A lot of clients ask us how we go about designing an exhibition stand and how long we need to produce it? 

Well a year would be nice but in an ideal world you should be looking at a 3 – 4 months turn around time but this will be dependent on a number of factors. 

Firstly you would need to take into consideration is your own internal  approval times, do you need to get sign off from lots of people?

Secondly do you need to get your graphics signed off through your legal department and does the stand have to go through legal too? 

Legal sign off is usually a big stumbling block to timings, we have found from our experience especially on complex stands bringing in the legal department in early into the design schedule  that way they have an idea of what is going on from the start, or alternatively flag up the schedule to them in advance so they are aware of print deadline times so they can allocate time in their diary for your project in advance. 

Another sticking point to your perfect schedule is exhibition organisers approval, they will need to sign off your stand design by a certain date, depending on the size and complexity this may need additional approval and drawings , so see when this deadline is too and work back. 

All these extra times will need to be factored in to make sure you have an easy run in on your exhibition journey.

Example of Exhibition Stand Design By Bigprinting

Do not worry we can help you with all these deadlines and we will tailor  a timeline for you so you know when everything is needed.

Although not recommended when all is said and done we have turned jobs around from brief to completion and on site in under a month so talk to us even if all deadlines have passed. 

The Design Process is all about getting to know you and understanding what you need and want to achieve. We brake them down into 4 steps: 

1/ What is your Brief ? – Brand identity – what is your mission?  – YOU – Your Products

2/ Design and planning – concept and plans –

3/ Construction and Approval 

4/ delivery

Brief 

arrival of brief form client

………..

Brief Development  – 2 Weeks

brainstorm 

mood boards

concept sketches  / creative ideas

………….

3 Dimensional Design Concept – 2 weeks

design development planning 

3d designing and modeling 

presentation drawings

…………..

Concept Design approved

………..

Design development – 2 Weeks

CAD Visuals

 -revise planing and Visualisation

…………

Pre Production – 2 Weeks

Working Drawings 

RAMS

Graphic Art work

…………

Exhibition Production – 4 Weeks

workshop construction and PM

Graphic Production

 Pre Build

…………

On Site Exhibition Management and Build – Organisers /Show Dependent

Install and site supervision

Up Next – A Guide To Booking Your Exhibition Stand

So now you know about exhibition stand design. Well, next up, be sure to check out our Guide To Booking Your Exhibition Stand. It’s packed with useful information, and insider tips to help you maximise your success at your next exhibition.

When enquiring into an exhibition stand all organisers will try and sell you a stand by the square meterage but the size is not the most important thing, the position and orientation  is more critical. 

The Organisers will draw up an exhibition plan so make sure you get sent this before you book your stand, from this you will be able to see how many stands they are planing, what the configurations and features are, you will be able to identify potential sites for your stand. The plan will show the number and size of each stand and which are sold and which are still available . So ask for the specific sites you want when booking your space. 

Booking your stand early will give you better choice and some shows offer discount with early booking. The bigger and popular shows the organisers will take bookings for the show a year in advance even talking and taking bookings during the show build to secure the clients for the following year.

Best positions for stands

• Near main Entrance and Exit but not right on top of it as it will be too busy when the show opens and clients won’t be able to see your stand.
• Feature areas 
• Other Entrances in 
• Location of Sister / partner shows 
• Near Theatre areas – not right by the exist just far enough away for people to move freely
• Seating Areas 
• Hospitality areas 
• Trade organisation lounges 
• Main aisles or cross roads  that visitors use to get from one side of the hall to the other or from theatre areas.
• On aisles leading to meeting rooms
• Near industry leaders – attract large amounts of ‘traffic’ but be carefully you don’t get crowed out with people gaining access – so find a space close by or on route.
• Near competitors – can be a good thing giving visitors the opportunity to directly compare products

Types of stand

You will be sold your space by the square metre and these will be offered in two types of  space packages SHELL SCHEME and SPACE ONLY.

A shell scheme space will have a carpet and a basic wall structure from which you can sell and promote your products or services this will be to a standard height usually under 2.5m tall with a fascia board at the front displaying your company name. What you get with your package will depend on the organisers but will have various upgrade options to choose from. Note it will not usually have an electrical socket as standard and you will be limited to how you can fix any graphics or messages to the walling.

If budgets are tight we can still use these spaces to create you a great custom built stand or custom modular stand for you. The organiser upgrade option will be in most cases expensive and “standard elements” so talk to us before committing to any upgrades. Secure your site first don’t fill pressured to commit to the extras.

SPACE ONLY: As the name suggests is just the purchase of the space only or an area within the exhibition hall, this is where we would design and build something for you that fits the space. We can also design bespoke modular stands that can be used in other configurations and other shows.

Space only stands can normally be built to a height of 4m before planning permission is required.

Number of Open Sides

You will need to consider how many “open sides” you have on your stand. This means how many sides are open to the aisles and how many are closed off by walls joining neighbouring stands. When the stand is open on four sides it is referred to as an Island site.

How much space do I need?

When looking at the amount of space you will need to take in to consideration a number of things.

How much space is going to be taken up by your product?

Will you need a demo area or Private meeting area?

How much storage will I require?

How many Staff will be needed?

Hospitality or seating areas ?

Our stand designers will be able to advise you whether the space you have reserved will be sufficient for the activity planned and surest alternative ideas.

Exhibition Stand Design

While location is important, it goes without saying that you want your exhibition stand to make an excellent impression and draw visitors in. With that in mind will work with you as masters of exhibition stand design to develop the best long term plan for your trip into the world of exhibitions. Some items we suggest can be from stock, can be hired (even the walls) or can be purchased. The key here again is communication. Once we understand what and for how long you’re looking to exhibit for, we’ll suggest the best foot forward.

What a year 2020 has been – I don’t think anybody could have predicted this. It really has been one thing after another. As if dealing with the health of each others families wasn’t enough, striving to support our businesses has been part of the journey we’ve all been forced to face.

Despite Bigprinting offering design, printing, point of sale and signage to the retail and events industry, thankfully we’ve been blessed that most of our customers have been fine during this tough time. We’ve worked with them to forward plan point of sale and displays for 2021, and the results have been great – our ideas have mostly turned into orders and we’re quietly optimistic about our future.

This strange time has however given us time to reflect on what we offer, and how we can improve and expand our product portfolio. Like just about any other printing company out there, when Covid first struck we decided to offer a small range of safety signage, to help companies around the UK prepare for dealing with the virus. We’d always toyed with the idea of offering this kind of product, but knew that to service this industry properly, we needed to improve on the way it’s already being done. Covid has given us the chance to think about this, and really take steps to take the process of ordering safety signage forward.

The Directors at Bigprinting also own another business called Safety Apps – Risk Assessor – it’s a software company based online specialising in preparing, storing and viewing safety reports and the data produced from them. It’s been a success since it’s launch, even being commended in the National Safety Awards.

We’ve taken this year to use the expertise in both businesses , to create some software that will improve efficiency in ordering safety signage. It’s something that pretty much every business in the UK has to order in some form, and how is it done? Usually somebody will walk the site, with a pen and a pad, taking notes of what they need, then back to the desk to find it on Google and get ordering. We’re taking the hassle out of this, by using the successful model we used with Risk Assessor, and applying it to Safety Signage:

What is the Safety Signage App?

The Safety Signage app will be available to download for Free on Android or iOS. It allows you to take photographs of your site or building and simply drag and drop the signage you need over the top. You simply choose the size you need and select the required material and order at the click of a button. You might not be ready to order straight away, so you can save your quote for later or add other areas to it.

What’s the benefit of using the Safety Signage App?

The main benefit of the app is it’s simplicity – you can now order the signage while you’re still at the site – no need for the return trip to your computer where you need to make sense of all your notes. You can order immediately and also save an install plan showing where each sign should go, with a grid reference. Not only that, but you can design your own safety signs on the app, with your own logo.

These can even be saved for future use, and shared with others.

What types of safety signage are available?

We’ve added a number of different categories to cater for as many safety signage requirements as possible. These categories include:

Access Prohibition
Construction
Dangerous Substances
Disability Discrimination ACt
Emergency Exit
Fire Action
Fire equipment
First Aid
Floor Signage
Floor Stickers
Food Hygiene
General Prohibition
Mandatory Machinery General
Mandatory PPE
Mandatory Protective Clothing
Multi-Purpose
Traffic-Signs
Temporary Stanchion Signs

Not only that, but you can create your own custom safety signage using our safety signage builder.

When’s the Safety Signage App available?

We’re working hard to launch the Safety Signage App in early 2021 – watch this space…….