SURTEX
SURTEX operates the annual premier B2B trade show and marketplace for surface design and art licensing, held in New York City since 1988. It connects roughly 206 artists, designers, and agencies with manufacturers, retailers, and licensees seeking original art for commercial products.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersNew York City, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SURTEX does
SURTEX is an annual B2B trade show and marketplace for surface design and art licensing, founded in 1988 and owned and operated by Emerald X, LLC. The company runs a 2–3 day flagship event in New York City — historically at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and more recently at the Metropolitan Pavilion — where roughly 206 artists, designers, and art agencies exhibit original artwork to qualified manufacturers, retailers, and licensees from 29 countries. Co-location with the National Stationery Show and ICFF provides crossover traffic from adjacent buyer segments in stationery, paper, and home furnishings.
The core product offering is the SURTEX Trade Show, supported by a portfolio of sub-products: the Design District booth package for first-time exhibitors; the Atelier section featuring global textile studios; the Art and Brand Licensing forum; the ReSource Hub for industry tools and services; the Trend Theatre flash-talk presentations; the designext student competition; the Connect attendee show planner; the SURTEX mobile app; and the SURTEX Design Guide coffee table book distributed globally. Technology is limited to event operations tooling (matchmaking, mobile navigation, online exhibitor profiles) rather than proprietary AI or data products.
SURTEX monetizes through a mix of exhibitor booth fees (one-time annual license for booth space), sponsor fees (advertising in the printed show directory and special exhibit areas), conference session fees (~$100 per session), and fee-based attendee registration (~$60). Qualified buyers receive complimentary admission. The company employs 22 staff and is part of Emerald X's portfolio of 85+ B2B trade shows, alongside NY NOW, the National Stationery Show, and ICFF.
SURTEX firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SURTEX
- Legal name
- Emerald X, LLC
- Website
- https://surtex.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- SURTEX operates the annual premier B2B trade show and marketplace for surface design and art licensing, held in New York City since 1988. It connects roughly 206 artists, designers, and agencies with manufacturers, retailers, and licensees seeking original art for commercial products.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SURTEX industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Art Licensing Trade Show
- akta.pro primary industry
- Trade Show & Exhibition Marketing (Booth Design/Build) (MPAAAGAC)
Keywords
Where SURTEX is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
SURTEX business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Exhibitor Booth Fees: Artists, designers, and agencies pay for booth space at the annual SURTEX trade show to display their original artwork and designs to potential licensees and buyers.
- Sponsor Fees: Companies can sponsor various show elements including advertising space in the printed show directory and special exhibit areas like the SURTEX Preview at NY Now.
- Conference Session Fees: Attendees pay fees to access educational conference sessions with industry experts covering art licensing, business development, and trend forecasting. Conference sessions were noted at $100 per session.
- Attendee Registration: Qualified art buyers, manufacturers, and licensees receive complimentary registration; fee-based attendance for others after certain deadlines was mentioned at $60.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Complimentary attendance for qualified art buyers, manufacturers and licensees |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | Standard 10'x10' exhibition booth with basic amenities |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | Design District booth for first-time exhibitors |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
SURTEX product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SURTEX operates the premier annual B2B trade show and marketplace for surface design and art licensing, held in New York City. It connects original art creators (surface designers, illustrators, pattern designers, and art agencies) with manufacturers, retailers, and licensees seeking original artwork for commercial product applications across home textiles, giftware, décor, apparel, and stationery. Exhibitors purchase booth space to display their designs while qualified buyers attend to source and license artwork.
Product overview
SURTEX is a trade show company producing the premier annual B2B marketplace for surface design and art licensing. The core product is the SURTEX Trade Show held in New York City, featuring multiple specialized sections including Design District (for first-time exhibitors), Atelier (for textile design studios), Art and Brand Licensing forum, and ReSource Hub (for industry resources). Supporting offerings include the Trend Theatre (trend forecasting presentations), designext student competition, Connect attendee planner tool, SURTEX mobile app, and the SURTEX Design Guide coffee table book. The show connects artists, designers, and art agencies with manufacturers, retailers, and licensees seeking original art for commercial applications across home textiles, giftware, décor, apparel, and more.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SURTEX Trade Show The premier annual B2B trade show and marketplace for surface design and art licensing, connecting designers, artists, and art agencies with retailers, manufacturers, and licensees seeking original art for commercial product applications across home textiles, giftware, décor, apparel, and more. Exhibitors purchase booth space and qualified buyers attend complimentary.
- Design District An economical booth space offering within SURTEX designed for first-time exhibiting artists, providing emerging designers an opportunity to showcase their work to industry buyers.
- SURTEX Conference Sessions Educational sessions at the SURTEX show covering art licensing, business development, and trend forecasting, available for a separate fee of $100 per session.
- designext Student Design Competition
Quantifiable outcome
- 78.5% of attendees consider SURTEX a must-attend event
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use SURTEX
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
SURTEX technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
SURTEX partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Emerald X, LLCcoreEmerald X, LLC is the parent company and operator of the SURTEX trade show. The company produces over 85 B2B trade shows and conference events annually across various special interests. Copyright © 2026 Emerald X, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
- EventSphereminorOfficial housing partner for SURTEX, offering discounted hotel rates during the show to attendees traveling to New York City.
- FreemanminorShow contractor providing booth packages for exhibitors including counter, chairs, and lighting. Also provides booth vacuuming and overnight storage services.
- National Stationery ShowcoreCo-located trade show running concurrently with SURTEX at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, sharing crossover buyers in the stationery and paper products industry.
- ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair)coreCo-located trade show running concurrently with SURTEX, attracting crossover buyers from the furniture and home décor industry interested in surface designs.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SURTEX competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Maison & Objet: Major Paris-based B2B trade show for design, home decor, and lifestyle. Directly comparable as a premier international marketplace connecting designers and brands with retailers, operating a similar high-end licensing and sourcing model.
- National Stationery Show: Co-located sister show under Emerald X, focused on stationery, paper products, and related categories. Comparable as a directly adjacent trade show sharing SURTEX's venue and audience and generating documented crossover buyer traffic.
- ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair): Emerald X's contemporary furniture and design trade show co-located with SURTEX at Javits Center. Comparable as a North American design trade show that overlaps with SURTEX's buyer base and benefits from the same co-location synergies.
- Creativeworld: Messe Frankfurt's international trade show for hobby, art, and craft supplies. Comparable as a B2B creative-industry marketplace that overlaps with SURTEX's surface design and art-licensing exhibitor and buyer segments.
- Brand Licensing Europe: Informa's European licensing trade show held annually in London. Directly comparable as a regional licensing marketplace serving the same buyer and seller categories as SURTEX, with similar booth-based revenue model and trend-focused programming.
- Heimtextil: Messe Frankfurt's leading international trade show for home and contract textiles. Comparable as a global B2B marketplace for textile and surface design, attracting many of the same manufacturers and retailers SURTEX serves.
- NY NOW: NY NOW is a sister trade show under the same Emerald X parent, focused on lifestyle, gift, and home goods. Comparable as a co-owned B2B marketplace that overlaps with SURTEX exhibitors and shares crossover buyer traffic at NY Now's winter edition.
- Licensing Expo: Operated by Informa, Licensing Expo is the largest global B2B trade show dedicated to brand and art licensing. Directly comparable as the dominant annual licensing marketplace competing for the same exhibitors and licensees that SURTEX serves.
Broad incumbents
- Art Basel: MCH Group's global art fair brand with editions in Basel, Miami, and Hong Kong. Comparable as a high-end art marketplace that intersects with SURTEX's designer and licensing community, though it focuses on fine art sales rather than surface design licensing.
- High Point Market: The largest home furnishings trade show in North America, operated by ANDMORE. Comparable as a broader incumbent that serves many of the same retail buyers SURTEX targets, though its focus is furniture rather than surface design specifically.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
SURTEX social profiles
Digital presenceSURTEX financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SURTEX leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
SURTEX funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SURTEX 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 SURTEX
What does SURTEX do?
SURTEX operates the premier annual B2B trade show and marketplace for surface design and art licensing, held in New York City. It connects original art creators (surface designers, illustrators, pattern designers, and art agencies) with manufacturers, retailers, and licensees seeking original artwork for commercial product applications across home textiles, giftware, décor, apparel, and stationery. Exhibitors purchase booth space to display their designs while qualified buyers attend to source and license artwork.
Is SURTEX a public or private company?
SURTEX is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was SURTEX founded?
SURTEX was founded in 1988. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is SURTEX based?
SURTEX is headquartered in New York City, United States, in the North America region.
How does SURTEX make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Exhibitor Booth Fees are the primary driver. The others are sponsor Fees, conference Session Fees and attendee Registration.
Who are SURTEX's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Maison & Objet, National Stationery Show, ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair), Creativeworld, Brand Licensing Europe, Heimtextil, NY NOW and Licensing Expo. Broad incumbents are Art Basel and High Point Market.
Does SURTEX have an API?
No public API is recorded for SURTEX.
What industry is SURTEX in?
SURTEX's product category is Art Licensing Trade Show. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAGAC, Trade Show & Exhibition Marketing (Booth Design/Build).