Pinnacle Acquires East
Pinnacle brings INNOV8 into its experiential marketing house, expanding its integrated, coast-to-coast platform for the next era of brand experience.
March 10, 2026
Hillsboro, OR and Trumbull, CT – Pinnacle today announced the acquisition of INNOV8 INC, a Connecticut-based experiential exhibit and event agency. The move marks Pinnacle’s third acquisition in less than five years — a signal of its continued evolution as a top experiential house.
With six locations across key U.S. markets, Pinnacle has spent three decades shaping global stages for brands spanning technology, sports and entertainment, healthcare, and lifestyle — including PlayStation, Adobe, Subway, Canon Medical, the Dallas Cowboys and more. Founded in 1998, the experiential marketing house has long operated from the belief that the most impactful experiences are built with every discipline under one roof: strategy, creative, build, digital, and measurement united as one team.
Their addition of INNOV8 builds on that foundation, deepening the house’s Northeast presence while expanding the team’s intellectual capital, production power, and scalable delivery strength for an ever-growing body of global brand work. INNOV8 brings more than 40 years of experience creating strategic, design-forward experiential programs, with a loyal client base spanning technology, consumer, and healthcare — from fintech leaders like FICO to global innovators including Yamaha, VSE Aviation, and Teladoc.
News of the acquisition arrives amid a period of remarkable expansion in experiential marketing, where investment in the category has doubled and immersive brand engagement has shifted from discretionary to essential.
“From opening our doors in 1998 to marking our third acquisition in less than five years, Pinnacle’s story is one of organic growth and an ability to evolve ahead of the curve,” said Brad Hogan, CEO of Pinnacle. “Early in our conversations, it was clear Donna and the INNOV8 team share our culture of creative ambition, lasting partnerships, and a relentless pursuit of what’s next.”
As the experiential sector grows, so does its complexity. National rollouts call for local nuance, environments must work as both place and media, AI is threading through the discipline, and what begins in person now travels outward across social, press, and community long after the doors close.
“Without a doubt, INNOV8’s advantage has always been its people,” said Donna Shea, CEO of INNOV8. “Brands today need teams where creative leadership and technical production are part of the same DNA. Joining Pinnacle allows us to deepen that ecosystem — expanding our reach and broadening our bench of strategists, creatives, and craftsmen to unlock new possibilities for the brands who trust us.”
The deal folds INNOV8 into the Pinnacle brand, with its people and projects carrying forward as one team. Terms were not disclosed.
ABOUT PINNACLE
We’re Pinnacle, an experiential marketing house. We are strategists, creatives, and builders, all fueled by the same pursuit: we’re never satisfied. We chase down the next “holy smokes, they actually did that” moment for the most-loved brands when they need to come alive in their biggest moments. And then, we do it again. See what we’re building at www.pinnacle-exp.com.