Print checklist for first-time exhibitors
Your first show has plenty of small traps that a seasoned exhibitor avoids without thinking. This list walks you past them in the order they come up.
Open the exhibitor manual before the design file.
Every organiser issues a manual or online portal, and it usually holds the facts that shape your print: stand type, panel sizes, what may be fixed to what, and the final date for deliveries to the hall. First-timers tend to design first and then discover the walls will not take a screw.
Four decisions to make first
- What kind of stand is it? A shell scheme arrives with walls. Space-only is bare floor, so everything is yours to bring. See our guide to shell scheme graphics.
- What should a passer-by learn? People read a stand while walking. Pick one idea.
- What will be hidden? Tables, brochures and your own team cover the lower part of any wall, so keep key words high.
- What can you use again? Graphics with no date on them can go to the next show.
Measure and confirm
- The visible panel size, not the nominal stand size, because frames can cover the edges
- Height limits and any rule about graphics facing a neighbour
- Which fixing methods are allowed on the walls
- Any fire requirement for display materials, and what proof the organiser wants
- Power, if you plan anything lit
- When and how goods can be brought in
Match the display to the space
| Your space | Good starting point | Bear in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Shell scheme walls | Printed panels fixed with Velcro | Check the panel size and fixing with the organiser |
| Small space-only stand | 3x3 pop-up, curved or straight | Packs into a wheeled case, so one person can move it |
| Table at a small event | Table-top display or one roller banner | Banner height is what gets you noticed |
| Tight budget | Two roller banners with no dates on them | Fewer words, larger type |
The artwork pass
Ask someone outside the business to read every panel, including the phone number and web address, since those are what people act on. Then run through checking a file before you send it, and leave time for a proof. Build your print date backwards from the organiser's deadline and not from the show's opening morning.
What goes in the bag for build-up day
- Tape measure and scissors
- Spare Velcro, and whichever tape the venue permits
- A soft cloth for fingerprints
- A printed stand plan and a copy of your order
- Phone numbers for the organiser and your printer
After the doors close
Photograph the stand from the aisle before you take it down. Note which panels people stopped at and which sat ignored. Pack graphics dry, flat or rolled, so that your second show starts with a head start.
What a show space looks like.
Your questions.
Can I reuse my graphics at a different show?
Often, if the stand sizes match and nothing on the print is dated. Portable displays travel between shows easily. Fixed panels cut to one shell scheme size may not fit the next.
Do I need a designer for my first stand?
Not always, but layout at this scale is different from a brochure. Our in-house designers can set out your panels if you have logos and words ready.
Should graphics be delivered to the venue or to my office?
Your office is safest if you can carry them, because you can check them first. If you want them sent to the hall, read the organiser's delivery rules closely and ask us about your options.