narbc

What narbc does

NARBC (North American Reptile Breeders Conference) is a privately held U.S. trade show operator founded in 2001 by Bob Ashley of ECO Publishing and Brian Potter of Chicago Reptile House. The company organizes six reptile breeder conferences per year across three to four U.S. cities — Tinley Park, Illinois; Schaumburg, Illinois; Dallas, Texas; and St. Charles, Missouri — functioning as the largest dedicated gathering point for the commercial reptile breeding and hobbyist community in North America. Each event convenes breeders, supply vendors, and the consuming public in a two-sided marketplace format.

The core product is the live event itself: multi-day trade shows where breeders sell captive-bred reptiles, supplies, and related husbandry products directly to attendees. Supporting products include free animal care sheets (educational content) and a YouTube/multimedia presence that extends brand reach beyond event weekends. Technology footprint is modest — a website with online ticket purchasing (general admission $15, VIP $50, kids $10) and basic content distribution — with no disclosed proprietary platform or significant software investment.

The business model is diversified across two revenue streams: (1) vendor booth rental fees from a long tail of reptile breeders and product manufacturers, and (2) consumer ticket sales from individual attendees. The model is supplemented by sponsorship revenue from category-aligned brands including ZooMed, Exo Terra, Chewy, Morph Market, and a core advocacy partnership with USARK. NARBC is bootstrapped, with no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or institutional investors.

Name

narbc

Legal name

NARBC

Website

https://narbc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Short description

NARBC operates North America's largest dedicated reptile breeder conference circuit, running six annual trade shows across Illinois, Texas, and Missouri for commercial breeders, supply vendors, and reptile hobbyists. Founded in 2001.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Reptile Trade Shows & Conferences

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Pet & Animal Expos (MPAGAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Reptile & Amphibian Farming (Alligators, Frogs) (AFAEAIAJ)

Keywords

• Reptile trade shows
• Breeder conferences
• Exotic pet events
• Reptile expos
• Vendor exhibitions

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. General Admission Tickets: Visitors pay admission fees to attend the reptile shows. General admission is $15 for ages 13+, $10 for ages 6-12, and free for children 5 and under.
2. VIP Passes: VIP tickets priced at $50 provide early entry access before the show opens to the general public, offering premium access to attendees.
3. Vendor Booth Fees: Reptile breeders and related businesses pay to vendor at the shows. The show emphasizes a partnership model with individual vendors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

NARBC organizes and hosts reptile breeder trade shows and conferences six times per year across three U.S. cities (Tinley Park IL, Dallas TX, and St. Charles MO). The events bring together commercial reptile breeders, supply vendors, and the general public for vendor exhibits, reptile auctions, educational talks, and USARK reptile ownership advocacy. Revenue is generated through vendor booth fees, general admission tickets, and VIP passes that provide early entry access.

Product overview

NARBC (North American Reptile Breeders Conference) is a trade show and conference organization that operates as a single product offering: organizing and hosting reptile breeder trade shows and educational events. The events are held multiple times per year at venues in Tinley Park, Illinois (Tinley Park Convention Center), Dallas, Texas (Dallas Market Hall), and St. Charles, Missouri (Saint Charles Convention Center). The shows feature vendor exhibits, reptile auctions, educational talks, and include an USARK advocacy booth. As a complementary resource, they also provide free downloadable Animal Care Sheets for reptile species. The organization was founded in 2001 and is organized by Bob Ashley of ECO Publishing and Brian Potter of Chicago Reptile House.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NARBC Trade Shows & Conferences Physical reptile breeder trade shows and conferences held six times per year at three U.S. convention center venues (Tinley Park Convention Center IL, Dallas Market Hall TX, Saint Charles Convention Center MO). Each event features vendor exhibits from reptile breeders and pet industry suppliers, reptile auctions, educational talks, and a USARK advocacy booth. Events serve both commercial reptile breeders (vendors) and the general public (attendees).
• Animal Care Sheets Free downloadable PDF care guides for popular pet reptile species including Ball Pythons, Bearded Dragons, Leopard Geckos, Crested Geckos, and other commonly kept reptiles. Provided as a complimentary educational resource to support reptile owners and prospective pet owners.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ZoomedOthersMajor sponsor of NARBC reptile shows. Zoomed is a leading manufacturer of reptile care products including lighting, heating, and enclosures.
• Timberline FreshOthersSponsor of NARBC reptile shows. Provides reptile feeding and care products.
• Rodent ProOthersSponsor providing rodent products for reptile feeding.
• ChewyOthersMajor pet retailer sponsor of NARBC shows with reptile-focused product selection.
• USARKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSARK (United States Association of Reptile Keepers) has a booth at every NARBC show. USARK advocates for reptile ownership rights and regulatory protection. NARBC highlights USARK as the most important booth at every show.
• Exo TerraOthersSponsor providing reptile habitat products and accessories.
• Morph MarketOthersSponsor and online marketplace for reptile morphs and breeders.
• Redline ShippingOthersSponsor providing reptile shipping services. Featured shipping partner with dedicated button on website.
• ZillaOthersSponsor providing reptile supplies and habitat products.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Exo Terra: Global reptile habitat and product brand and a NARBC sponsor; adjacent vendor and supplier relationship, with products sold both at NARBC shows and through independent retail channels worldwide.
• USARK (United States Association of Reptile Keepers): Primary reptile ownership advocacy organization in the US and a NARBC strategic partner with a booth at every show; closely aligned in mission but operates a nonprofit/advocacy model rather than trade shows.

Direct peers

• Repticon: Repticon operates a network of reptile and exotic animal expos across multiple US cities, directly competing with NARBC for vendor booth fees and attendee ticket revenue in overlapping regional markets.
• Pomona Reptile Super Show: One of the largest single-weekend reptile expos in the US, held in Southern California, with a similar breeder-and-general-public model and comparable vendor and attendee value proposition to NARBC.

Regional players

• Hamburg Reptile Show: Long-running reptile expo in the Mid-Atlantic region serving breeders and enthusiasts in a geography NARBC does not currently cover, providing a directly comparable regional event model.

Emerging players

• MorphMarket: Largest online marketplace for captive-bred reptiles and morphs; also a NARBC sponsor. It is a partial substitute for in-person shows for vendors, but complements NARBC by driving breeder discovery that converts into show attendance.
• FaunaClassifieds: Long-standing online classifieds and forum community for reptile keepers and breeders; an alternative sales channel to NARBC shows for both vendors and hobbyists nationwide.

Broad incumbents

• PetSmart: Largest US specialty pet retailer selling live animals including reptiles in many locations; a broad incumbent whose retail footprint competes with NARBC for the entry-level reptile buyer and is also a parent brand to several reptile-care labels.
• Petco: National specialty pet retailer carrying reptiles and reptile supplies; overlaps with NARBC's customer base at the mainstream pet-owner tier and competes indirectly for the hobbyist reptile dollar.
• Chewy: Largest US online pet retailer and a NARBC sponsor with a dedicated reptile category; competes with vendors selling supplies at NARBC shows but also helps legitimize reptile-keeping as a mainstream pet category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/results?search_query=NARBC
• Facebookfacebook.com/NARBCReptileShows

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 narbc