Stand design and construction at European and US shows
Check the current technical manual before approving drawings, prices and on-site responsibilities.
A rendering shows what a stand could look like, not whether the venue will approve it. Put the current exhibitor manual, venue rules and construction contract under one owner. The checks below are a framework; height, fire and labour requirements must come from your specific event.
Establish what you have bought
Distinguish shell scheme from space only. Confirm whether walls, flooring, lights, sockets, cleaning and furniture are included, and which services have nominated suppliers. Get a dimensioned plan showing orientation, columns, fire equipment, entrances, neighbours and aisles.
Plan circulation and equipment before graphics. Make the product and its use visible from the aisle, with room for wheelchair access and conversation. Separate demonstrations from spectators. Ask about permission where equipment produces noise, heat, fumes or liquids.
Turn rules into an approval checklist
Messe Frankfurt’s construction guidance, for example, provides documents on height, structural approval and fire protection, with possible event-specific requirements. One venue’s limits are not a European standard, and an approved European design is not automatically suitable in the US.
Ask the contractor to identify required calculations, material certificates, rigging approvals, ceiling and escape-route provisions, and accessible entrances. Record who submits each item and when approval is due. “We did this last year” is not an approval. Number drawing versions and establish whether later changes require resubmission.
For a US project, ask the event’s nominated contractor about unloading, material handling, electrical work, rigging and labour arrangements. Confirm what your own staff may do. Request working hours, overtime rates, minimum charges and waiting-time terms before comparing bids.
Make the quotation auditable
Separate design, manufacture, transport, assembly, rentals, utilities, dismantling, waste and taxes. Does “delivery included” mean the warehouse or your stand? Does “power included” mean one socket or the supply your machines need? Include empty-case storage, connectivity and extras, with a named person authorized to approve changes.
Prepare an equipment load schedule with rated power, start-up requirements, operating periods and connectors. Have qualified providers check the supply. Travel adapters cannot solve an unsuitable voltage or power requirement. Rehearse all equipment running together and prepare a demonstration that can work without electricity.
Inspect handover and dismantling
Before opening, photograph and check dimensions, wording, graphics, lighting, furniture, wiring and equipment fixings against the contract. Keep a defect list with owners and deadlines. Refer structural and electrical issues to the venue and qualified personnel.
Before leaving, confirm isolation of power, dismantling order, return labels and waste responsibilities. Someone must remain to hand over valuable equipment. Retain photographs, signed service sheets and invoices for disputes and future cost comparisons.