Behind the Scenes: The Design Factory Creates Customized Convention Exhibits

When visitors attend one of the region’s many conventions, they’re greeted by exciting displays and innovative experiences. What those convention attendees don’t see, is all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into creating those unique exhibits.

That’s where The Design Factory comes in.

“We’re a full-service exhibit and graphics company servicing the convention and live event industries,” said Chris Harvey, President and Founder of The Design Factory. “We specialize in custom rental exhibits. We do sell exhibits as well, but most companies prefer rentals so they can change up their exhibits each year.”

Chris had been in the trade show industry for more than a decade when she decided to start The Design Factory in 1999.

“I love the trade show industry because it changes every day,” said Harvey. “You get to connect with people from around the world. Plus, it’s all about the design. Designing exhibits is creative and fun – different from a lot of other professions.”

When asked why she choose the Las Vegas region to open her business, Harvey said there is no better place than Las Vegas to have a trade show business.

“We think Las Vegas will always be the number one spot for conventions. People love to come here, it’s the complete package for them,” said Harvey. “Plus, the convention industry seems to keep growing, and the LVCVA has done a great job investing money to make the convention experience great for attendees, which helps everyone in the convention industry be successful.”

The company’s services include more than just exhibit design; they also provide exhibit rental and storage, graphic design and production, asset management and storage, and custom fabrication.

“Because our specialty is custom work, we have designers that work in 3D CAD creating exhibit renderings. We have carpenters who do custom cabinetry. We have a warehouse team that builds and preps the exhibits,” said Harvey.

The company connected with the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance (LVGEA) in 2021, back when the business was housed in three different locations around the valley. LVGEA assisted the company with a successful tax abatement application, allowing The Design Factory to expand their operations while combining all three facilities under one roof.

“LVGEA’s mission is to help diversify the region’s economy, and The Design Factory’s expansion will do that by creating more opportunities for design and trade professionals in our market,” said Perry Ursem, Senior Vice President of Business Development with LVGEA. “Plus, the company is a certified woman owned business as well as a family-run business, with two of Chris’ sons joining the company. We love supporting home-grown companies.”

The company currently has 30 employees and is housed in a 57,000 square foot industrial building in North Las Vegas. Their new larger location allows them to continue expanding, which company executives say they’ll need given business is growing about 25% each year.

“The City of North Las Vegas has spent the past decade creating an ideal location for companies looking for an affordable, vibrant, business-friendly community for growth and expansion,” shared City of North Las Vegas Mayor Pamela Goynes-Brown. “We are delighted that The Design Factory has chosen North Las Vegas as their home, allowing them to centralize their operations and enhance their business. We deeply appreciate their valuable contribution to our city.”

Chris acknowledges technology is changing the convention and exhibit industry, but they’re ready to take on new challenges at their expanded North Las Vegas location.

“We worked with several of the gaming companies for the G2E shows and they like to have a lot of fun with their exhibits,” said Harvey. “We’ve added LED video walls over the last couple of years, which make for really exciting exhibits. We’ve got the custom capabilities here to have a lot of fun and get creative as technology evolves.”

Follow along with the Design Factory at @dflv_ on Instagram.

To learn more about how LVGEA can help you locate and grow your business in the Las Vegas Valley, visit our Doing Business Here page.