What KAYS does

KAYS (Kays Limited) is a privately held UK-based directory and publishing company founded on 1 April 1981 that serves the film and television production industry across the UK and Ireland. The company maintains a comprehensive contact database covering production crew, freelancers, equipment rental, studios, catering, props, costumes, post-production, construction, locations, and specialised FX service providers. Its flagship products are the KAYS UK Production Manual (a print directory currently in its 42nd edition, 800+ pages) and the KAYS Art Department Year Book; the same underlying contact data is also delivered through the kays.co.uk web platform and a mobile application. Senior production professionals describe the company as the "essential resource" and "industry standard" for the UK and Ireland production sector, with testimonials citing use on major productions including Downton Abbey, Outlaw King, and The Nutcracker & The Four Realms.

The business monetises primarily through three streams: one-time listing fees (£48 per freelancer, £120 per company) for inclusion across the print, web, and app directories; direct sales of printed directories (£99 for the UK Production Manual, £55 for the Art Department Year Book); and advertising placements alongside listings. Pricing is transparent and publicly disclosed, and there is no subscription or recurring revenue model — every transaction is one-time. The go-to-market motion is sales-led, relying on direct marketing (mailshots), word-of-mouth within the production community, and the company's established reputation. There is no disclosed institutional investment, no acquisitions, and no external capital raised; the company has remained founder-led across its 44-year operating history.

KAYS operates from Pinewood Studios in Iver Heath with a headcount in the 11–50 range. The management team comprises three individuals: founder Bernard Kay (Chief Executive), Jayne Hatfield (Publishing Director), and Jessica Walsh (Editorial Assistant). The technology stack is a conventional web platform plus mobile app front-end on top of a manually curated contact database maintained by an in-house editorial function; no API, SDK, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed. The company claims over 67 million cumulative website visits and advertises coverage extending to "Major Production Services Worldwide" alongside its core UK and Ireland focus.

Name

KAYS

Legal name

Kays Limited

Website

https://kays.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

KAYS is a UK-based directory publisher serving the film and TV production industry across the UK and Ireland. It distributes two flagship printed manuals, a website, and a mobile app, monetizing through one-time listing fees, book sales, and advertising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Iver

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Listing Fees: One-time listing fees that provide inclusion in the book, website, and app. Freelancers pay £40 + VAT (£48) and companies pay £100 + VAT (£120) for a permanent listing.
2. Book Sales: Sale of printed industry directories including the UK Production Manual (42nd Edition) and Art Department Year Book to production crew and companies.
3. Advertising: The company offers advertising opportunities alongside listings in their directories and platforms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

KAYS publishes and maintains a comprehensive directory of contacts for the UK and Ireland film and television industry, distributed across three integrated platforms: an annual printed UK Production Manual, the KAYS website, and the KAYS mobile app. The directory covers broadcast, commercial, drama, music, and feature productions, listing freelancers, service companies, equipment rental firms, studios, post-production facilities, and suppliers. The company sells one-off listings to freelancers (£40 + VAT) and companies (£100 + VAT) for inclusion across all platforms, and also sells printed directory books directly to production professionals.

Product overview

KAYS operates as a multi-platform media publishing company offering a unified directory service for the UK and Ireland film and television industry. The core offering consists of the KAYS UK Production Manual (42nd Edition) and KAYS Art Department Year Book, both print directories, supplemented by the KAYS Website and App which provide web and mobile access to the same contact database. The company also offers a listing purchase service for freelancers and companies to feature across all platforms. The platforms cover all production aspects including broadcast, commercial, drama, music, and feature productions, serving as an industry-standard resource for contact information across post production, construction, studios, catering, equipment rental, props, costumes, locations, transport, stunts, and special FX.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KAYS UK Production Manual An 800+ page printed annual directory containing contact information for the UK film and TV industry, covering post production, construction, studios, catering, equipment rental, props, costumes, production companies, locations, transport, stunts, and special FX companies. Priced at £99 inc. P&P.
• KAYS Art Department Year Book Printed annual contact guide tailored for art departments within the UK film and TV industry, featuring thousands of listings for props, costumes, construction, modelmaking, action vehicles, drapes, transport, and visual FX suppliers, plus a desk diary. Priced at £55 inc. P&P.
• KAYS Website Online directory platform (www.kays.co.uk) providing a complete production resource for the UK and Ireland film and TV industry, covering broadcast, commercial, drama, music, and feature productions, with searchable categories for companies, freelancers, and props.
• KAYS Mobile App Mobile application providing access to the KAYS film and TV industry contact directory on-the-go, integrated with the website platform for production crews working in the field.
• KAYS Listing Service One-off listing purchase service allowing industry professionals to feature across the KAYS book, website, and app; freelancers pay £40 + VAT (£48) and companies pay £100 + VAT (£120) for a permanent listing.

Quantifiable outcome

• 67M+ website visits indicating extensive industry usage

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Backstage: Established talent directory and casting platform for actors, crew, and entertainment professionals. Comparable as a directory-driven business for entertainment industry visibility, but with broader scope including casting.
• IMDbPro: Amazon-owned subscription database for film, TV, and entertainment industry professionals. Overlaps with KAYS as an industry contact/reference resource, but operates at a much larger global scale with broader entertainment scope.

Direct peers

• ProductionHUB: US-based online directory and marketplace for film/TV production crew, vendors, and services. Comparable to KAYS as a searchable industry contact directory for production professionals, though primarily US-focused and digital-only.
• ProductionBase: UK-based online directory for film and TV crew and companies. Direct competitor to KAYS in the UK market with similar freelancer/company listings across production categories.
• The Stage: UK trade publication and directory for the performing arts industry, including theatre, dance, and live events. Comparable directory-publishing model in an adjacent UK entertainment vertical.
• Shooting People: UK-based independent film community and networking platform connecting filmmakers, crew, and collaborators. Comparable as a UK film/TV professional networking and contact resource.
• Mandy Network (Mandy.com): Online directory for creative professionals including film/TV crew, performers, and technicians. Comparable as a listing-based platform monetizing industry contact visibility.

Emerging players

• StarNow: Online talent directory for actors, models, and performers seeking industry visibility. Comparable directory/listings model targeted at creative freelancers, though more talent-focused than crew-focused.
• StaffMeUp: Entertainment industry job board and crew directory for TV, film, and media production. Comparable as a listings platform serving production professionals seeking industry opportunities.
• CrewsUnite: Online platform connecting film crew with productions and providing industry contact information. Comparable as a digital-first directory targeting the same freelancer/crew segment as KAYS.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kaysprodmanual
• Facebookfacebook.com/Kays-Art-Department-242629162520313
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kays-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 KAYS