Exhibition stand guide
What an exhibition stand should have: mandatory and optional items
Ömer Faruk Süer · Senior Sales Manager · 3 min read · Last updated:

Short answer
What should an exhibition stand have?
Every exhibition stand needs six things: a floor that carries visitors, a graphic surface that carries the company name and message, a display that presents the product at eye level, lighting that brings the product out, a meeting area set back from the aisle and a closed compartment where boxes are kept. Add to these the electrical infrastructure and the documents the organiser requires. Screens, refreshment counters, suspended ceilings and a second deck are items added according to the job; on every project we draw the mandatory six first and add the rest from the brief.
The mandatory six
Floor. Carpet, laminate or a raised platform. A platform hides cables and separates the stand from the aisle; if the product is heavy, the floor load is declared to the organiser. Carpet is thrown away after the fair, so we prefer laminate in the product area.
Graphic surface. Company name, what it does and one message on the back wall and side faces. Printed panel, tension fabric or lightbox; the reading distance sets the type size.
Product display. Showcase, shelf, counter or platform; the product at eye level and within reach. A product not to be touched goes into a locked showcase.
Lighting. Spots on product points, even light on the graphic, a warm tone in the meeting area. Hall lighting cannot be relied on. Meeting area. A table or high counter in the back third of the stand that does not hide the product. Closed compartment. With a door, at least one square metre; boxes, bags and coats live here. How the six change by type is shown on the stand types page.
Added according to the job
Screen or video wall. When the product moves or is too large for the hall. The content is silent and looping; the screen load goes into the electrical declaration.
Refreshment counter. Next to the meeting area, facing inwards rather than the aisle. A coffee machine and fridge need their own socket and load declaration.
Suspended ceiling and raised identity. On island plots and in large halls, for visibility from a distance. Rigging permission differs in every hall and is applied for early.
Second deck. To separate the meeting area from the floor; needs a structural calculation, a staircase and separate organiser approval. Trial area. For machinery and software, a corner where the visitor can use the product. Each of these items is discussed in the brief; on our exhibition stand services page we set out at which step of the process the decision is made.
Paperwork and people
A stand has paper equipment as well as physical equipment. The stand approval drawing given to the organiser, the electrical load declaration, any rigging application, fire certificates and the contractor list; the deadline for each is in the technical manual. We prepare these in the same week as production.
The team that will work on the stand is part of the equipment too: how many people, at what hours, for which product. Naming the team to the organiser and issuing passes is finished before build week.
The unnecessary items keep a list of their own: a brochure rack facing the aisle, a planter blocking the front, long text translated into three languages, a pile of giveaways. They fill the stand but produce no conversations. On every project we start with the mandatory six and add the rest according to the job; how we run this is on our about page.
Do we bring the furniture ourselves?
Meeting table, stools and counter are within the quote and built with the stand. If you want to bring your own furniture we put its dimensions into the drawing.
Who connects the power?
The organiser brings the line to the stand; distribution inside the stand, sockets and lighting connections are our job. The load declaration goes in weeks before the build.
How much space do catalogues and samples need?
The closed compartment should be at least one square metre; the day’s catalogues and samples come out of it, the rest stays boxed. If the product is heavy the shelf load is noted in the drawing.
Sources
- German trade fair industry association — AUMA
- Fair and Congress Center — Tüyap
- Venue technical regulations — Messe Frankfurt
