Light the Product, Not the Wall, and Plan the Lighting Before the Stand Is Finished

One UK show’s shell scheme rules give a stand of up to 18 square metres two spotlights on track and a single 500W socket, rising to four spotlights above 18 square metres and six above 27. That is the whole lighting plan many exhibitors ever make: whatever came in the package, pointed at whatever wall is nearest. A stand can have plenty of light and still leave the eye with nowhere to go.

Decide What the Aisle Should See First

Supplier guides agree on the order of priorities. A visitor registers contrast and brightness well before reading a word, so the lighting should say what to look at first, second and third. First comes the long-distance signal, usually the brand wall or hero product. Second comes the reason to step in, such as a demo or a product on show. Third comes the detail inside the stand, including the meeting area. The common mistake is lighting the wall because it is easy to reach and leaving the product in the shade. If the product is the reason to stop, it gets the spotlight. The same thinking sits behind the open sides and staff posture post: the stand should help a visitor understand where to look.

Choose the Type for the Job

Spotlights pick out a feature, floodlights cover a wider surface, and rope or strip lighting can sit behind items for a glow on a backdrop. Backlit graphics make the picture itself a light source, which holds up in a busy hall, but they work best when one surface does it. A stand with a lit logo, a backlit wall and a screen all competing has made the hierarchy worse. UK suppliers favour LED because it runs cool, lasts longer and survives transport, while halogen runs hot and needs switching off well before packing. Some guides suggest warmer light for meeting areas and neutral light over products, though the right choice is whichever makes the real product look right. Test the fittings on the actual materials before the show.

Power, Testing and Who Connects

Lighting draws on the same power budget as everything else, which is why it belongs in the wattage sum. On shell scheme, extra lights and sockets are usually ordered through the electrical form, and late orders cost more, as the late-order cost post explains. Venue electricians normally do the connecting, and one UK guide notes that spotlights and cables brought in need to carry a dated, signed PAT test label. Rigging rules for hanging fittings vary by hall and show, so the exhibitor manual comes first. Supplier cost figures for lighting vary widely and mostly come from firms that sell the work, so treat them as a starting view.

Put It in the Brief

A useful brief names what the lighting must make visitors notice, lists any fittings brought in, and says whether anything hangs from the structure. A builder who has that can plan sockets, mounting and testing before build day. If a show is coming up and the brief needs shaping, get in touch with Stand Between and we will introduce builders who work from exactly this kind of detail.