Modular or Custom Is the Wrong Question Until the Show Calendar Is Written Down

Exhibitors often ask a builder for a quote on “a modular stand” or “a custom stand” before they have said how many shows the stand has to survive. That question comes first, because the two options cost differently over a calendar than they do on a single quote.

One Show or Several Changes the Answer

GES, which builds stands across EMEA, says modular suits programmes of three or more shows a year, changing stand sizes and consistent branding across events. A modular layout can be reconfigured, so a 6 by 3 metre stand becomes a 3 by 3, and graphics panels can be refreshed without rebuilding the structure. Custom suits flagship launches, premium hospitality, complex demonstrations and larger stands, typically 50 square metres or more.

UK published rates give a sense of scale. One UK builder lists modular from about £375 per square metre, roughly £3,375 for a 3 by 3 metre stand, while UK guides put custom stands at about £400 to £1,500 per square metre. The full stand cost guide sets these against space rental. GES adds that a modular system’s upfront price may sit close to a mid-range custom build, and the saving comes from avoiding rebuilds and refreshing only the graphics.

Modular Is Not a Promise of Reuse

Adam Expo, a Spanish builder, makes a point worth borrowing: modular describes a system of components, and custom describes a design tailored to a brief, so the two are not a choice between reuse and brand identity. A system suited to a 6 by 3 metre plot does not automatically fit a 4 by 4 metre plot or a second level, so any claim of reuse should be tested against the plots the exhibitor expects to book. Reuse also does not prove lower cost on its own. Storage, transport, repairs and reconfiguration all count, and the post on dated stands shows how branding with a show name or year can undo the benefit.

The Hybrid Is Usually the Practical Answer

GES describes a reusable modular base with custom features, such as a standout entrance or hospitality area, that change by event. Adam Expo suggests listing standard, hired and bespoke components separately and stating what the exhibitor owns, what returns to the supplier and what travels to each show. That makes quotes comparable. The awards judging categories post covers the same idea from the reuse side.

Put It in the Brief

A useful brief lists the shows planned over the next year or two, the plot sizes expected, what the stand must do on the day, and what the exhibitor already owns, such as furniture or screens. Builders can then quote modular, custom and hybrid on the same basis and show the cost per show. If a calendar is taking shape and the stand type is open, get in touch with Stand Between and we will introduce builders who quote that way.