Expo Hire

What Expo Hire does

Expo Hire is a UK-based event equipment hire company founded in 2014 in Birmingham, operating as the legal entity Expo Hire UK Limited (Company No. 10545198). It rents commercial-grade event inventory — furniture, catering equipment, crockery, cutlery, glassware, linen, exhibition furniture, and outdoor equipment — to event organizers across England and Wales through 11 regional depots (Birmingham, Bristol & Avon, London, Chiltern, Cotswold, East Midlands, North West, Solent, South Wales, Thames Valley, Yorkshire). The platform is positioned as the UK's first fully online event hire business: customers transact 24/7 through expohire.com with real-time stock availability and pricing, instant order confirmation, and live GPS vehicle tracking for both delivery and collection, an industry-first capability. Delivery is routed from the nearest depot and a standard hire period covers three days (delivery, event, collection), with time-slot selection, Sunday delivery/collection in many regions, and a complimentary Minor Damage Waiver on every order. The product surface spans nine core categories plus a proprietary EventPro furniture range engineered for commercial-hire durability, and a 2018-launched sister brand, Expo Direct, that sells the same commercial stock outright for permanent ownership.

The customer base is a horizontal mix of enterprise and consumer-facing event buyers. Documented enterprise accounts include BBC, ITV, HSBC, Jaguar Land Rover, Porsche, Rolls Royce, Silverstone, Wimbledon, Glastonbury Festival, Hay Festival, British Grand Prix, NHS, Cambridge and Oxford Universities, and the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Beyond enterprise, the company serves weddings and private events, exhibitions and trade shows at venues such as NEC Birmingham, ExCeL London, Olympia London, and Manchester Central, plus university exam hire (seven-day-a-week operations during exam periods), NHS and care-home catering, elections and polling stations, schools, TV and film production, and festivals. The go-to-market is exclusively direct: online ordering, supplemented by phone, email, and 8am–8pm seven-day-a-week live chat. Go-to-market channels are SEO-optimised venue and event-type pages, published case studies on named marquee projects, and aggregated reviews (4.9/5 across 4,000+ verified hires). Pricing is unit-based per item with tiered daily extension rates beyond the standard three-day period (£2.50/day up to day 7, £1.88/day up to day 28, £1.25/day thereafter), distance-based delivery starting at £40 within 10 miles, and a 25% deposit on orders above £1,000. Order volume is stated at more than 150 per week. The company is private and independently owned with no disclosed parent, institutional investor, or funding rounds.

Operationally, the model combines e-commerce front-end with a capital-intensive physical infrastructure: 11 depots, a fleet providing tracked delivery and collection, commercial washing and refurbishment facilities supporting the complimentary "send-it-back-dirty" service on tableware, and proprietary EventPro inventory specified for decade-long service. The regional depots are fronted by an overlapping portfolio of trading DBA brands (e.g., Birmingham Catering Hire, White Rose Hire, North West Hire, South Wales Hire, Thames Valley Hire, Evolved Bar Hire) consistent with an acquired regional roll-up consolidated onto a single platform. Service differentiators — Sunday delivery/collection, live two-way tracking, no security or damage deposit, free Minor Damage Waiver versus the industry norm of 2–3% — are positioned against a UK hire industry characterised by manual quote processes, weekday-only operations, and deposit-led terms.

Name

Expo Hire

Legal name

Expo Hire UK Limited

Website

https://expohire.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Expo Hire is a UK-based online event equipment hire company supplying commercial-grade furniture, catering equipment, glassware, cutlery, exhibition items, and outdoor equipment to event organizers across England and Wales via 11 regional depots.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Equipment Rental

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Wholesale-Furniture & Home Furnishings (5020)

akta.pro primary industry

Trade Show & Exhibition Marketing (Booth Design/Build) (MPAAAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Onsite Installation, Dismantle & Labor Management (I&D Crews) (THAHAHAL), Booth Maintenance, Refurbishment & Reuse Programs (THAHAHAM), Manufacturing, Industrial Equipment & Automation Shows Organizers (THAHABAF)

Keywords

• Event equipment hire
• Catering equipment rental
• Furniture hire services
• Exhibition equipment rental
• Tableware rental services

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment Hire: Short-term rental of event equipment including furniture, catering equipment, crockery, glassware, cutlery, linen, and exhibition items. Standard hire period is 3 days (delivery day, event day, collection day). Extended hire available at additional daily rates.
2. Delivery and Collection: Charges for delivery and collection calculated based on distance from nearest depot. Minimum charge of £40 for orders within 10 miles. Additional charges for weekend/bank holiday deliveries and venue-specific surcharges.
3. Extended Hire Periods: Additional daily charges for extending hire beyond standard 3-day period: £2.50/day up to day 7, £1.88/day up to day 28, £1.25/day from day 29.
4. Replacement and Damage Charges: Charges for lost, stolen, or damaged items at replacement cost plus administration fees. Administration charges at £60/hour for arranging replacements.
5. Additional Services: Premium delivery with 30-minute allowance and second driver for heavy/awkward items. Morning/afternoon time slot selections. Breakage cleaning fees for items returned dirty beyond acceptable standards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Expo Hire is an online event equipment hire business renting commercial-grade furniture, catering equipment, crockery, cutlery, glassware, linen, and exhibition items on a short-term basis (standard 3-day period) to event organizers, venues, corporates, universities, and private customers across England and Wales. Orders are placed through a proprietary e-commerce platform with live stock, live pricing, and live GPS vehicle tracking, with delivery and collection fulfilled from 11 regional depots. The company also operates Expo Direct as a sister business selling the same commercial event stock for permanent ownership.

Product overview

Expo Hire is a UK-based online event equipment hire company offering a comprehensive portfolio of commercial-grade products across nine core categories: Catering Equipment, Crockery, Cutlery, Exhibition Furniture, General Furniture, Glassware, Outdoor Equipment, and Linen. The company operates as a single unified platform with real-time stock checking, live pricing, and online ordering. The product portfolio includes proprietary EventPro® furniture designed for commercial hire durability, alongside branded ranges such as Chiavari banquet chairs (white, black, limewash), Cross Back oak chairs, and Wishbone beech chairs. Expo Direct, launched in 2018, serves as a sister company selling the same commercial inventory for permanent ownership. Key service differentiators include live order tracking, Sunday delivery, no security deposits, and a complimentary Minor Damage Waiver on every order.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EventPro: Furniture range developed specifically for commercial hire use, designed with steel frames that are serviceable and finishes that can be refinished for decade of commercial use rather than a few years of domestic life.
• Expo Direct

Products and services

• Catering Equipment Hire Commercial-grade kitchen and catering equipment for events, including cooking appliances, hot cupboards, bain-maries, fridges, freezers, bottle coolers, barbecues, chafing dishes, gas bottles, and cooking equipment. Equipment delivered clean and tested for professional food preparation and service.
• Crockery Hire Event tableware including plates, bowls, cups, saucers, and serveware, available in various ranges including Afternoon Tea, Graphite Porcelain, Storm Porcelain, and White Porcelain.
• Cutlery Hire Commercial cutlery sets and serving utensils available in multiple ranges including Kings Parish, Harley Parish, Bead Parish, and Virtue Exclusive.
• Exhibition Hire Exhibition furniture and equipment including display cabinets, counters, catalogue holders, mannequins, iPad stands, Tensabarriers, no-contact disinfection stands, and furniture for trade show stands and venues including NEC Birmingham, ExCeL London, Olympia London, and Manchester Central.
• Furniture Hire Event furniture including chairs, tables, sofas, bars, stools, LED furniture, and outdoor furniture. Includes specialist banqueting, Chiavari, cross back, folding, Eames style, Chesterfield, and Tolix furniture, plus the proprietary EventPro range designed for decade-long commercial use.
• Glassware Hire Commercial glassware including wine glasses, champagne flutes, beer glasses, tumblers, cocktail glasses, and speciality glassware for events.
• Outdoor Event Hire Outdoor equipment including gazebos, patio heaters, outdoor furniture, and outdoor catering equipment for al fresco events.
• Linen Hire Table linen including tablecloths (circular, rectangular, square, fitted, poseur), napkins, chair covers, and cloths in various colours.
• EventPro Range Proprietary furniture range designed specifically for commercial hire use, featuring steel chair frames, serviceable finishes, and construction tolerances specified for decade-long commercial use rather than retail use.
• Expo Direct Sister business launched in 2018 that sells the same commercial event furniture and equipment for permanent ownership as an alternative to short-term hire, operated through expodirect.co.uk.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.9 out of 5 customer rating from over 4,000 verified hires
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• GL Events: Global event industry group providing exhibition services, temporary structures and event equipment — overlaps with Expo Hire's exhibition furniture and trade show service offering at the larger-scale end.
• Arena Group: Larger UK and international event structures and services group offering seating, scaffolding and temporary infrastructure for major events — broader portfolio but overlaps in exhibition and major-event furniture supply.
• Freeman: Global exhibition and events services company offering furniture hire and booth services — comparable to Expo Hire on the exhibition furniture side but operating at much larger scale and internationally.

Regional players

• Hire Intelligence: UK AV and event equipment hire supplier — adjacent rather than direct overlap, but competes for the same corporate and exhibition event budgets that drive Expo Hire's mid-market orders.

Direct peers

• Smart Group: UK-based furniture, tableware and catering equipment hire business serving exhibitions, corporate events and weddings — directly comparable product breadth and event-segment focus.
• Event Hire UK: UK-wide event equipment hire specialist offering furniture, catering equipment and tableware for corporate and private events — directly overlapping Expo Hire's core catalogue and target customer segments.
• Tiger Hire: UK event and party equipment hire company supplying furniture, tableware and catering kit — closely comparable catalogue and customer segments to Expo Hire.
• Whitehouse Event Hire: Long-established UK event furniture and tableware hire company serving corporate events, weddings, and exhibitions — directly comparable product range and customer base to Expo Hire.
• Allens Catering Equipment Hire: UK event hire business covering furniture, catering equipment and glassware with depot-based delivery — comparable model with strong overlap in weddings and corporate events.

Emerging players

• Chiavari Chair Company: UK specialist in Chiavari banquet chairs and event furniture for weddings and formal occasions — partial overlap focused on the premium banqueting segment Expo Hire serves with EventPro and Chiavari ranges.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/expohire
• Facebookfacebook.com/expohire
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/expohire

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Expo Hire