Exhibition stands fail in predictable ways. The build looks nothing like the render, the graphics arrive with the wrong colours, the electrics are not where the screens are, or the whole thing is still being assembled when the doors open. None of that is bad luck. It is a planning problem, and the timeline below is the fix.
Start with why you are exhibiting
A stand designed to collect leads looks different from one designed to launch a product or host meetings. Decide first, because it determines the layout: open frontage and a counter for footfall, or a semi-enclosed meeting space with seating and storage. Trying to do both in 18 square metres produces neither.
Shell scheme or space only
Shell scheme is the organiser’s pre-built booth: walls, fascia name board, carpet, basic lighting. You dress it with graphics, furniture and a counter. Cheaper, faster, limited.
Space only is bare floor. You design and build whatever you want within the venue rules. More expensive, needs technical approval, and it is the only route to a stand that reads as a brand rather than a booth.
Custom builds need serious lead time. Ten to fourteen weeks from signed brief to show-ready is realistic for a space-only stand, and the design freeze happens far earlier than most exhibitors expect.
The bit that catches people out: contractor accreditation
Dubai venues require your stand contractor to be accredited with that venue’s technical department, and the requirements have changed as Expo City and the Dubai Exhibition Centre have come into use alongside DWTC. Before you sign anything, ask your contractor for written confirmation that they are accredited for your specific venue. An unaccredited builder cannot get your stand onto the floor, and finding that out in week eight is expensive.
Countdown checklist
12 to 14 weeks out
- Confirm stand space, size and orientation, and download the venue technical manual
- Confirm contractor accreditation for that venue, in writing
- Agree objectives, budget and whether it is shell scheme or space only
8 to 10 weeks out
- Sign off the 3D design and floor plan
- Confirm electrical load and socket positions against where screens, lighting and coffee machines will actually be
- Submit drawings for technical approval, with structural calculations if required
4 to 6 weeks out
- Final graphics artwork, with a printed colour proof approved against your brand references
- Order furniture, AV and any rigging
- Confirm risk assessment, method statement and insurance if the venue requires them
1 to 2 weeks out
- Confirm build-up and breakdown slots and delivery access
- Brief the stand team on who does what, and print more literature than you think
- Agree a site contact who can approve decisions during build-up
Design details that actually matter on the floor
- Put your name high. Sightlines across a hall are measured in tens of metres. Anything below head height disappears behind visitors.
- One message on the back wall. Not five. Visitors decide whether to step in from several metres away.
- Light the stand, not the ceiling. Venue lighting is flat and grey. Your own lighting is what makes the stand look expensive.
- Hide the storage. Bags, boxes and coats on display undo a good build instantly.
- Plan the floor. Raised flooring hides cabling and defines your footprint.
After the show
Ask before you build: is this stand designed to be reused? Modular systems cost more once and far less over three shows. Storage between events, refurbishment of graphics and replacement of consumable parts should all be priced at the start, not discovered afterwards.
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should I book a stand builder in Dubai?
For a custom build, three to four months before the show. Peak season around the major Dubai exhibitions fills up earlier than that.
Can you handle build-up and dismantling?
Yes. We cover design, fabrication, installation and dismantling, so there is one team accountable on site.
Can the stand be reused at the next show?
If it is designed that way from the start, yes. Tell us at the brief stage and we will build it modular.
Related reading
Talk to Logos Advertising
Logos Advertising LLC designs and builds exhibition stands and kiosks in Dubai end to end, from our production facility in Ras Al Khor. See our exhibition stands and kiosks, browse completed projects, or tell us your show and stand size for a quote.
