), and live promotional/corporate events. All fabrication is performed in-house at the company's 130,000-ft² facility in Melville, NY, with project-based professional services spanning concept design through 3D rendering, manufacturing, warehousing, transportation, on-site installation, and post-show dismantle and storage.
Is Gilbert a public or private company?
Gilbert is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Gilbert founded?
Gilbert was founded in 1986. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Gilbert based?
Gilbert is headquartered in Melville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Gilbert make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Custom Exhibit Design and Fabrication is the primary driver. The others are experiential Environment Design and live Event Production.
Who are Gilbert's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Freeman Company, The Trade Group, Sparks, Derse, 3D Exhibits, Jack Morton Worldwide, MKG (Marketing & Experience Group), GES (Global Experience Specialists), Czarnowski Collective and Exhibit Concepts Inc..
Does Gilbert have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gilbert.