Picture this: Tuesday morning, Las Vegas Convention Center. Pallets of custom signs and tech cases roll off Freeman trucks, crews in branded polos snapping on radios, prepping for another 9,000-attendee trade show. Behind the scenes, coffee-fueled managers check schedules, monitor shipments, and joke about last year’s supply chain scramble. Hardly the vibe of a company teetering on the edge.
But if your industry news feed looks like everyone else’s, you might’ve wondered: Is Freeman—the 100-year-old events and exhibitions juggernaut—going out of business? There’s no shortage of rumors whenever big companies slow down, trim staff, or face an unusual year. So, let’s actually unpack what’s happening.
The Pandemic Gut-Punched Freeman—Here’s the Receipts
The short version: 2020-2021 was rough. The live events industry didn’t just catch a cold, it had its oxygen shut off. Trade shows and expos? Cancelled. Corporate gatherings? Nada. By one count, Freeman’s revenue nose-dived nearly 90% in 2021. Yes, you read that right—almost everything they normally managed simply evaporated for a year.
That kind of drop doesn’t just sting. It can devastate even veteran operators. Freeman responded like a lot of companies under siege: deep workforce cuts, a freeze on non-essential spending, and a scramble to stay liquid. Layoffs swept across departments—operations, sales, even creative. At the pandemic’s low point, Freeman had shed thousands of jobs, shrinking to a fraction of its former size.
Internal emails leaked in 2021 told a clear story: “Our only goal this year is survival.” Survival, not growth. For a company known to set up conventions at a scale that rivals small cities, that was a humbling reality check.
Crawling Back—Freeman Finds Its Grit in Recovery
The sweet spot of any comeback story? Measurable progress. Starting in 2022, that’s what Freeman managed—slowly, steadily. First, shows trickled back: a handful in spring, then a cluster in fall. By 2023, expo floors were buzzing, shipments stacked high, and Freeman’s blue polos became a familiar sight at major venues again.
Hiring returned—modest at first, then aggressive. By fiscal year 2024, sources indicate Freeman had restored most of its workforce and core teams. The numbers? Pre-pandemic, the company managed $3 billion+ in event volume annually. By 2024, revenue ranges reportedly matched or exceeded those earlier figures. At large, the company rebuilt a ~90% share of its pre-pandemic business, if you tally up major shows and logistics gigs now proudly stamped “Powered by Freeman.”
It didn’t hurt that executives green-lit spending on new technology, upgraded logistics tools, and—unlike some rivals—pushed hard to retain repeat clients. Land five recurring clients at ~$300/month and you’ve built an $18k baseline before lunch. Reliability compounds.
What’s on the Freeman Docket Now: Operations in Overdrive
If you want a leading indicator for a company’s health, check its schedule, not its slogan. For Freeman, the 2024-2025 calendar is packed. Name a major US trade show: there’s a good chance Freeman’s trucks, staff, and shipping labels are somewhere on site, directing the chaos. The business has kept close grip on its core: the logistics—shipping, warehousing, installation, and behind-the-scenes magic that makes huge events tick.
Anecdote from March 2025: At the Houston expo complex, Freeman handled full build-out for a national tech conference—including massive LED walls and over 1,000 exhibitor booths. The message on the ground? “Freeman’s the safe bet when you can’t afford mistakes,” one vendor remarked.
That reputation isn’t just talk. Even in early 2025, Freeman is actively managing logistics for everything from major conventions in Chicago to niche expos in Orlando. Warehouses run full shifts, trucks leave on schedule, and the company’s online exhibitor shop processed +15% more orders compared to 2022.
Not Just Surviving: Freeman Winning Workplace Awards—Again
Any cynic can point to numbers and say, “Sure, they’re alive. But are they thriving?” Here’s where public recognition speaks volumes.
In 2025, Freeman was named to USA Today’s much-hyped Top Workplaces list—again, for the second year running. (Yes, the baristas have noticed.) What’s new is employee sentiment seems genuinely upbeat, not just corporate spin. Surveys cited by company insiders rank Freeman above the 80th percentile for retention and job satisfaction in event services—where burnout is usually the norm.
And it’s not all applause for old traditions. Freeman is picking up “Most Innovative Workplace” nods, signaling reinvestment in digital tools, creative perks, and updated HR playbooks. Don’t underestimate what this says about stability: awards get you noticed, but employee loyalty pays the rent.
Freeman’s Not Sitting Still—Industry Research, Innovation, and Acquisitions
Old hands in the business know the fastest way to fade out is to resist change. In 2024 and 2025, Freeman is pushing the other direction—leaning in, publishing research, and picking up smaller competitors (when the price is right).
Their recent whitepaper on “Event ROI in a Hybrid World” was widely circulated. The dry data? Post-pandemic, 67% of organizers are shifting to mixed in-person/online shows, and Freeman’s logistics still anchor both. That gives them a sticky role in how the industry is rebooting itself, not just resetting after 2021.
On the acquisition front, Freeman snapped up two smaller event tech companies in late 2024, sources confirm. The logic is practical: buying new talent and digital capabilities is faster than building in-house. As one exec put it, “We’d rather sign good code than write bad code.” The goal is simple: broaden their toolkit, deepen client relationships, and make sure no upstart eats their lunch.
By industry chatter, if you want the inside line on logistics or event innovation, you still watch what Freeman does next.
Any Actual Signs Freeman Is Going Out of Business?
Let’s kill the rumor mill: the short answer is no. There is not a single public document—SEC filing, press release, or media report—hinting at bankruptcy, closure, or even “restructuring” in 2025. Freeman is hiring in nearly every department, pitching new business, and processing thousands of show orders each month.
Search queries for “Freeman shutting down” or “Freeman bankruptcy” pop up with each layoff wave in tech or events, but in Freeman’s case, these are just nervous Google fingers. The reality is a bit boring, but solid: the company is active, public, and—by the numbers—growing.
For more context on how companies navigate downturns and paddle through the rumor surf, check insights at The Business Back, a favorite of ours for business myth-busting and straight-up financial deep dives.
Freeman’s Status in 2025: Stable, Active, and Playing for Longevity
Fast forward to August 2025: the Freeman story is not “Edge-of-the-abyss.” It’s “Back in the saddle.” This is a company battered by a once-in-a-century crisis—the kind that left industry giants either dead or permanently diminished—but Freeman came out swinging.
Events and exhibitions might never snap fully back to 2019’s excess, but Freeman adapted, upgraded, and regained its client roster. The company’s pre-pandemic muscle for moving millions of square feet of gear—on time and on budget—remains its competitive heartbeat. All visible signs say they’re determined to keep it that way.
There may come a day when the Freeman name changes, merges, or fades—history is littered with that pattern in every industry. But that’s a long, slow road, and not the tale of 2025.
The Takeaway—The Freeman Panic Was Overblown
If you catch wind of someone at a networking event whispering, “Heard Freeman is going under,” you can bet it’s thirdhand or recycled gossip. The facts don’t just fail to support closure—they downright contradict it. By every available measure—revenue, workforce, client activity, innovation, and, yes, workplace vibes—Freeman is firmly open for business.
So, the next time you roll into a convention center and see the familiar Freeman banners flutter, remember: rumors are easy. Reliability? That compounds. And for now, that’s exactly what Freeman is selling—along with 10,000 crates of display hardware and a reminder that corporate grit can outlast even the nastiest business winters.
The final word: Freeman is stable, active, and growing in 2025. If you’re betting on who’ll still be unpacking crates and printing name badges at the next mega expo, put your money on the blue polos.
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