Stevens Exhibits & Displays

What Stevens Exhibits & Displays does

Stevens Exhibits & Displays Inc. is a fourth-generation, family-owned custom trade show exhibit design and production company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, operating from a 100,000 sq. ft. production facility located one city block from McCormick Place. Founded in 1966 when Tom McKernin was offered a partnership at Stevens Displays, the company now operates under McKernin family ownership across three active generations (Julie McKernin as President, Lisa McKernin as VP, Chuck McKernin as Executive Director), with team members holding 21-42 years of industry experience. The firm maintains in-house capabilities spanning design, engineering, fabrication, graphics production, AV integration, logistics, installation, dismantling, warehousing, and field service coordination, allowing it to manage the full exhibit lifecycle under one roof.

The company's revenue model combines one-time custom exhibit sales, flexible rental solutions, one-time-use exhibits, recurring program management and warehousing services, and professional services for graphics and field coordination. Pricing is quote-based across purchase, lease, and one-time-use options. Customers include Fortune 500 consumer brands in beauty, food and beverage, healthcare, publishing, and technology (e.g., L'Oréal, Maybelline, Garnier, La Roche-Posay, Kraft Heinz, Chiquita, Hitachi, Cooper Surgical, Houghton Mifflin), as well as tourism organizations and government-funded nature and cultural institutions (Choose Chicago, Sand Ridge Nature Center, Crabtree Nature Center, Kickapoo Valley Reserve). Distribution is entirely direct-to-client with no channel partners; a national field sales motion covers trade shows across 40+ cities.

Beyond trade shows, Stevens has expanded into adjacent exhibit verticals — museum exhibits, corporate interiors, and nature center installations — and operates an online store reselling portable display systems from partner brands. The firm holds WBENC certification as a Women's Business Enterprise and is independently owned without institutional investor or private equity backing.

Name

Stevens Exhibits & Displays

Legal name

Stevens Exhibits & Displays Inc.

Website

https://stevensexhibits.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stevens Exhibits & Displays is a fourth-generation, family-owned Chicago-based full-service trade show exhibit company that designs, fabricates, installs, and warehouses custom booths for Fortune 500 brands, museums, nature centers, and corporate interiors nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Show Exhibits & Custom Displays

NAICS

Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (541850)

akta.pro primary industry

Trade Shows & Exhibitions (Booths, Show Management) (BPAFAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Onsite Installation, Dismantle & Labor Management (I&D Crews) (THAHAHAL), Exhibitions, Trade Shows & Booth Management (HSACADAH)

Keywords

• Trade show exhibits
• Custom exhibit design
• Exhibit fabrication
• Exhibit rentals
• Museum exhibit design

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Custom Exhibit Sales: One-time purchase of custom-designed trade show exhibits for long-term use across multiple events
2. Exhibit Rentals: Flexible rental solutions for trade shows without cost of ownership, storage, or long-term commitment. Includes design, fabrication, graphics, installation, dismantling, and logistics support
3. One-Time Use Exhibits: Custom exhibits for single-show use when companies need a one-time presence
4. Program Management Services: Ongoing exhibit program management including warehousing, asset management, field supervision, traffic management, and logistics coordination
5. Graphics and Field Services: Graphic design, production, and field service coordination including installation and dismantling

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Stevens Exhibits & Displays designs, fabricates, installs, and dismantles custom trade show exhibits, branded environments, museum displays, and corporate interiors for corporate and institutional clients. The company operates a 100,000 sq. ft. production facility near Chicago's McCormick Place and offers flexible acquisition options including purchase, lease, and one-time-use rental of exhibits.

Product overview

Stevens Exhibits & Displays is a full-service trade show exhibit company offering a comprehensive portfolio of physical display products and services. The core offering consists of Custom Trade Show Exhibits (booth design, fabrication, and installation), Exhibit Rentals (flexible rental solutions without long-term commitment), and Portable Exhibits (lightweight modular systems for easy transport). Supporting products include Museum Exhibits (immersive storytelling environments), Corporate Interiors (branded workplace spaces), and Nature Centers Exhibits (educational nature experiences). Exhibit Services & Program Management provides end-to-end support including logistics, installation, and warehousing. The company also operates an Online Store selling portable displays and accessories from partner brands. All offerings are available for purchase, lease, or one-time use, with services spanning design, engineering, fabrication, graphics production, logistics, installation, and dismantling nationwide from their Chicago, IL headquarters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Trade Show Exhibits
• Exhibit Rentals
• Portable & Modular Exhibits
• Museum Exhibits
• Nature Center Exhibits
• Corporate Interiors
• Exhibit Services & Program Management
• Online Store for Portables & Accessories

Quantifiable outcome

• 60+ years of trade show exhibit experience delivering exceptional craftsmanship
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers19 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

Feature1 record

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Matrex Exhibits: Trade show exhibit company providing custom design, fabrication, graphics, and I&D services. Comparable full-service mid-sized competitor with similar enterprise client focus.
• Czarnowski Display Services: Full-service exhibit and event marketing company offering custom design, fabrication, rental, I&D, and program management. Closely aligned service mix and enterprise client focus make it one of the most direct competitive analogs to Stevens.
• 2020 Exhibits: Trade show exhibit design, fabrication, and rental provider with full-service capabilities and a comparable mid-market enterprise client profile. Operates as a direct mid-sized competitor to Stevens.
• Exhibit Concepts: Custom exhibit designer and builder offering design, fabrication, rental, and I&D services. Closely comparable business model and mid-sized competitor in the custom trade show space.
• The Trade Group: Custom exhibit design and fabrication company with in-house production, warehousing, and I&D services. Directly comparable mid-sized competitor serving similar corporate trade show clients with similar end-to-end capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• Freeman: The largest global brand experience and trade show services company, offering exhibit design, fabrication, logistics, and event management. Operates at much greater scale than Stevens across all major US convention venues and competes for the same Fortune 500 trade show budgets.
• GES (Global Experience Specialists): Major trade show and event services provider offering custom exhibits, graphics, I&D, and on-site services. Competes directly with Stevens for mid-to-large enterprise trade show programs across major US convention venues.
• Sparks: Experiential marketing agency producing trade show exhibits, events, and brand activations. Competes with Stevens for enterprise exhibit and brand experience programs, generally at larger scale.
• Jack Morton Worldwide: Global experiential brand marketing agency that designs and produces trade show exhibits, brand experiences, and events. Overlaps with Stevens on the trade show and brand environment side, though typically competing at the larger experiential mandate level.

Regional players

• HL Display: Display and merchandising solutions provider with a strong European footprint that occasionally competes for global enterprise clients needing US- and Europe-coordinated exhibit programs. Less direct overlap but comparable category adjacency.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/stevensexhibits
• Facebookfacebook.com/StevensExhibits
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stevens-exhibits-displays-inc-

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Stevens Exhibits & Displays