A great exhibition stand begins long before anyone picks up a tool and applies hammer to nail. It starts with a brief, but that brief needs work before it’s ready. The best briefs often start with the questions asked of the exhibition stand builder. The questions you ask can ultimately decide if the finished stand looks sharp on the floor and generates lots of quality leads, or turns out to be a blank canvas that fails to capture the attention of passersby.
Planning custom trade show booths for a national expo or trade show displays in Sydney for a one-off event? In this guide, we’ll cover the questions to ask before you commit, from goals and budget to build capability, logistics and venue rules, so you can walk into that first meeting prepared.
What Should You Know Before Briefing an Exhibition Stand Builder?
In simple terms, the more information you can give your builder, the better the build will be. You need to know the key event details, dates, size available for display, access issues. You need to know your budget and what your commercial goals are for this stand.
Let’s look at all the things you should be able to tell your builder:
Event and Space Details
- Event information: What is the exact name of the show, where is it and what dates will you be exhibiting? What is your allotted stand number?
- Dimensions: What are the exact plot dimensions you will have? Are you on a corner lot or slotted between people on either side? Do you know who these brands next to you are? Is your booth going to be an island booth?
- Venue Rules: Are there height restrictions for your stand? Any hanging points? What times are available for bumping in and bumping out? Is power supplied?
Strategy and Objectives
- Goals: What are your goals for this exhibition? Are you hoping for lead generation or is this a product launch?
- Audience: Who are you trying to attract to your booth? What are they going to do once they arrive at your stand?
- Message: What is the one, key message you want to get across to your audience?
Practical and Financial Considerations
- Budget: Deliver a clear budget so designers and builders know what materials they can use and how the structure is going to look and feel.
- Functionality: Are there specific needs you want the exhibition stand to serve? Do you need a display booth, a reception area, private meeting rooms or secure storage?
- Timeline: When do you need the finished version? This gives opportunity for design concepts, feedback and multiple drafts of the stand design.
The more information you can provide, in the greatest detail possible, the better it is for both you and the builder.
What Goals and Audience Should Shape Your Custom Trade Show Booth?
Some people who display at expos try to do and say too much because they want to attract everybody. However, with marketing, the better you are at narrowing down a specific target audience, the more you focus on your niche, the better impact you will have and the better return on investment (ROI) you will achieve.
Choose one goal. Don’t try to do everything. Have a single purpose in mind, such as generating leads, building your list or actually making a sale through demonstrations. This allows the space to be used economically and for that one purpose, rather than cluttered with multiple personalities. This one focus can help drive design decisions.
Define your target audience. Be as specific as possible. Do you want people ready to buy, or who are just looking for what you have, so you can on-sell later? Are you looking for consumers or businesses? People in white-collar or blue-collar industries? Knowing exactly who you’re trying to attract will influence the shape of your expo stand design from the layout through to the messaging. Focusing on your target audience will help deter casual foot traffic, which wastes the valuable time of the people staffing the booth.
Budget Questions to Raise Early
What your budget is going to be needs to be established early on in the process. You don’t want to have marvellous ideas with huge digital screens and interactivity, and then come up short when the bill arrives and you’re halfway through the build.
What is included? Ask for a detailed breakdown of what is included for the budget you have provided, and get this in writing. This can include design and construction costs, transport, installation and breakdown costs.
Any hidden fees? You don’t want to be caught out on hidden fees such as tollway costs, different material costs or extra costs for an electrician on site for the installation.
Include a contingency. It’s wise to have a 10-15% buffer in your budget to cover unexpected expenses such as venue fees or material costs that may pop up.
Are the materials reusable? This question can save you money down the track. It can also mean the bump-out is done with more care to preserve the stand materials, rather than just breaking it down to dispose of.
Timeline Questions to Raise Early
Timelines help companies know when to start planning and building. The longer the lead time you can give a builder, the better the result you will get.
What is the lead time? A 5 to 6 weeks lead time is a perfect window for conceptualising, designing, building and delivering. Anything shorter and you risk a higher fee for quick delivery, or the builder may not take the job at all.
Internal milestones. Decide on a timeline for sign-offs. This can prevent many hands and eyes reviewing and making decisions which can slow the process down.
Timelines for graphics and tech. Determine hard deadlines for all graphics, art and tech requirements. These are often required before designing the actual stand so you know how to fit branding and logos and other art onto the stand.
What are the venue timelines? Give exact dates and times that the venue allows for deliveries, installation and break-down of exhibition stands.
What Should You Ask About Design and Build Capability?
If you’re comparing exhibition display services in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, knowing where and how your stand will be designed and built can give you an idea of quality and timelines. If something needs to be constructed off-site, that adds more time and complexity to the project, for example.
In-house or outsourced? Is the company building your stand also the one designing it? If not, do you need to liaise directly with the outsourced designer? And on the flip side, are you speaking with a company that only designs stands and outsources the build? The more hands involved, the more potential for delays and problems.
Technology integration. What tech have you asked for and how is it going to be implemented in your exhibition stand? Will it be interactive? Will you need to learn how to use it? How will it be powered? Will there be extra costs involved?
Material options. What is the stand going to be made from? Can you go with a modular option to save money or is it best to have a custom build? Is a metal frame or a wooden frame better?
Logistics and Support. What happens if something breaks during the expo? What support will be given to you?
What Questions Cover Venue Rules and Compliance?
Every venue sets its own rules on height, safety and access, and a stand that ignores them can be delayed or turned away on install day. Put these questions to venue management early, ideally before design work starts. Your builder can then design around the limits from the outset instead of reworking the stand later.
- What are the maximum height limits for our booth space and the surrounding hall?
- Are there restrictions on hanging or suspended structures, like overhead signage or lighting rigs?
- What are the rules on open sides, corner configurations and sightlines into neighbouring stands?
- Which fire safety standards and certified flame-retardant materials must the build meet?
- Are there mandatory aisle clearances or accessibility requirements for foot traffic and mobility access?
- Where do we access power, water and data connections, and are floor-channel restrictions enforced?
- What installation and dismantling windows has the venue allocated?
- What are the rules for loading dock access, delivery timing and on-site waste removal?
- Which structural engineering certificates and risk assessments does venue management require, and who submits them?
What Should You Ask About Trade Show Displays in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane?
If you’re travelling around Australia exhibiting at different trade shows, there are some different questions to ask. Some questions involve specific venue quirks, others involve transportation between cities and events.
- Venue rules: Ask how they navigate specific guidelines for major locations like the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, ICC Sydney, and Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.
- Height and rigging: Clarify restrictions on maximum stand heights, hanging signage, and structural weight limits.
- Interstate transport: Ask how they manage freight, shipping schedules, and bump-in windows across different states.
- Modular design: Inquire if the display uses reconfigurable modular components so the same expo stand design fits different floor plans in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.
- Storage and maintenance: Check what secure warehousing options they provide to store and maintain components between interstate events.
- Detailed pricing: Request a transparent cost breakdown covering design, fabrication, transport, installation, dismantling and storage.
- Sustainable materials: Discuss eco-friendly options, such as reusable frames and low-impact printing.
ProEx Displays: Brief Well, Build Better
A strong exhibition stand comes down to the quality of the brief. Know your goals, audience and budget, ask the right questions about timelines and build capability, and check the venue rules before design begins. Do that, and your builder can put their energy into a stand that works on the floor instead of fixing problems on install day.
If you’re currently in need of custom trade show booths or exhibition display services in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, ProEx Displays can help you work through these questions from the first conversation. You can also check out our portfolio of recent projects right here online.
Get in touch with the team to talk through your next event.