The Business Show

What The Business Show does

The Business Show, operated by Business Show Media Ltd, is a UK-headquartered B2B trade show organizer founded in 2009. Its flagship annual event at Excel London aggregates 25,000 attendees, 500+ exhibitors, and 200+ seminars targeting SMEs, startups, and enterprise buyers seeking commercial partners, funding, and operational services. Co-located companion shows Going Global Live (international expansion) and the standalone White & Private Label Expo (Chicago) broaden the vertical and geographic footprint, while a World Series format replicates the concept in Miami, Singapore, Sydney, and Amsterdam.

The company operates a multi-revenue-stream model: exhibitor booth rentals priced on a quote/tiered basis, headline and category sponsorships (e.g., Dell Technologies), and paid masterclass fees, with general attendee tickets offered free of charge to maximize traffic. Demand generation is supported by a partnership network of 100+ media outlets and institutional bodies (London Chamber of Commerce, FSB, Startups Magazine, Entrepreneur UK, KPMG, Stripe, Square, SumUp). Industry positioning is reinforced by AEO Award Finalist recognition.

The business is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, suggesting bootstrap-funded growth across 17 years of operation. Underlying technology is event logistics and content production — physical exhibitions, speaker programming, and CRM-driven exhibitor sales — with no proprietary AI or platform technology disclosed in the data.

Name

The Business Show

Legal name

Business Show Media Ltd

Website

https://bstartup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Business Show, operated by Business Show Media Ltd, is a Bristol-based B2B trade show organizer founded in 2009. It runs annual exhibitions at Excel London hosting 25,000 attendees and 500+ exhibitors, plus a World Series across Miami, Singapore, Sydney, and Amsterdam and companion shows Going Global Live and the White & Private Label Expo.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Trade Shows & Exhibitions

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAHABAA

General & Multi-Industry Trade Show Organizers

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Exhibition & Trade Show Organizers

SECONDARYMPAGAGAA

Industry Trade Shows & Expos

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Conventions & Conferences (Business Events)

SECONDARYBPAFAGAD

Trade Shows & Exhibitions (Booths, Show Management)

Business & Public Services/Marketing, Advertising & PR Services/Experiential & Event Marketing

SECONDARYHSACADAH

Exhibitions, Trade Shows & Booth Management

Home & Personal Services/Event & Personal Concierge Services/Corporate Event & Meeting Services

Keywords

• Business trade shows
• B2B exhibitions
• Exhibitor booth sales
• Event sponsorship services
• Business networking events

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Exhibitor booth and stand rentals: Companies pay to exhibit at the show with booth/stand spaces ranging from standard to premium locations. The website offers 'Book A Stand' functionality for exhibitor registration.
2. Sponsorship packages: Corporate sponsors such as Dell Technologies sponsor the event in exchange for brand visibility, logo placement, and marketing benefits across event materials and digital platforms.
3. Masterclass and seminar participation fees: Organizations pay to deliver masterclasses and educational sessions to attendees in exclusive intimate settings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Business Show organizes and operates large-scale annual B2B trade exhibitions held at Excel London and other international venues, featuring paid exhibitor stands, corporate sponsorship packages, masterclasses, seminars, keynote presentations, and structured speed networking. Free visitor tickets attract 25,000+ SMEs, startups, and brands per show, while paying customers are the 500+ exhibiting companies and corporate sponsors.

Product overview

The Business Show is a single unified business exhibition event - not a software platform with modules. It is the world's leading business event featuring a comprehensive portfolio of offerings including 500+ exhibitors, 200+ seminars and masterclasses, keynote speakers from major brands, and speed networking sessions. The event runs at Excel London annually and is part of a global World Series including regional editions in Asia, Australia, US, Amsterdam, and Miami. A companion show called Going Global Live runs alongside the main event, focusing on international business expansion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Going Global Live: International business expansion event for brands looking to expand globally, export products, and launch overseas
• The Business Show US
• The Business Show Asia
• The Business Show Australia
• The Business Show Amsterdam
• White & Private Label Expo

Products and services

• The Business Show London Flagship annual B2B trade exhibition at Excel London featuring 500+ exhibitors, 200+ seminars and masterclasses, keynote speakers, and speed networking for SMEs, startups, and brands.
• The Business Show US American edition of The Business Show exhibition held in Miami for SMEs, startups, and brands seeking B2B connections in the US market.
• The Business Show Asia Asian edition of The Business Show exhibition held in Singapore for businesses across the Asia-Pacific region.
• The Business Show Australia Australian edition of The Business Show exhibition held in Sydney for SMEs, startups, and brands in the Australian market.
• The Business Show Amsterdam Amsterdam edition of The Business Show exhibition for SMEs, startups, and brands in the Netherlands and broader European market.
• Going Global Live Co-located international trade exhibition running alongside The Business Show London, focused on helping businesses expand globally, export products, and enter overseas markets.
• White & Private Label Expo Related business exhibition covering white label and private label products, operated as a sister event within the Business Show Media portfolio.
• Exhibitor Stand and Booth Rentals Paid exhibition booth and stand spaces at The Business Show and sister events, sold via direct sales and online 'Book A Stand' registration for businesses seeking on-floor presence at the events.
• Corporate Sponsorship Packages Tiered sponsorship packages sold to enterprise brands providing brand visibility, logo placement, and marketing benefits across event materials and digital platforms at The Business Show.
• Masterclass and Seminar Participation Paid participation slots for organizations to deliver masterclasses and educational sessions to event attendees in intimate seminar settings at The Business Show.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Going Global LivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-located international trade show focused on helping businesses expand globally, export products, and enter overseas markets. Runs alongside The Business Show as a complementary event.
• Dell TechnologiesmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor technology sponsor of The Business Show, providing brand visibility across event materials, digital platforms, and dedicated booth presence.
• London Chamber of Commerce and IndustrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting partner providing business networking and credibility to the show, promoting the event to London-based businesses.
• Federation of Small Businesses (FSB)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor business organization partner promoting the show to its SME membership base across the UK.
• Startups MagazinecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner providing editorial coverage and promoting the event to startup audiences.
• Entrepreneur UKsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia sponsor promoting the event to entrepreneur and small business audiences.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• RX (Reed Exhibitions): Global exhibitions arm of RELX, organizing trade shows and conferences across dozens of industries. A broad incumbent that competes for the same exhibitor and sponsorship budgets as The Business Show across multiple verticals.
• Informa Markets: The world's largest B2B exhibitions organizer and a division of Informa plc. Operates hundreds of trade shows globally, dwarfing The Business Show in scale but serving the same exhibitor/attendee value chain in many adjacent verticals.

Direct peers

• Money 20/20: Major B2B financial services trade show with comparable event scale and exhibitor/sponsor monetization. Comparable in attendee scale and pricing model, though focused on fintech rather than horizontal business services.
• Hyve Group: UK-listed trade show organizer operating a portfolio of B2B exhibitions across multiple verticals and geographies. Highly comparable in business model, customer base (exhibitors and attendees), and operational approach to running physical B2B events.
• Shoptalk: Large B2B retail and ecommerce trade show with comparable exhibitor/attendee economics. Comparable in event scale and sponsor-driven revenue model, though vertical-focused rather than horizontal.
• Web Summit: Large-scale B2B tech/startup conference series attracting tens of thousands of attendees and global sponsors. Comparable in audience profile (startups, SMEs, enterprise brands) and revenue model (exhibitor/sponsor-driven) though more tech-focused.
• Clarion Events: UK-based privately held events organizer running B2B trade shows across multiple sectors. Closely comparable in business model, geographic focus, and audience (B2B exhibitor/sponsor monetization) to The Business Show.

Regional players

• London Tech Week: Major London-based B2B tech/startup event attracting enterprise sponsors and startups. Comparable in geography, audience profile, and co-located event strategy, though focused specifically on technology.

Emerging players

• Great British Entrepreneur Awards: UK-based entrepreneur recognition event series targeting the same SME/startup audience. Overlapping audience and partnership ecosystem (Federation of Small Businesses, Chambers of Commerce), though awards-focused rather than exhibition-based.

Others

• Aspencore / AspenCore Events (EE Times, Embedded.com events): Adjacent B2B event organizer in the electronics/engineering vertical. Comparable trade show operations and exhibitor/sponsor monetization model, though focused on a narrower industry segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/TheBusinessShow
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGJDFQ2jsmJD0x3Yrk1Gx8g
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheBusinessShow
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bstartup
• Instagraminstagram.com/thebusinessshowuk
• TikToktiktok.com/@businessshowmedia

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 The Business Show