Abilities
Abilities Expo, operated by Raccoon Abilities Inc. since 1979, runs seven annual free three-day expos across major U.S. cities, connecting people with disabilities, caregivers, and healthcare professionals with exhibitors of assistive technology, mobility products, and disability services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersSanta Monica, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Abilities does
Abilities (legally Raccoon Abilities Inc., d/b/a Abilities Expo) is a private event-management and community platform operator founded in 1979 and headquartered in the greater Los Angeles/Orange County area, with a secondary business address in Chicago. Its core product is a recurring calendar of seven free, three-day in-person expositions held annually across major U.S. metros (Houston, Phoenix, New York Metro, Orlando, Chicago, Los Angeles, and a rotating additional city), targeting people with disabilities, their families and caregivers, and healthcare professionals. The events aggregate an exhibitor base of disability product and service vendors — including 101 Mobility, Sunrise Medical, Pride Mobility, Permobil, and BraunAbility — alongside on-floor experiences such as an Assistive Technology Showcase, adaptive sports demonstrations, an artist market, free wheelchair repair, complimentary loaner scooters, ASL interpretation, CART captioning, and workshops on accessible travel, home remodeling, and disability finance.
The company does not operate a proprietary software platform; its technology footprint consists of a marketing website, email newsletter (Abilities Buzz), a podcast (Abilities Zone), social channels, and licensed third-party accessibility tools such as RightHear's indoor navigation system. Revenue is generated primarily through exhibition booth-space rentals (tiered, with payment schedules and multi-show discounts) and corporate sponsorships (e.g., Pride Mobility, Sunrise Medical, Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation), supplemented by the co-located Abilities International Accessibility Conference, which sells professional education and CEU credits to the complex rehab technology industry. Attendee admission is free for ages 18+, creating a low-friction funnel that funnels consumer demand toward paying exhibitors and sponsors. The entity is privately held under the Raccoon Media Group umbrella and discloses no venture, private equity, or public ownership.
Abilities firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Abilities
- Legal name
- Raccoon Abilities Inc.
- Website
- https://abilities.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Abilities Expo, operated by Raccoon Abilities Inc. since 1979, runs seven annual free three-day expos across major U.S. cities, connecting people with disabilities, caregivers, and healthcare professionals with exhibitors of assistive technology, mobility products, and disability services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Abilities industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Disability Events and Trade Shows
- NAICS
- All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (71399), Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (7139)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- General Consumer Expos & Trade Shows (MPAGAFAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Disability & Adaptive Sports Organizations (Paralympic, Special Olympics) (MPAKACAH), Health, Wellness & Fitness Expos (MPAGAFAF), Adaptive & Para-Sport Event Organizers (MPAKADAM)
Keywords
Where Abilities is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Santa Monica
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Abilities business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Exhibition Booth Space Rental: Primary revenue stream from selling exhibition booth space to companies offering disability-related products and services. Booth space is sold with tiered pricing and payment schedules (25% deposit, 50% at 6 months, 100% at 3 months before show). Multi-show discounts available for booking multiple events in same calendar year.
- Sponsorship Revenue: Sponsorships from companies like Pride Mobility (scooter sponsors), Sunrise Medical (wheelchair repair), Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, and others that gain visibility at Expos and in related materials.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Attendee Admission - Free |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Exhibitor Booth Space - Custom Quoting |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels6 records
Abilities product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Abilities Expo operates a series of seven annual three-day live events across major US cities, providing a free in-person venue where disability product and service exhibitors showcase assistive technologies, mobility equipment, adaptive recreation, and related services to attendees from the disability community. Revenue is generated primarily through B2B exhibitor booth space rentals and event sponsorships, supported by an adjacent content ecosystem (podcast, newsletter, community news) and a co-located professional conference (Abilities International Accessibility Conference) offering CEU-accredited education for healthcare practitioners.
Product overview
Abilities is an event and community platform organizer for the disability community. The core offering is Abilities Expo, a series of three-day live events held in seven U.S. cities annually (Houston, Phoenix, New York Metro, Orlando, Chicago, and Los Angeles), offering free admission to people with disabilities, families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. The events feature interactive experiences including an Assistive Technology Showcase, Adaptive Climbing Wall, Artist Market, Adaptive Sports events, and Must-See Workshops covering accessible travel, home remodeling, and disability finance. Co-located with the Abilities International Accessibility Conference for professionals, the platform also includes accessibility services (ASL interpretation, CART services, RightHear navigation, screen reader-compatible exhibitor lists), mobility services (complimentary loaner scooters from Pride Mobility, free wheelchair repair from Sunrise Medical), and content offerings including the Abilities Zone Podcast and Community News. Additional offerings include booth space sales for exhibitors and sponsorships at the expo.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Abilities Expo (event series) A series of three-day live expos held annually in seven US cities (Houston, Phoenix, New York Metro, Orlando, Chicago, Los Angeles, plus additional locations), offering free admission to people with disabilities, families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. Exhibitor booth space is sold to companies offering disability-related products and services.
- Abilities International Accessibility Conference A professional industry conference co-located with Abilities Expo in Los Angeles and New York Metro, offering CEU-approved education and hands-on workshops across assistive technology and complex rehabilitation technology (CRT) for healthcare and rehabilitation professionals.
- Exhibitor Booth Space Rental Sold-by-quote exhibition booth space at Abilities Expo events, with designated floor area, pipe-and-drape walling, tiered payment schedule (25% deposit, 50% at six months, 100% at three months before show), multi-show discounts for same-calendar-year bookings, and a $200 corner premium per corner.
Companies that use Abilities
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Abilities technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Abilities partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Pride MobilitycorePride Mobility provides complimentary loaner scooters for Abilities Expo attendees 18+ to use on the expo floor during show hours. This sponsorship enables attendees with mobility challenges to navigate the large exhibition halls comfortably.
- Sunrise MedicalcoreSunrise Medical provides free wheelchair maintenance and repair services to Abilities Expo attendees during show hours. The Free Wheelchair Repair pavilion is a signature service of the Expo.
- Christopher & Dana Reeve FoundationminorEvent sponsor providing visibility and support for Abilities Expo events.
- Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA)minorEvent sponsor and exhibitor at Abilities Expo. PVA publishes PN Magazine and Sports 'N Spokes for wheelchair users.
- Exceptional Parent MagazineminorEvent sponsor serving the special needs community.
- Abilities International Accessibility ConferencecoreCo-located professional conference running alongside Abilities Expos, offering CEU-approved education and workshops for the complex rehab technology industry. Los Angeles: Jan. 14-15; New York Metro: Apr 29-30.
- Move UnitedminorNational nonprofit focused on adaptive sports, exhibiting at Abilities Expo with booth #227. Move United serves over 125,000 youth, wounded warriors and adults through a network of 225+ organizations.
- TalathminorEvent sponsor visible on Abilities Expo.
- Maroon Pride MobilityminorLoaner Scooter Sponsor for Abilities Expo events.
- Sweet Destinations Travel Team by Dream VacationsminorPartner for accessible cruise raffle giveaways at Abilities Expo. Raffling 3 inside cabin, accessible 4-night Royal Caribbean or Celebrity X cruises for two.
- GAMUT Village / GAMUT ManagementminorSpotlighting brands advancing inclusive design including Victoria's Secret, adidas, French Toast, G-III Apparel Group, Volto Santo, Sense-ational You, Get Ready With Me Tools, SOLACE Collective. Brands featured receive GAMUT Seal of Approval for inclusive designs.
- Runway of Dreams FoundationminorPartnership for adaptive fashion runway shows at Abilities Expo. Features models with disabilities wearing adaptive clothing designs.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Abilities competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- RX Global (Reed Exhibitions): One of the world's largest exhibition organizers running hundreds of trade and consumer expos annually. Comparable as a broad incumbent operating physical expo distribution at scale, though diversified across many verticals rather than focused on disability.
- Emerald Expositions: US-focused B2B trade show operator running over 50 events across gift, home, design, and lifestyle categories. Comparable in operating consumer/B2B trade shows as the core business model, though without a disability vertical.
- Informa Markets: Global B2B events and exhibition business operating major trade shows across multiple industries. Highly comparable as a dominant incumbent in the live expo space, though its portfolio spans many categories versus Abilities' single-vertical focus.
- CES (Consumer Technology Association): Operates the world's largest consumer technology trade show with a similar multi-city, booth-rental-plus-sponsorship model. Comparable as the archetype of large-scale B2B/B2C expos, though focused on tech rather than disability.
- IMEX America: Major B2B trade show for the meetings, incentives, and events industry with similar booth/sponsorship economics and a co-located conference component. Comparable in combining a consumer-facing expo with a professional education track.
- Clarion Events: International events group running trade shows, conferences, and expos across multiple sectors. Comparable as a large incumbent expo operator with booth-rental and sponsorship monetization similar to Abilities Expo.
Others
- Dream Vacations / Dream Vacations Franchise: Travel franchise network partnering with Abilities Expo on accessible cruise giveaways. Comparable as an ecosystem partner that reaches the same disability consumer audience through adjacent channels rather than direct expo competition.
Emerging players
- Move United: National nonprofit serving 125,000+ youth, wounded warriors and adults through adaptive sports via 225+ organizations. Already a partner and exhibitor at Abilities Expo, it is the closest thematic peer in disability/adaptive sports programming but lacks a national expo platform.
- Aging in America Conference (AARP): AARP's annual conference serves an adjacent demographic of older adults and people with disabilities, with a similar mix of expo, workshops, and advocacy. Comparable as a national community event serving overlapping consumer needs.
Regional players
- Abilities Canada: Operates consumer expos for the disability community across Canadian cities. The most direct functional peer and namesake, though geographically distinct and not directly competitive given the US-only footprint of Abilities Expo.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Abilities social profiles
Digital presenceAbilities financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Abilities leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Abilities funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Abilities M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Abilities
What does Abilities do?
Abilities Expo operates a series of seven annual three-day live events across major US cities, providing a free in-person venue where disability product and service exhibitors showcase assistive technologies, mobility equipment, adaptive recreation, and related services to attendees from the disability community. Revenue is generated primarily through B2B exhibitor booth space rentals and event sponsorships, supported by an adjacent content ecosystem (podcast, newsletter, community news) and a co-located professional conference (Abilities International Accessibility Conference) offering CEU-accredited education for healthcare practitioners.
Is Abilities a public or private company?
Abilities is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Abilities founded?
Abilities was founded in 1979. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Abilities based?
Abilities is headquartered in Santa Monica, United States, in the North America region.
How does Abilities make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Exhibition Booth Space Rental is the primary driver. The others are sponsorship Revenue.
Who are Abilities's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are RX Global (Reed Exhibitions), Emerald Expositions, Informa Markets, CES (Consumer Technology Association), IMEX America and Clarion Events. Dream Vacations / Dream Vacations Franchise is listed as an others. Emerging players are Move United and Aging in America Conference (AARP). Abilities Canada is listed as a regional player.
Does Abilities have an API?
No public API is recorded for Abilities.
What industry is Abilities in?
Abilities's product category is Disability Events and Trade Shows. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAFAA, General Consumer Expos & Trade Shows, with a secondary code of MPAKACAH, Disability & Adaptive Sports Organizations (Paralympic, Special Olympics). Its NAICS code is 71399 and its SIC code is 7990.