Stand design and production
How a stand comes into being, from the brief to the workshop check: which facts the drawing cannot start without, how the concept is approved, what the technical drawing contains, when system, modular or custom timber is chosen, and why production ends weeks before the fair.
This section describes the process from the first meeting with a stand builder to the truck leaving for the hall, from the exhibitor's point of view. Our own method is written in detail on the design and production and installation pages; here we collect the rules that apply whichever builder you work with.
01
The brief: no drawing without six facts
A good brief halves the number of design rounds. The six facts to give the stand builder:
- Fair and date. Venue, hall and build window follow from this.
- Plot size and number of open sides. Row, corner, peninsula or island, with the plot number from the organiser's floor plan.
- Products to be shown. Size, weight, power and water needs; for heavy machinery the floor load and forklift path shape the design.
- Meeting needs. How many seats in the open meeting area, whether a closed meeting room is needed, a storage compartment.
- Budget ceiling. Stating the ceiling does not raise the price; it lets the design start in the right type.
- Brand rules. Logo files, colour codes, forbidden uses, photographs of previous fairs.
Add the organiser's technical regulations to the brief; the height limit, closed-wall rule and floor load should be known from the first day of design.
02
Concept, technical drawing and approvals
At the concept stage the floor plan, heights, materials and colour palette are presented as a 3D visual; two rounds of revision are normal, a third usually means the brief was incomplete. The approved concept becomes a dimensioned technical drawing: parts list, sections and details, electrical project (total kW, board location, cable routing), and where relevant the rigging and second-deck structural calculation.
That drawing goes to three places: the workshop (production), the organiser (stand approval) and you (final sign-off). The approvals the organiser requires vary by venue; at Tüyap, stands above 4 metres and double-deck stands need a licensed civil engineer's approval, single-storey stands under 4 metres an architect's or interior architect's. Details are in venue rules and stand approval.
Graphic files run on their own timeline and are the last link in the delivery chain. Give text and image approval in the same week as the concept approval; if the file going to print does not change, there are no surprises on build day.
03
Which stand type when
| Type | When it fits | Its limit | Build-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| System stand (maxima profile) | Short build window, plots of 24 m² and under (Tüyap rule), first fair, dense fair programme | No free form; brand differentiation comes from graphics and facade cladding | One day |
| Modular stand | Mid-sized plots, panel and lightbox layouts, product showcases | Height and decks limited; extra structure for heavy products | One to two days |
| Custom timber build | Corner and island plots, above 25 m², painted surfaces and free form, brand experience | Paint and cutting banned in the hall: every part is finished in the workshop; longest production time | Two to three days |
| Double decker | Large plots, closed meeting needs, visibility | Steel structure, engineer approval, upper deck at most half the plot (Tüyap) | Three to four days |
The choice of type is set by plot size, the venue's rule and the build window; budget comes third. Under the rule Tüyap applies from 1 March 2026, plots of 24 square metres and under may only use modular systems and may not have a second deck; custom timber is not an option on those plots. Types are detailed on the stand types page; maxima and double-deck stands have their own pages.
If your fair date is set, the countdown has started
The stand calendar starts the day the plot contract is signed. Send the fair name, date and plot size; within two business days we come back with a concept visual and an itemised quote. Asking for a quote commits you to nothing.
04
Production: work finished in the workshop causes no trouble in the hall
Paint, plaster, render, welding and the cutting of timber or steel are banned in exhibition halls; Tüyap states the ban explicitly for all stands above 24 square metres, and German venues work by the same logic. That is why a timber stand is fully assembled in the workshop, its surfaces painted or veneered, the electrics installed, everything checked, and then dismantled into parts for transport. Only assembly happens in the hall.
The production calendar is built backwards: for a domestic fair it ends at least a week before build-up, for a fair abroad earlier by the freight time. On a stand going abroad, part size is set by the truck and the hall door; no single wall beyond container size enters the drawing.
Ask to see the stand in the workshop; timber stands can be viewed by appointment, and video walkthroughs are done for distant clients. What to check: do the dimensions match the drawing, are surfaces clean, is the distribution board protected by a residual current device, is the graphic file the approved version, are parts numbered and labelled in build order.
Sustainability is becoming a rule: Tüyap applies zero waste, asks for floor covering to arrive ready and for all material to leave the hall at dismantling. We cover this on the sustainable stands page.
- 24 m²
- Tüyap plots at or under this size: modular systems only, no second deck (1 March 2026)
05
Frequently asked questions
- How much time should we allow for design?
With a complete brief the concept is approved in a week, with two revision rounds in two to three weeks; the technical drawing takes another week. A design frozen at least eight weeks before the fair makes production comfortable.
- Is the 3D visual charged?
Practice varies; we provide the concept visual together with the quote when the brief is complete. Ask every builder: is the visual within the quote, how many revisions are included, who holds the design rights.
- Who prepares the graphic files?
Brand content comes from you, print application from the stand builder. There is a technical list of file sizes, resolution and colour profile on the graphics and print page; pass it to your agency if you have one.
- Can a small touch-up be painted in the hall?
Under Tüyap rules, no; paint is banned during build-up and dismantling, and work is stopped if the rule is broken. If a touch-up is needed, a pre-painted spare part is brought.
Sources
We read the technical manual so you do not have to
We submit the stand project to the organiser together with the engineer's approval, the electrical load declaration and the fire certificates. The crew entering the hall on build day is registered, certified and has worked in that venue before.