“I became the change I wanted to see. Why not me?”
– Dennis Taylor, Co-owner and co-founder of Black OPS Show Services
by Thea Engst
Dennis Taylor is a rarity in tradeshow I&D for several reasons. For starters, he’s one of a few—and was once the only—black business owners in the industry. He and his son, Gabriel, started Black OPS Show Services in 2017. “We did it all on our own,” he said, “We took our time and worked hard, and our steadfast efforts created a company.”
Dennis sat down with Exhibit City News (ECN) to chat about Black OPS, his day-to-day, and his experience as a black business owner in a predominately white industry.
The Day to Day
Dennis’ days alternate between time in the office and time on the show floor. “Office days start between 4:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. every day—no matter what time zone I’m in—because we are a nationwide tradeshow company, so I’ve got clients on the West Coast, East Coast, and Midwest. I’m also dealing with international time zones too,” he says. Black OPS currently does business in Canada and hopes to expand to places like Asia and Africa next.
“I start my day with meditation,” he continues, “I’m a spiritual person so, time for that is paramount before I turn on my phone and check emails—it’s very important to me.” Dennis responds to messages, schedules meetings, and even cold-calls new clients.
His most recent endeavor is his YouTube channel, which shows Black OPS’ process from start to finish and gives insight into exhibits like no one else. Dennis is the man behind the camera, and he has a media team helping him create and produce his content.
Once he finishes his day, which can be as late as 8 p.m., Dennis unplugs literally and figuratively. “At the end of the day I have a time of gratitude, I look back at how my day went what I can do better or differently, then I have another meditation and prayers… and then I go to bed. The first thing I do when I wake up is thank the universe for another day.”
Tradeshow days are just as long and hectic, but in different ways. Dennis arrives at the showroom floor by 7 a.m. at the latest, ensuring his staff is on time. “If you’re early you’re on time,” he says. “I don’t tolerate tardiness.”
He checks in with security and the woman he calls his “number one, next to Gabriel,” Alejandra Flores: Black OPS Floor Supervisor and Floor Foreman. “I hire more women than most, I have a lot of good women, and they outwork most of my men,” he says. “Alejandra anticipates what I need so she’s already got my desk set up, my water, the wristbands [for the staff], and if not, she’s already working on it. I’m a better employer and a better CEO with people like that—my son and Alejandra by my side.”
When There Is No Door: Make One
Dennis opened up about daily challenges of being one of the few black business owners in the tradeshow I&D industry and how he rises above it all. “The reason why I started Black OPS was because I didn’t see enough representation that looked like me.” He says, “I’d been in the industry up until this time almost 30 years and the demographic hadn’t changed—so I’m like: these guys aren’t any smarter than me, they don’t work harder than me.”
Seven years after opening Black OPS, Dennis still sees a lot of racism. “I’m not welcome in the space but I don’t care—that motivates me even more.”
However the discrimination won’t stop him, Dennis said, “I’m going to change the landscape regardless. They need to get used to it. They need to get to the understanding that the change is here. I’m the change.”
Becoming The Change For Others
Dennis isn’t content to be the only black business owner, he actively encourages his friends and family who are people of color to start their own businesses. “Since we started Black OPS, about half a dozen of our friends have started their own companies,” he says. It’s exactly what Dennis had hoped for. He doesn’t fear the competition; he welcomes it. “There’s enough to go around,” he says.
When it comes to hiring, Dennis is passionate. “I got tired of seeing black and brown, Latino and Asians being looked over—and I was like, ‘this needs to change.’ I don’t discriminate, I let everyone in—that’s what my family is!” Dennis laughs, “I don’t know any other way! I’m from the Bronx, I’m used to multi-culture, I’m used to different people, this is not new to me, this is my normal.”
Furthermore, Dennis makes a conscious effort to hire more female employees. “I know I’m one of the only people in Vegas who has two women leads,” he tells me. “I’m proud of those women, I’ll put them up against any man… For me, that’s why I do what I do with [hiring] women, that pisses some guys off, but I don’t care, if she can do the job then I’m hiring her.”
Everyone Can Win
If you’re a reader of this column, you know that ECN always asks interviewees what they most want readers to walk away from after reading their interview. Dennis had a lot to say, and we wish we could include it all. This is the summation: “I guess in a nutshell, [let’s get] more inclusivity, more work for everyone, share the wealth, there’s enough for everyone, and let’s all win. It’s not complicated. It’s not complicated! I used to build jets—this ain’t that!”
This story originally appeared as a truncated version in the Q1 2025 issue of Exhibit City News, p. 36. For original layout, visit https://issuu.com/exhibitcitynews/docs/ecn_q1_2025/36.
