The Showman's Show - The Outdoor Event Services Exhibition

What The Showman's Show - The Outdoor Event Services Exhibition does

The Showman's Show is a UK-focused trade exhibition serving the outdoor event services industry, providing an annual marketplace where equipment suppliers, service providers, and event management companies connect with event organizers across the festivals, concerts, exhibitions, and outdoor gatherings segment. The company's stated differentiator is its dedicated focus on outdoor events, offering a specialized venue for industry professionals to discover equipment, services, and solutions tailored to this vertical rather than competing with broader generalist exhibitions.

The core product surface consists of two elements: the annual physical exhibition and the Showman's Directory, an online platform hosted at showmans-directory.co.uk. The directory functions as a year-round sourcing and discovery tool, allowing event professionals to identify and connect with suppliers outside the annual show window. This dual offline-online model extends the company's reach beyond a single annual event and supports continuous supplier-buyer interaction within the niche. The .co.uk domain and the explicit vertical positioning indicate the primary operating geography is the United Kingdom.

The revenue model is not disclosed in the source data. Based on the business archetype, plausible monetization mechanisms include exhibitor booth and stand fees for the annual show, paid directory listings or membership subscriptions for suppliers, and sponsorship or advertising on the digital platform. No pricing details, headcount, funding history, ownership structure, or financial disclosures are available in the input, which constrains deeper commercial analysis.

Name

The Showman's Show - The Outdoor Event Services Exhibition

Website

https://showmans-directory.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Showman's Show operates a UK-focused annual trade exhibition and companion online directory (Showman's Directory) connecting outdoor event service providers, equipment suppliers, and event organizers across the festivals, concerts, and exhibitions sector.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Exhibition & Event Services Marketplace

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

akta.pro primary industry

Exhibition & Trade Show Management (Conference-Adjacent) (THAHACAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Trade Shows & Exhibitions (Booths, Show Management) (BPAFAGAD)

Keywords

• Trade exhibition services
• Outdoor event services
• Event industry directory
• Event supplier marketplace
• Live events trade show

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

The Showman's Show is an annual trade exhibition dedicated to outdoor event services, bringing together equipment suppliers, service providers, and event management companies serving festivals, concerts, exhibitions, and outdoor gatherings. It also operates the Showman's Directory, an online platform for discovering and sourcing suppliers in the outdoor events industry. Together these offerings connect outdoor event service providers with buyers and event organizers.

Product overview

The Showman's Show is an outdoor event services exhibition featuring a directory of exhibitors and service providers in the events and entertainment industry. The primary service offering identified is the Showman's Directory, an online resource connecting event professionals with suppliers and services for outdoor events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Showman's Show (Annual Trade Exhibition)
• Showman's Directory An online directory platform connecting event professionals with suppliers and services for outdoor events, enabling centralized discovery and sourcing of suppliers and equipment in the outdoor events industry.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• Eventbrite: A large online event ticketing and event management platform serving event organizers globally. Comparable as an enabling platform for the events industry, though focused on attendee-facing ticketing rather than B2B supplier sourcing.
• Reed Exhibitions: A global exhibitions organizer running hundreds of B2B trade events. Comparable in the trade show organization model, with potential overlap in events and entertainment-adjacent shows.
• ITE Group (Hyve Group): A large UK-listed international exhibitions organizer operating dozens of B2B trade shows across multiple verticals. Comparable as a peer in the trade show organizing business model, though far broader in scope and scale.

Emerging players

• ShowMe (events directory platforms): Online event industry directories and supplier discovery platforms. Comparable as an always-on digital directory serving the same supplier-discovery use case as the Showman's Directory.

Others

• ExpoPlatform: A digital platform provider enabling trade show organizers to run hybrid events, exhibitor marketplaces, and year-round communities. Comparable as enabling technology for trade show organizers like the subject company.

Direct peers

• PLASA Show: A UK trade exhibition for live entertainment technology including lighting, audio, staging, and rigging. Comparable as a UK niche trade show serving outdoor and live event production suppliers with similar exhibitor and buyer profiles.
• International Confex: A UK trade exhibition and conference for the events and meetings industry. Closely comparable as a UK-headquartered trade show organizing events industry suppliers and buyers, with overlap on exhibition services and supplier sourcing.
• Event Production Show: A UK trade exhibition serving event professionals, suppliers, and production companies. Directly comparable as a domestic B2B trade show serving the events services supply chain, though broader in scope than the outdoor-specific focus.
• Live UK (Association of Festival Organisers): UK trade association and events platform for festival and outdoor event organizers. Comparable as a UK organization serving the same outdoor events vertical, with overlapping audience of event service suppliers and buyers.
• Festival Supplier Awards / Festival Awards Ltd: UK-focused industry events and awards serving the festival and outdoor events supplier community. Directly comparable audience of outdoor event service providers and event organizers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/theshowmansshow

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 The Showman's Show - The Outdoor Event Services Exhibition