TOP 100 MAGAZINE

Gloria Clark

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Gloria Clark, founder and president of SoftSpace Exhibits, has spent more than 27 years redefining the trade show and event planning industry through resilience, innovation, and a deep commitment to family and service. Based in Mount Pleasant, Tennessee, SoftSpace is a full-service exhibit design and fabrication company known for its craftsmanship, creativity, and customer care. What began in the late 1990s as a small wholesale fabric counter line has grown into a thriving $6 million enterprise with 35 employees and a 60,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility.

 

A self-taught entrepreneur without a college degree, Gloria and her partners built SoftSpace from the ground up through determination and an insatiable curiosity to learn. She immersed herself in every area of the business—sales, design, fabrication, finance—ensuring she could lead with empathy, insight, and agility. This hands-on approach became the foundation of SoftSpace’s reputation for excellence and reliability.

 

Unlike most competitors, SoftSpace offers nearly everything under one roof—design, woodworking, welding, powder coating, laminating, printing, graphics, and staging. This rare model gives them complete creative control, consistent quality, and the ability to deliver the company’s true “crown jewel”: exceptional customer service. As Gloria often says, “Our clients don’t shake our hand; they hug us.” Many have partnered with SoftSpace for over 15 years, a testament to relationships built on trust and care.

 

That same loyalty defines her team. Gloria considers her proudest accomplishment to be building a company that feels like family—for employees and clients alike. During the pandemic, when SoftSpace was forced to close for 16 months, Gloria’s faith and perseverance carried the company through. When the doors reopened, not a single client had been lost, and 32 of 35 employees returned—a defining moment that reaffirmed the strength of their culture.

 

For much of the company’s history, marketing and advertising were largely unnecessary; growth came through word of mouth and referrals. Today, as SoftSpace begins sharing its story more intentionally, it continues to support and elevate other brands—from their first trade show booths to major public launches for companies like TrueCar. Other partners are  Procter & Gamble, Mountain Dew, and Nike.

 

Innovation remains central to the SoftSpace story. In 1998, they introduced the industry’s first no-tool collapsible counters, setting a standard for creative problem-solving that continues to drive 5–10% annual growth. Still family-owned, with Gloria’s husband Bill, sister Susan Mesko, and the next generation now in leadership, SoftSpace stands as a testament to what’s possible when integrity, craftsmanship, and family values lead the way. Stronger than ever, SoftSpace is poised for an even brighter future.

 

 

Gloria Clark
Founder and President
SoftSpace Exhibits
Website: www.softspaceexhibits.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/softspace1