Smits Expo

What Smits Expo does

Smits Expo is a Netherlands-based, founder-owned exhibition and event solutions provider headquartered in Roden (Exportweg 9, 9301 ZR Roden). The company designs and builds custom exhibition stands for trade shows, congresses, corporate events, and corporate interiors, and operates a secondary product line of mobile presentation materials such as roll-up banners, pop-up walls, fabric frames, and counter systems. Its core custom-stand offering is segmented by floor area into 6m², 12m², 25m², and 25m²+ tiers, with both purchase and rental options, and a stated starting price of €1,250 on the smallest tier. Product surface includes proprietary or exclusive lines: Pixlip GO (a mobile LED display box made entirely of plastic, set up in five minutes without tools), Pop-up Stretch (a stretch-fabric wall with magnetic rod attachment), Bannerbow (a Swedish-made banner system in three sizes), and a sound-absorbing variant of fabric frames. The mobile-materials line is partly sourced through authorized dealership partnerships, notably with Spennare (a multi-time Red Dot Design Award winner) and Pixlipgo.

The business model combines project-based custom-build services with sale of standardized mobile presentation products. Custom stands are delivered as full-service projects from design through on-site installation, while mobile materials are sold via the website as standardized SKUs. Distribution is omnichannel-direct: phone, WhatsApp, email, and website contact forms, with the owner (Herman Smits) personally involved in customer engagement. The go-to-market is consultative sales-led, with named customers spanning large enterprises across healthcare (Roche, Abbott, Bayer, Amgen, Resato, Menzis, CET), financial services (ABN AMRO, Aegon, Generali), technology (VCD Automatisering, SG Automatisering, Boom), education (CSK, ROC Friese Poort), consulting (Antea Group), agriculture (Agrifirm), and government (winning a Dutch Ministry pitch in 2017). The company claims to serve customers both nationally and internationally, although its only disclosed office is in Roden and its operational footprint is concentrated in the Netherlands.

The organization is small (1-10 employees), founder-owned, has been in operation under the Smits Expo brand since 1 July 2017 (formerly Veenstra Expo, a partnership between Marten Veenstra and Herman Smits), and references more than 15 years of operator experience. There is no disclosed funding, no institutional investors, no public revenue, and no AI or software-platform capabilities; the business is a traditional project-services and physical-product reseller with a marketing approach built around a project portfolio website, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

Name

Smits Expo

Legal name

Smits Expo

Website

http://www.smits-expo.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Smits Expo is a Roden, Netherlands-based exhibition stand builder and mobile presentation materials supplier, serving Dutch enterprise and government customers with custom-built and rental booths, plus branded products like Pixlip GO and Bannerbow.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Exhibition Stand Construction

NAICS

Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (54185), Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (541850)

akta.pro primary industry

Custom Booth & Stand Design (Concept, 3D, Branding) (THAHAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Modular & Portable Display Systems (Pop-Ups, Tension Fabric, Kits) (THAHAHAC), Lighting, LED Walls & Digital Signage for Booths (THAHAHAI)

Keywords

• Exhibition stand construction
• Trade show displays
• Custom booth design
• Mobile presentation systems
• Event branding materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Roden

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Stand Construction: Design and construction of custom exhibition stands for trade shows, congresses, and events. Available in various sizes (up to 6m2, 12m2, 25m2, and larger). Full service from concept to realization.
2. Stand Rental: Rental options available for exhibition stands for fairs, congresses, own events, entrance and reception areas, offices, conference rooms, showrooms, and even canteens. Both national and international.
3. Mobile Presentation Materials: Sale of portable exhibition materials including roll-up banners, presentation walls, pop-up displays, banner systems, exhibition counters, brochure holders, outdoor/event equipment, and exhibition furniture.
4. Full Service Project Management: Complete project management from design to realization of presentations, including delivery and installation at customer location.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Smits Expo designs, builds, and rents custom exhibition stands (Standbouw) for trade shows, conferences, and corporate events, with full-service project management from concept through on-site installation. Alongside custom stands, the company sells mobile presentation materials including roll-up banners, pop-up walls, fabric frames, the Pixlip GO LED display box, Bannerbow systems, and a range of promotional accessories, serving both purchase and rental customers across the Netherlands and internationally.

Product overview

Smits Expo is an exhibition and event solutions provider offering a unified portfolio of custom stand building and mobile exhibition materials. The core offering consists of two main product lines: (1) Custom exhibition stands (Standbouw) in various sizes from 6m2 to 25m2+, available for purchase or rental with full service from design to installation; and (2) Pop-up exhibition materials including the proprietary Pixlip GO LED display box, roll-up banners, presentation walls, Bannerbow Swedish banner systems, fabric frames, and various promotional articles. The company also serves as a dealer for Spennare products. All products support both national and international deployment for trade shows, congresses, events, and corporate spaces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pixlip GO: First mobile LEDbox made entirely of plastic, can be set up within 5 minutes without tools. Introduced by Smits Expo in 2017 as a high-impact mobile presentation product.
• Pop up Stretch
• Bannerbow

Products and services

• Standbouw (Custom Exhibition Stands) Custom-built exhibition stands for trade shows, congresses, and corporate events, available in sizes from 6m2 up to 25m2+ with both purchase and rental options. Full service from concept and design through to fabrication, delivery, and on-site installation. Starting price from €1,250 for stands up to 6m2.
• Pop-up Beursmateriaal (Pop-up Exhibition Materials) Mobile exhibition materials including presentation walls, roll-up banners, pop-up displays, banner systems, exhibition counters, brochure holders, outdoor/event equipment, and exhibition furniture, offered in premium Spennare quality or own-brand options.
• Pixlip GO The first mobile LED box made entirely of plastic, designed to be set up within 5 minutes without tools. Features LED lighting from within for high-impact visual presentations at trade shows, events, and reception areas. Authorized dealer of Pixlipgo products.
• Roll-up Banners Roll-up banners with excellent price-quality ratio, supplied with a luxury carrying bag. Available in multiple models including Spennare Penta, Spennare S10, Spennare Luna, Roll up T, Impact by Spennare, and Retail Stand.
• Presentatiewanden (Presentation Walls) Mobile presentation walls with lightweight construction and easy setup, supplied with a luxury carrying bag. Options include Pixlip GO LED display, Pop Up S10, Pop Up S20, and Pop Up Textile.
• Bannerbow Swedish-made banner system available in Indoor and Hybrid models for both indoor and outdoor use. Sets up in 5 minutes without tools. Available in Small (300x245cm), Medium (400x320cm), and Large (500x375cm) sizes. Indoor model weighs approximately 15kg, Hybrid model approximately 32kg.
• Doekframes (Fabric Frames) Wall-mounted fabric frames with frameless aluminum profile and luxury satin-matte decorative fabric, available in many sizes including custom-made. Options include wall-mounted, ceiling-hanging, or freestanding frames. Also available in a sound-absorbing variant with acoustic panels.
• Overige Promo-artikelen (Other Promotional Articles) Additional exhibition and promotional materials including podium boxes (Medium, Large), Counter Case XL, Round Up, Textile Counter, Brochure Holders (PRO, S10, S20), Event Tent, Beach Flags, Promotional Bean Bags, Lounge Square and Bed, Entrance Mat, Printed Carpet, Table Drape, Chairit, Monitor Stand S10, and Cube and Cylinder.

Quantifiable outcome

• Stands can be set up in 5 minutes without tools
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments4 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

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and historical.

• SpennarecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 5 April 2016Authorized Spennare dealer for mobile presentation materials. Spennare is a quality supplier of portable presentation systems that has received multiple Red Dot Design Awards (4 times). Products include podium boxes, counters, roll-ups, pop-up systems, and exhibition furniture.
• PixlipgocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized dealer of Pixlip GO products - the first mobile LED box made entirely of plastic, developed by Pixlipgo.
• Veenstra ExpohistoricalStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer operating company that merged with Herman Smits' business in 2017. The two companies with similar activities and similar names consolidated under the Smits Expo brand on July 1, 2017. Marten Veenstra and Herman Smits continue their collaboration.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Gielissen Interiors & Exhibitions: Larger, established Dutch exhibition stand and interior builder offering end-to-end design, build, and project management for trade shows and corporate environments — directly comparable services but at significantly greater scale.
• Nüssli Group: Swiss-headquartered global exhibition, event, and stand construction group with multi-country production and large-scale custom builds — operates in the same category at substantially larger scale.
• GL events: France-headquartered global live events group with significant exhibition stand-building and equipment-rental operations across Europe — comparable end-to-end booth services at global scale.
• Expomobilia: Swiss custom exhibition stand builder serving international clients with design, fabrication, and on-site services — comparable full-service booth construction at established scale.
• Czarnowski: US-founded global experiential marketing and exhibition services firm with European presence — comparable custom booth design/build and event services for major enterprise brands.
• GES (Global Experience Specialists): Global exhibition services provider offering custom stand design, fabrication, and on-site logistics for trade shows worldwide — comparable full-service model for enterprise exhibitors.

Direct peers

• Heijden Facilitair & Standbouw: Dutch stand builder of similar size and regional footprint, offering custom booth construction and rental for trade fairs and events across the Netherlands — the closest like-for-like peer.
• Pro Expo Standbouw: Netherlands-based exhibition stand builder providing custom booth design, construction, and rental services to enterprise exhibitors — comparable service offering in the same Dutch market.
• Syma System AG: Swiss manufacturer and builder of modular exhibition systems and custom stands — overlaps with Smits' modular/pop-up portfolio (Bannerbow, Pop-up Stretch) and custom build business.

Others

• Spennare: Swedish manufacturer of premium portable presentation systems (roll-ups, pop-ups, counters) — partner/supplier relationship with Smits Expo and overlaps in the modular display product category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Smitsexpo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/herman-smits-b796261/?originalSubdomain=nl

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 Smits Expo