plan-j

What plan-j does

plan-j GmbH is a privately held German full-service B2B agency, founded in 2006 and headquartered in Bad Vilbel near Frankfurt am Main. The firm operates with 11-50 employees under the leadership of Managing Director Timo Joél, delivering integrated spatial communication, brand architecture and live marketing services branded as 'architecturevents.' Its service portfolio spans trade show booth design, corporate and live events, communication design, event management, corporate hospitality, store design, hybrid event formats, Extended Reality experiences, 3D visualizations and Design Thinking workshops, all delivered as project-based professional services rather than software products.

The company's client base is concentrated among large European enterprises and multinational corporations across construction machinery (Liebherr, Atlas Copco, Dynapac), automotive (Ferrari, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Opel), enterprise software (SAP, Siemens Industry Software), aviation (Lufthansa, Liebherr-Aerospace, LITEF) and consumer goods (playmobil). Revenue is generated through bespoke project engagements with custom quotes and no publicly disclosed pricing, acquired via direct enterprise sales, referrals from existing enterprise relationships, presence at industry trade shows and free Design Thinking kick-off workshops used as lead generation.

plan-j has executed projects in more than 20 countries including Germany, China, the USA, France, the UK, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland and Russia, with marquee deliverables such as the 13,500 m² Liebherr booth at bauma Munich and joint Ferrari/Maserati motor show activations in Detroit and Shanghai. The firm operates without disclosed external investors, parent company, subsidiaries, patents, trademarks or formal certifications, indicating an independently held, founder/management-owned business model with international project execution capability built entirely through client relationships and accumulated creative expertise.

Name

plan-j

Legal name

plan-j GmbH

Website

https://plan-j.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

plan-j is a German full-service B2B agency specializing in spatial communication, brand architecture, and live marketing events. Founded in 2006, it serves enterprise clients including Liebherr, Siemens, Ferrari, and Lufthansa with international trade show booth design and event management services across 20+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Show and Event Marketing Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (541410), Graphic Design Services (541430), Specialized Design Services (5414)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Event Program Management (Annual Planning, Calendaring & Budgeting) (THAHAIAJ), Staging & Rigging Services (MPAGAKAA), Content Strategy & Planning (BPAFAIAG)

Keywords

• Trade show booth design
• Live marketing agency
• Corporate event management
• Exhibition architecture services
• Brand communication design

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfurt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Architecture and Event Design: plan-j generates revenue through project-based professional services including trade show booth design, corporate event management, brand communication, architecture, and live marketing services. The company offers complete solutions from creative concept through quality assurance, with cost transparency and price guarantees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

plan-j is a full-service agency that designs and executes trade show booth architecture, corporate events, live marketing campaigns, brand communication, and hospitality concepts for large international enterprises. The company delivers end-to-end projects, from creative concept and 3D visualization through set-up, on-site event execution, and tear-down, with a focus on interdisciplinary spatial communication branded as "architecturevents." Services are sold as project-based professional engagements rather than as software or standardized products.

Product overview

plan-j is a full-service agency for architecture, events, and live marketing, operating as a service-led consultancy rather than a software product platform. Its portfolio comprises a set of integrated service disciplines: Architecture/Booth Design (temporary and permanent trade show architecture, corporate architecture, store design), Live Communication (corporate events, product releases, infotainment), Communication Design (campaign design, corporate identity, scenography, motion design), Event Management (full-service event planning and execution), Corporate Hospitality (catering concepts and hospitality services), Store Design (retail space design and brand architecture), Hybrid Formats (combined live/digital events), Event Technology (Extended Reality, VR experiences, 3D visualizations), Design Thinking (agile workshop methodology), and Event Controlling (KPI and budget management). These services are delivered as a unified interdisciplinary offering branded under the term 'architecturevents' — spatial communication solutions for trade shows and events — rather than as a modular software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture & Booth Design
• Live Communication
• Communication Design
• Event Management
• Corporate Hospitality
• Store Design
• Design Thinking Workshops
• Hybrid Event Formats
• Event Technology (XR / VR / Virtual Showroom)
• Event Controlling
• Corporate Video Production

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.79 million visitors reached across major trade show projects
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 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 indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• KMS TEAM GmbH: German live communication and event agency offering trade show booths, corporate events, and brand experiences for enterprise clients. Overlaps with plan-j's core service portfolio and target customer profile.
• Sparks: Global experiential agency under Maritz (now part of GES/One10) focused on trade show exhibits, events, and brand experiences for enterprise clients. Comparable in targeting large global brands with integrated experiential programs.
• Uniplan: German-headquartered experiential and event agency with international delivery, focused on brand experiences, trade show booths, and live communication for global brands. Closest German peer to plan-j in scale, positioning, and service mix.
• Jack Morton Worldwide: Global experiential marketing agency owned by IPG that designs trade show experiences, brand activations, and live events for major enterprise brands. Directly comparable to plan-j in delivering integrated brand experiences combining architecture, communication design, and event production for blue-chip clients.
• George P. Johnson Experience Marketing: Large global experiential agency specializing in trade show exhibits, event marketing, and brand experiences for enterprise technology, automotive, and industrial clients. Highly comparable service portfolio and enterprise client profile to plan-j.
• VOK DAMS Eventagentur: Major German event and live-marketing agency serving enterprise clients across corporate events, trade shows, and brand activations. Directly comparable to plan-j in service model and DACH enterprise client base.
• Avantgarde Gesellschaft für Kommunikation mbH: German brand-experience agency delivering live marketing, trade show presence, and event concepts for enterprise clients. Operates in the same German experiential marketing space as plan-j with comparable service breadth and enterprise targeting.

Broad incumbents

• Scholz & Volkmer GmbH: German digital and brand design agency serving enterprise clients with brand communication, digital experiences, and design strategy. Adjacent incumbent with overlapping communication design and brand experience capabilities.
• Jung von Matt AG: Major German independent creative agency with broad advertising, design, and brand experience capabilities. Larger and broader portfolio than plan-j but competes in the same DACH enterprise creative-services market.
• Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH: One of the world's largest trade fair organizers operating venues and managing flagship shows (including Ambiente, Automechanika). Adjacent incumbent that shapes the trade show ecosystem plan-j serves rather than competing directly for booth design services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/planjgmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 plan-j