buildUP

What buildUP does

buildUP is the in-house design and construction department of Fira Barcelona, the publicly-owned Catalan trade fair institution. The company specializes in the design and construction of custom exhibition stands for medium and large-sized projects at Fira Barcelona venues (Gran Via and Montjuïc). It serves enterprise exhibitors participating in major trade events such as ISE, MWC, ICE, and SCEW, with a documented client base spanning Google, Sony, Microsoft, Cisco, Deloitte, AT&T, Nokia, Fortinet, Mastercard, Optoma, Games Global, and Lumine. The company positions itself on its "playing at home" advantage — speed, flexibility, and direct venue access that external stand builders cannot match.

The company operates four interconnected service lines: custom Design & Construction Services for bespoke stands, Production Services for fabricating client-supplied designs, comprehensive Service Management that coordinates all supplementary trade show needs (structures, electricity, rigging, internet, audiovisuals, water, cleaning, catering), and specialized Double Deck (Altillos) multi-level stand construction. Design philosophy emphasizes custom materials, warm textiles, original furniture, creative lighting, and natural plants under the "BE BOLD AND ELEGANT" creative direction. A "WE BUILD GREEN" sustainability program covers five pillars (rethink, reuse, reduce, repurpose, recycle) across the full project lifecycle.

Commercially, buildUP generates revenue through project-based one-time fees for custom stand design and construction, with each project scoped and quoted individually based on requirements. There are no recurring contracts, no disclosed pricing tiers, and no public rate card. The go-to-market model combines direct enterprise engagement (a "single interlocutor" model providing one point of contact throughout the project) with inbound demand through Fira Barcelona's event ecosystem and a multilingual website. Customer acquisition is heavily referral-driven through the parent institution's exhibitor relationships, supplemented by Instagram (@buildup_by_fira) and the buildupfira.com web presence. buildUP does not disclose financial figures, has no venture or private equity funding, and operates as a non-dilutive department of a government state entity.

Name

buildUP

Legal name

FIRA BARCELONA

Website

https://buildupfira.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

buildUP is Fira Barcelona's in-house exhibition stand design and construction department, serving enterprise exhibitors with custom-built stands and comprehensive event services at Fira Barcelona venues in Barcelona, Spain.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Exhibition Stand Design & Construction

NAICS

Custom Architectural Woodwork and Millwork Manufacturing (337212), Ornamental and Architectural Metal Work Manufacturing (332323)

SIC

Fabricated Structural Metal Products (3440)

akta.pro primary industry

Pavilion & Country/Group Exhibit Build-Outs (THAHAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Event Fabrication & Scenic/Set Build (Custom Builds, Installations) (BPAFAGAK)

Keywords

• Exhibition stand design
• Custom booth construction
• Trade show services
• Event stand fabrication
• Exhibition project management

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Design & Construction Services: buildUP generates revenue through project-based design and construction fees for custom exhibition stands. Services include design, construction, production, and service management (double decks, structures, electricity, rigging, internet, audiovisuals, water, cleaning, catering). Revenue is one-time per project rather than recurring.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

buildUP is the in-house exhibition stand design and construction department of Fira Barcelona. It provides custom stand design, production, on-site service coordination (electricity, rigging, AV, catering, cleaning), and specialized double-deck (altillo) stand construction for medium and large events held at Fira Barcelona venues.

Product overview

buildUP is Fira Barcelona's in-house design and construction department specializing in exhibition stands. The company operates as a service-oriented business offering four interconnected core offerings: custom Design & Construction Services for creating bespoke exhibition stands, Production Services for fabricating client-provided designs, comprehensive Service Management covering all supplementary needs (electricity, rigging, audiovisual, catering), and specialized Double Deck (Altillos) Services for multi-level stand structures. The integrated approach provides clients with a single point of contact managing the complete lifecycle of their exhibition presence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Design & Construction Services End-to-end custom design and physical construction of exhibition stands for medium and large events at Fira Barcelona venues, delivered as a single integrated project for enterprise exhibitors and event organizers.
• Production Services Stand production support covering the fabrication and assembly of structural, graphic, and finishing elements required to bring exhibition stand designs to life at Fira Barcelona events.
• Service Management Single-point coordination of on-site event services for exhibitors, including electricity, rigging, audiovisual (AV), catering, and cleaning, integrated with the buildUP stand project.
• Double Deck (Altillos) Services Specialized design and construction of two-level (double-deck / altillo) exhibition stands for medium and large events at Fira Barcelona venues, providing exhibitors with additional footprint and visibility.

Named customers15 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Koelnmesse: Cologne-based trade fair organizer that runs in-house exhibition stand services for its events (e.g., gamescom, Anuga). Provides a similar venue-anchored booth build capability serving large global exhibitors.
• Messe München: Munich-based trade fair company operating major venues (Messe München) with integrated booth construction and event services. Operates the same venue-as-distribution-channel model for exhibitors.
• Fiera Milano: Italy's leading exhibition venue operator (Rho Fiera Milano), with internal stand construction, booth design, and event service offerings for exhibitors. Closely mirrors buildUP's venue-anchored service model in another European market.
• Messe Frankfurt: Global trade fair organizer and venue operator (Frankfurt, Germany) that provides in-house stand construction and booth services for exhibitors across its event portfolio. Comparable as a major venue operator with integrated stand-building services.
• Messe Düsseldorf: Major German trade fair organizer (drupa, K, MEDICA) with in-house stand construction and event services for exhibitors. Operates an integrated venue + booth build model highly comparable to buildUP.
• IFEMA: Madrid-based public trade fair institution that, like Fira Barcelona, operates major exhibition venues (Feria de Madrid) and provides in-house stand construction and event services to exhibitors. Directly comparable as a venue-embedded event services provider in Spain.

Broad incumbents

• GL Events: France-headquartered global event services group providing exhibition stand design, build, and venue services worldwide. A broader incumbent offering overlapping capabilities at greater scale and geographic reach than buildUP.
• GES (Global Experience Specialists): Large international exhibition services contractor offering custom stand design, fabrication, and on-site services across major global trade shows. Overlaps with buildUP's core offering at significantly greater scale.

Regional players

• Feria Valencia: Valencia-based regional trade fair institution in Spain with venue operations and stand-building capabilities. Comparable in offering but serves a different Spanish region than Fira Barcelona.
• Fira de Zaragoza: Spanish regional trade fair institution (Zaragoza) offering venue services and stand construction for exhibitors in its events. Comparable offering, different regional Spanish market from Barcelona.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/buildup_by_fira
• Xx.com/buildupfira
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/buildup-by-fira-barcelona

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 buildUP