AKS

What AKS does

AKS (Agentur Kerstin Steininger GmbH) is a boutique event management agency founded in 1991 by Kerstin Steininger and headquartered in Stuttgart-Sillenbuch, Germany. The firm operates with a core team of approximately 10 employees supplemented by up to 100 permanent event staff for on-site execution, serving corporate clients — predominantly in the automotive and motorsport sectors — with three integrated service pillars: Event Design (creative concept development and strategic planning), Event Running (on-site execution, VIP hospitality, and sponsor management), and Guest Management (a proprietary web-based tool for invitation, accreditation, travel planning, and GDPR-compliant data handling).

The commercial model is professional services-based, with custom quote-based pricing per engagement and no public pricing transparency. Customer acquisition is relationship-driven, anchored by a 25-year lead agency relationship with Mercedes-Benz/Mercedes-AMG Motorsport covering 214 staged DTM and other races, plus a multi-year engagement with Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing. The business is owner-managed with no external investors, private equity, or venture capital, and Kerstin Steininger participates directly in client relationships. Distribution is direct enterprise sales with no channel partners, and the website serves as the primary top-of-funnel asset in German and English.

In response to COVID-19's structural disruption to live events, AKS initiated a "hard cut" restructuring at the end of 2020, followed by a 2021 transformation that included relocation to Stuttgart-Sillenbuch, the launch of the "AKS 2.0" initiative (including a vintage pop-up secondhand store concept in a former car workshop), and a 30-year anniversary repositioning. Geographic operations remain concentrated in the DACH region with no disclosed global footprint.

Name

AKS

Legal name

Agentur Kerstin Steininger GmbH

Website

https://aks-agentur.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AKS is a boutique German event management agency founded in 1991, providing Event Design, Event Running, and GDPR-compliant Guest Management services to corporate clients, anchored by a 25-year lead agency relationship with Mercedes-AMG Motorsport.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Management Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Event Production & Technical Services (AV/Lighting/Staging) (MPAAAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Event Production & Technical Services (AV, Lighting, Staging) (BPAFAGAB), Conferences & Conventions Operations Services (Registration, AV, Logistics) (MPAGAGAM)

Keywords

• Event management services
• Corporate event planning
• Motorsport event agency
• Guest management software
• Brand experience events

Headquarters

HQ city

Ostfildern

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Event Management Services: Professional services revenue from event design, event running, and guest management services for corporate clients. Services include concept development, planning, on-site execution, and participant management.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

AKS is a boutique event management agency that plans, designs, and runs corporate events for clients such as Mercedes-AMG Motorsport. Its offering is structured around three service pillars: Event Design (creative concept development and strategic planning), Event Running (on-site execution, VIP hospitality, sponsor and driver coordination), and Guest Management (a proprietary web-based tool for invitation, accreditation, travel planning, and GDPR-compliant data handling). Services are delivered as managed agency engagements rather than standalone software products.

Product overview

AKS (Agentur Kerstin Steininger GmbH) is a boutique event management agency offering three integrated service pillars: Event Design, Event Running, and Guest Management. Event Design handles creative concept development and strategic event planning. Event Running provides on-site execution and coordination services. Guest Management delivers a web-based tool for participant lifecycle management including invitations, accreditation, and GDPR-compliant data handling. These services are offered as managed agency offerings rather than standalone software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AKS 2.0: Vintage pop-up secondhand store concept launched in 2021 as part of company transformation during pandemic, selling pre-owned furniture and lifestyle items in a former car workshop in Stuttgart-Sillenbuch.

Products and services

• Event Design Creative concept development and strategic planning of corporate events, including emotional brand experiences, location finding, show act programming, and catering innovation. Designed for corporate clients seeking premium brand experiences across conferences, jubilees, product launches, and motorsport events.
• Event Running On-site execution, coordination, and management of events, including VIP hospitality, sponsor management, racing driver coordination, and supporting programme steering. Built for enterprise clients running motorsport races, galas, season finales, and other high-stakes corporate events.
• Guest Management Web-based guest lifecycle management covering invitation management, accreditation, travel planning, hotel room lists, programme inquiries, and GDPR-compliant post-event data erasure. Delivered to corporate event clients needing consolidated, privacy-compliant participant handling.

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Network of Event Service PartnersminorOthersFor areas not covered internally, AKS cooperates with a well-established network of partners. They express openness to expanding this network with new partners.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• POOL Group GmbH: German event and communications agency with event design, execution, and digital event capabilities. Comparable as a German boutique-to-mid-market event agency serving corporate clients with similar end-to-end service offerings.
• Insglück Gesellschaft für Markeninszenierung mbH: Berlin-based boutique agency specializing in live events, brand experiences, and event design for corporate clients. Directly comparable to AKS as a German creative-led event agency serving premium corporate accounts.
• Atelier Markgraph GmbH: Frankfurt-based agency with strong focus on trade shows, corporate events, and brand worlds. Comparable as a German owner-managed experiential and event agency operating at similar scale and client tier.
• Kontrapunkt GmbH: Hamburg-headquartered agency offering event marketing, live communication, and brand experiences. Closely comparable to AKS in positioning as a full-service German event agency focused on corporate experiential work.
• Stagg & Friends GmbH: German event and live-marketing agency focused on corporate conferences, incentives, and brand events. Comparable to AKS as a mid-sized German boutique serving enterprise clients.

Others

• MEET Germany: Industry association/platform promoting Germany as a conference and event destination. Adjacent rather than directly competitive — relevant ecosystem context for AKS's DACH conference and event positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Maritz Global Events: Large-scale corporate event, incentive, and meeting management company. Comparable in delivering corporate event services but operates at substantially greater scale and geographic reach than boutique agencies like AKS.
• Jack Morton Worldwide: Global brand experience agency (Interpublic Group) operating across corporate events, experiential marketing, and brand activations. Comparable in service mix to AKS but at global incumbent scale, often competing for the same premium corporate mandates.
• MCI Group: Global association, conference, and event management group headquartered in Geneva with major European operations. Comparable as an event services provider but at significantly larger scale, representing the broad incumbent AKS competes against for enterprise mandates.
• Jung von Matt Events: Event and live marketing arm of major German creative agency Jung von Matt. Comparable in delivering premium event experiences for large brands but with the broader agency infrastructure and resources AKS lacks.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutu.be/JBrU5UTTsiw
• Facebookfacebook.com/aks.agentur
• Instagraminstagram.com/aksagentur

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 AKS