What TSEC does

TSEC (The Special Event Company) is a full-service experiential event agency founded in 1987 and headquartered in Apex, North Carolina. The company designs and produces live, virtual, and hybrid events for two primary client segments: Fortune 100 / large enterprise corporations (Amazon, Google, Lenovo, Cisco, Bank of America, T-Mobile) and higher education institutions (Caltech, Boston University, Princeton, Duke, Williams College). Core service offerings span end-to-end event strategy, creative design, technical production, video and animation, virtual/hybrid broadcast, and a specialized academic solutions division supporting fundraising campaign launches, donor events, and commencement ceremonies. The company operates TSEC Studios, a fully equipped broadcast and video production facility near Research Triangle Park, and runs the proprietary Academic Event Professional (AEP) Conference and year-round community, founded in 2006, which serves as a professional development and client acquisition platform for the higher education segment.

TSEC's business model is project-based professional services: engagements are scoped and quoted individually, with no publicly disclosed pricing and no consumer-facing or SaaS product lines. The firm claims 5,000+ events produced over 38 years across 30+ countries, with 40+ international awards and three consecutive years on Special Events Magazine's Top 50 Global Event Companies list. The technology stack centers on broadcast production, 3D animation (Cinema 4D), post-production compositing (After Effects), projection mapping, custom event apps, and RFID-triggered experiences, complemented by an innovation arm called TSEC Labs. In 2024, TSEC was acquired by UK-based DRPG, a global creative agency with 400+ creatives, expanding the firm's international infrastructure and cross-referral opportunities while TSEC continues to operate as a US subsidiary under CEO Matt Franks.

Name

TSEC

Legal name

The Special Event Company

Website

https://wearetsec.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TSEC (The Special Event Company) is a 38-year-old full-service experiential event agency producing live, virtual, and hybrid events for Fortune 100 corporations and major universities. The firm combines in-house broadcast studios, creative production, and a proprietary academic event community to deliver campaign launches, corporate events, and fundraising experiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Experiential Event Production Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Conferences & Conventions Operations Services (Registration, AV, Logistics) (MPAGAGAM)

Keywords

• Experiential event production
• Corporate event management
• Hybrid event production
• Academic fundraising events
• Video and animation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Apex

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Event Production and Management Services: TSEC generates revenue through professional event production and management services, encompassing strategy, creative design, technical production, video and animation, virtual/hybrid event delivery, and studio production. Services are project-based and typically scoped per engagement, with clients ranging from small events (15 guests) to large-scale events (hundreds of thousands).
2. Academic Event Solutions: Specialized academic event services including campaign launches, donor events, commencement ceremonies, and presidential installations, serving universities domestically and internationally. Revenue is generated through comprehensive event strategy and production engagements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

TSEC is a full-service experiential event agency that designs, produces, and delivers live, virtual, and hybrid events for corporate, academic, incentive, and eSports clients. The company combines strategy, creative design, technical production, video and animation, and a state-of-the-art broadcast studio in Raleigh, NC to execute events ranging from 15-person gatherings to multi-city engagements with hundreds of thousands of attendees. Specialized service lines span eSports tournament production, incentive travel programs, custom app development, and dedicated academic solutions including fundraising campaign launches, commencement ceremonies, and donor events.

Product overview

TSEC (The Special Event Company) is a full-service experiential event agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of event production and communication services. The core offerings include live events and experiences, corporate events, video and animation production, virtual and hybrid events, and a state-of-the-art production studio in Raleigh, NC. Specialized service lines cover eSports events, incentive and reward programs, marketing communications, design services, and expo production. The Academic Solutions division provides specialized services for higher education institutions including campaign launches, donor relations, commencement, and alumni programs, supported by the AEP (Academic Event Professional) Conference—a premier professional development community for academic event planners. TSEC Labs serves as the innovation arm exploring emerging event technologies. The company operates as a service-based agency, not a software platform, and does not offer distinct product modules or SaaS offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TSEC Academic Solutions: A specialized division of TSEC focused on academic event solutions, including campaign launches, donor relations, commencement ceremonies, and alumni programs for universities and academic institutions worldwide.

Products and services

• Events & Experiences Full-service experiential event production combining creatives, designers, producers, planners, and technicians to create immersive experiences for corporate, academic, and incentive clients.
• Corporate Events Event design and delivery for global brand launches, internal conferences, sales kickoffs, and ROI-focused corporate gatherings for enterprise clients.
• Video & Animation In-house video production and animation services including 3D animation in Cinema 4D, post-production compositing in After Effects, original film production, and custom animated campaign logos.
• Virtual & Hybrid Events Hybrid and virtual event production with broadcast-quality streaming, integrating TSEC Studios live production with regional in-person watch parties to engage both remote and in-person audiences.
• Studio Production (TSEC Studios) Fully equipped, turn-key broadcast and production studio near Research Triangle Park in Raleigh, NC offering high-quality filming, live broadcast, and hybrid event production for clients nationwide.
• eSports Events Award-winning gaming and eSports event production including full design, production, and streaming services for tournaments, gaming conferences, and hybrid gaming experiences.
• Incentive & Reward Events Bespoke incentive travel and reward experiences for high-achievers, including eco-friendly travel, community engagement activities, and destination events aligned to corporate culture.
• Design Services Creative design services including stage set design, lighting design, branding, and collateral creation for events and campaigns.
• Expo Services Expo and exhibition services including booth design, activation stations, and large-scale event production for trade shows and exhibitions.
• Academic Solutions Comprehensive academic event services for universities including campaign launches, donor relations, alumni programs, commencement ceremonies, presidential installations, and institutional celebrations.
• Academic Event Professional (AEP) Conference & Community Premier multi-day annual conference and year-round community for higher education event planners, providing networking, professional development, and industry insights via the Fellows Forum, Idea Gallery, and Fellows Blog.

Quantifiable outcome

• Caltech's Break Through campaign raised $3.4 billion (170% above its $1 billion goal) following TSEC's kick-off event
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers71 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• DRPG (DRP Group)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTSEC is part of DRPG (DRP Group), a UK-based global creative agency group. DRPG acquired The Special Event Company, integrating TSEC into its global network of 400+ creatives. This partnership provides TSEC with global infrastructure, cross-referrals, expanded production capabilities, and shared resources across film, graphics, and creative teams. TSEC's acquisition by DRPG was announced publicly and is featured in the company's news section.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• MCI Group: Global meetings, events, and association management agency with deep academic and association client work. Comparable to TSEC in conference/convention organization, association-style recurring engagements, and international reach.
• Freeman: Leading events and expositions company offering brand experiences, event production, and exhibit services. Comparable to TSEC in live-event production scale, Fortune 100 client base, and integrated AV/creative capabilities.
• MKG: Experiential marketing and event production agency serving enterprise clients with brand experiences and live events. Comparable in agency model, creative-led live production, and B2B client roster.
• Jack Morton Worldwide: Global brand experience agency specializing in live events, experiential marketing, and sponsorship activation. Closely comparable to TSEC's corporate event and hybrid production offerings for global brands.
• George P. Johnson Experience Marketing: Large global experiential marketing agency producing corporate events, product launches, and trade shows for Fortune-class clients. Directly comparable to TSEC in service mix, enterprise client base, and global delivery model.
• Encore Global: Event technology and production services provider (formerly PSAV) offering AV, staging, and hybrid event services at venues worldwide. Comparable to TSEC in technical event production and venue-based service delivery.
• Sparks: Experiential marketing agency producing brand activations, corporate events, and trade shows for major B2B brands. Directly comparable in service offering and enterprise client mix to TSEC's corporate events practice.
• PRA (Production Resources Associates): Event production services company providing AV, lighting, staging, and broadcast for live events and trade shows. Directly comparable to TSEC Studios' technical production and event broadcast capabilities.

Emerging players

• Bizzabo: Event experience platform providing registration, engagement, and analytics software for in-person and hybrid events. Comparable to TSEC's event-app and hybrid delivery capabilities, though positioned as a software platform rather than a production agency.
• Cvent: Enterprise event management platform handling registration, venue sourcing, and attendee engagement for corporate events. Overlaps with TSEC's hybrid event and digital services lines as a complementary/competing layer in the same client procurement budgets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/tsec
• Facebookfacebook.com/wearetsec
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wearetsec
• Instagraminstagram.com/wearetsec

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 TSEC