How to Choose an Exhibition Stand Builder

The builder you choose decides more than how your stand looks. They decide whether it’s ready on time, whether it passes the organiser’s safety checks, whether your budget holds, and how much stress you have in the week of the show. This guide explains how to pick one well.

What a stand builder actually does

A stand builder (sometimes called a stand contractor) usually takes care of the whole job:

• designing the stand to fit your space, brand and budget
• making it, including the structure, printed graphics and lighting
• delivering it to the venue and putting it up before the show opens
• doing the safety paperwork the organiser asks for
• taking it down afterwards, and storing it if it can be reused

Some builders do everything in-house. Others design the stand and use partners for parts of the work. Both can work well, as long as you know who’s responsible for what.

Before you contact anyone

You’ll get better ideas and more accurate prices if you can tell builders five things:

1. The show: its name, dates and venue.
2. Your space: its size, and whether it’s open on one, two, three or four sides.
3. Your budget: a rough range is fine. Without one, builders have to guess, and their designs won’t be comparable.
4. What the stand has to do: for example, show products, hold meetings, run demos or collect enquiries.
5. What must be on it: a counter, storage, screens, a meeting area, products on display.

If you’re not sure about any of these, say so. A good builder will help you work it out.

How many builders to ask

Two or three, chosen because they suit your show, stand size and budget.

It’s tempting to send your brief to as many companies as possible, but it tends to backfire. Good builders often won’t spend time on a design when they’re competing against a long list, so the builders you’d most like to hear from may not reply. You also end up comparing designs and prices that were never aimed at the same thing. We explain this in more detail here.

Questions to ask every builder

• Have you built at this show or venue before? Every venue has its own rules, delivery times and quirks.
• Can I see stands you’ve built at my size and budget? Big, expensive stands in a portfolio don’t tell you much about what they’ll do for you.
• What exactly is included in the price? Design, graphics, furniture, lighting, electrics, delivery, putting it up, taking it down, storage.
• Who deals with the organiser’s paperwork? Stand plans, risk assessments and safety documents (see below).
• Are you insured? Organisers usually require public liability insurance from builders.
• Who will be my contact, and who will be on site? You want one person who knows your project.
• Can the stand, or parts of it, be reused? This can save a lot if you exhibit more than once.
• What do you need from me, and by when? Artwork, logos, product details and sign-off dates.

The safety paperwork, in plain English

If you book an empty space (space only), the organiser will ask for documents about your stand weeks before the show. These usually include a drawing of the stand with measurements, a risk assessment and a method statement explaining how it will be built safely. Bigger or more complex stands may also need a structural engineer to check the design. At one UK show, for example, that engineer’s check cost £370 plus VAT.

UK safety law for building work (known as CDM 2015) applies to exhibition stands. The Health and Safety Executive says the exhibitor counts as the “client” for their own space, because they decide what to build and who builds it, while the stand builder plans and manages the work on the stand. In practice, a good builder prepares the paperwork for you. Just make sure they’ve agreed to, and that you pass on any information the organiser sends you.

Warning signs

• They won’t say clearly what’s included in the price.
• They can’t show you stands similar in size and budget to yours.
• They’re vague about the organiser’s paperwork or deadlines.
• They push you to sign quickly, before you’ve seen a proper design.
• Their price is far below everyone else’s with no clear reason.

Comparing quotes fairly

1. Give every builder the same brief.
2. Ask each one to list what’s included and what costs extra.
3. Line the quotes up item by item before comparing totals.
4. Look at the design as well as the price: does it actually do what your stand needs to do?
5. Check when payments are due, and what happens if the show is cancelled or your plans change.

How Stand Between can help

Choosing a builder is exactly what we help with. Tell us your show, stand size and budget, and we’ll introduce you to a small shortlist of vetted stand builders who suit your brief. It’s free for exhibitors: the builder you choose pays us, and our fee is the same whichever builder that is, so we have no reason to push you towards one. Tell us about your show.

Wondering what to budget? Read our guide to what an exhibition stand costs in the UK.

Sources

• Health and Safety Executive: CDM 2015 and space only plots at exhibitions
• Independent Hotel Show: space only stand regulations