Performance Lighting

What Performance Lighting does

Performance Lighting is a privately held live event production services company founded in 1984 and headquartered in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. It delivers an integrated suite of production services spanning lighting design, video wall design and content creation, audio system design and tuning, special effects (lasers, cryo, confetti), professional rigging, and equipment rentals. Its customers are organized along a horizontal segmentation that includes music artist tours as the primary segment, with sports events, corporate and brand activations, theater venues, and permanent installations as secondary segments.

Service delivery follows a formalized four-stage process — Conceive, Design, Build, Perform — executed through direct client engagement with event organizers, artists, venues, and corporate buyers. Core technology is operational and equipment-based rather than platform-based: the firm deploys lighting, audio, video, and rigging infrastructure combined with pre-visualization design software to translate creative concepts into technical plans before on-site execution. The revenue model is project-based, quote-based professional services sold via direct sales outreach and project-based bidding, with no disclosed pricing tiers, recurring contracts, or subscription mechanics.

The go-to-market motion is sales-led and reputation-driven: demand generation is anchored on the company website portfolio of completed work and industry word-of-mouth, with no paid digital marketing, no channel partner program, and no third-party distribution described. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, institutional investors, or named executive leadership beyond a referenced team member (Don McNeill) without a formal title.

Name

Performance Lighting

Legal name

Performance Lighting

Website

https://performancelightingusa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Performance Lighting is a privately held live event production services company founded in 1984 in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, providing lighting design, video, audio, special effects, rigging, and equipment rentals to concert tours, sports events, corporate activations, and permanent installations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Event Production Services

NAICS

Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Event Production & Technical Services (Staging, Lighting, Sound, Video) (MPAGAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Effects (Pyro, Lasers, Confetti, Fog) (MPAGAKAF), Staging & Rigging Services (MPAGAKAA), Event Production & Technical Services (AV, Lighting, Staging) (BPAFAGAB), Lighting Design Services (BPAHAKAJ)

Keywords

• Live event production
• Lighting design services
• Concert production
• Event rigging services
• Permanent lighting installation

Headquarters

HQ city

Elk Grove Village

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Live Event Production Services: Project-based professional services for concerts, events, and installations including lighting design, video, audio, special effects, and rigging

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Performance Lighting provides end-to-end live event production services, including expert lighting design, video wall design and custom content creation, audio system tuning, special effects (lasers, cryo, confetti), and professional rigging. Services are delivered through a four-stage Conceive-Design-Build-Perform process and span concerts, sports events, brand activations, corporate events, theater productions, and permanent installations. The company also rents top-tier production equipment to support client projects.

Product overview

Performance Lighting offers a unified suite of production services for live events and permanent installations. The core offering includes lighting design, video production, audio systems, special effects (FX), rigging, and equipment rentals. Services are delivered through a four-stage process: Conceive (creative concept development), Design (technical planning with pre-visualization tools), Build (expert execution), and Perform (showtime delivery). The company specializes in three primary segments: Concerts (music tours and live shows), Events (sports, brand activations, auto shows, corporate events), and Installations (permanent venue transformations).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lighting Design Expert lighting design service in which lighting designers create and implement lighting concepts tailored to any venue or budget, transforming creative visions into visual reality for concerts, events, and installations.
• Video Production and Integration Video wall design, custom content creation, and seamless visual integration services that elevate productions through design, build, and implementation for live events and installations.
• Audio Services Sound system design and fine-tuning for optimal clarity and impact, backed by industry-leading audio equipment, for live events and installations.
• FX (Special Effects) Special effects including lasers, cryo, and confetti to create impactful moments and add wow factor to events, delivered as part of live event production services.
• Rigging Services Safe, efficient, and rock-solid rigging services that serve as the backbone of productions, ensuring everything runs without a hitch for live events and installations.
• Equipment Rentals Top-tier production equipment rentals providing the right lighting, video, audio, effects, and rigging tools for any event or installation.
• Concert Production Services Live concert production services featuring world-class lighting, precision execution, and passionate delivery for unforgettable music tour and live show experiences.
• Event Production Services Event production services for sports openers, brand activations, auto shows, and corporate events featuring bold lighting, sharp visuals, and flawless execution.
• Permanent Installations Permanent installation services that transform commercial and public spaces into lasting brand experiences with captivating visual and lighting designs.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• PRG (Production Resource Group): Largest live event production services company in North America, offering lighting, video, audio, and rigging for concerts, tours, sports, and corporate events — directly overlapping with Performance Lighting's full-stack offering.
• Mainlight Industries: Concert lighting design and production company serving tours, festivals, and special events; direct competitor in the music touring lighting services segment.
• Solotech: Full-service live event production company offering lighting, audio, video, and rigging for concerts, tours, and corporate events across North America, directly comparable in service scope and end clients.
• Clair Brothers: Long-established live event audio and lighting production company serving tours, festivals, and corporate clients — overlapping core concert lighting and production services with Performance Lighting.
• Schuler Shook: Specialized lighting design consultancy serving performing arts venues, theaters, and architectural projects; competes for theater and permanent installation design mandates.
• Bandit Lites: Major concert and touring lighting production company serving top music artists and world tours; competes for the same music production client base as Performance Lighting.
• Morpheus Lights: Live event lighting production company providing lighting design and rental for concerts, corporate events, and tours — closely comparable in scope and customer type.
• Christie Lites: Entertainment lighting equipment and production services provider serving concert touring, theater, and live events; directly competitive in concert lighting design and rental.
• Atomic Lighting: Mid-sized full-service event production company offering lighting, audio, video, and rigging for concerts, corporate events, and special events — comparable business model and customer base.

Emerging players

• GP Design + FX: Smaller-scale event production and lighting design firm serving concerts and brand events; partially overlapping service offering and end clients, though smaller in scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/plichicago
• Facebookfacebook.com/PLIChicago

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 Performance Lighting