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A good exhibition stand checklist is really a calendar. The kit itself is short: a back wall, a banner or two at the front, something to stand behind and something to hand out. What catches people out is that fabric walls and counters take far longer to make than flyers, so the order you buy things in matters more than the list. Start three working weeks out for the big items and you will not be paying for Express in a panic.
First, get five answers from the organiser #
Nothing on the list can be chosen until you know the space. Dig out the exhibitor manual, or email the organiser, and note down:
- Shell scheme or space only? Shell scheme means walls are provided; space only means bare floor. Get the width, depth and wall height.
- Height cap. Many halls limit how tall a display can be.
- What can be fixed to walls. Some shell schemes allow hook-and-loop tape or hooks, some allow nothing.
- Material rules. Some venues want fire ratings on stand materials. If the manual asks for a certificate, talk to us before ordering so we can confirm what is available for that item.
- Where deliveries go. Your office or straight to the venue? If the venue, check it will accept a courier parcel before build-up day.
The timeline, slowest item first #
The clock only starts when we have both the order and the final artwork, and it ticks on weekdays only, with bank holidays skipped. Allow 1 to 3 working days for the courier on top. Here is the Standard turnaround for each item, with Express in brackets:
| Item | Standard (Express) working days to dispatch | Order it |
|---|---|---|
| Straight stretch fabric display wall | 8 (6) | About three working weeks out |
| Promotional counter | 8 (6) | About three working weeks out |
| Printed tablecloth or table runner | 7 (5) | Same order as the wall |
| Fabric pop-up display stand | 6 (5) | Two to three working weeks out |
| Roller banners | 4 (2) | Up to about ten working days out |
| Backdrop banner | 3 (1) | Up to about a week out |
| Flyers and business cards | 3 (2) | Last, once offers are final |
A worked example
Picture a Thursday show. You want a fabric wall, two roller banners, a counter, flyers and cards, all on Standard. The wall and counter need 8 working days, plus up to 3 for the courier, plus a day or two of slack: that puts artwork sign-off around three working weeks before the doors open. You could order the roller banners later, but putting everything through at once gives you one delivery and one less thing to remember. Hold back only the flyers and cards if a price or offer is still being argued about. If you do end up late, Express trims most items: backdrops drop to 1 working day to dispatch and roller banners to 2.
Your exhibition stand checklist, zone by zone #
Think of a stand as three zones: the wall people see from the aisle, the front edge that pulls them in, and the spot where you actually talk.
The back wall
This carries your name and one line on what you do, big enough to read from across the aisle. Three routes:
- Trade show backdrop: a printed banner in 440gsm PVC with hems and eyelets, or 400gsm PVC-free. Sizes run from 6 ft 7 in × 6 ft 7 in (2000 × 2000 mm) to 13 ft 1 in × 8 ft 2 in (4000 × 2500 mm), or custom up to 6 m wide. The quickest option, but it needs a frame or wall to hang from.
- Fabric pop-up display stand: arrives with its frame and stands as a curved wall. Go 3×3 for a shell scheme of about 3 m; go 3×4 when the stand is wider. That curve bulges into the stand, so measure the depth before you commit.
- Straight stretch fabric display wall: dead flat, in widths from 2.5 m up to 6 m, with a print on one face or both. Curved and wave shapes exist as well. Already own a frame that matches? Order just the graphic. A fabric graphic folds into a small bag without the creases vinyl picks up, so it suits a stand that goes to several shows.
The 10 ft × 8 ft (3048 × 2438 mm) and 4000 × 2500 mm backdrops are over 3 m on one side, so they add the £15 oversize charge once per order.
The front edge
Roller banners are all 2000 mm tall; the width is your choice of 800, 850, 1000, 1200 or 1500 mm, and the cartridge comes as Budget, Standard Plus or Premium. The graphic is 440gsm banner vinyl as standard. Parked with a window or spotlight behind it, vinyl can glow and show the base through, so pick 610gsm blockout PVC there. A pair, one on each front corner, frames an open stand. The lower third usually vanishes behind tables and legs, so put the words that matter high up; roller banner design covers the layout.
Where you talk
An oval promotional counter (rectangle and triangle shapes exist too) gives you a surface for a laptop or samples and puts your logo at table height. It comes as graphic and frame, or graphic only to refresh an old wrap. If the venue hands you a table, a printed tablecloth in Small, Medium or Large brands it and hides the boxes underneath; measure the table first so the front drops to the floor. A printed table runner, 600 × 2200 mm or 800 × 2200 mm, is the lighter option when there is already a plain cloth.
Handouts people will actually carry #
Visitors walk miles round a hall. They will pocket a card and a flyer; a heavy brochure often gets left on the next stand. One A5 flyer on 170gsm or 250gsm silk, with a single offer and your contact details, pulls its weight. Business cards at 85 × 55 mm on 350gsm or 450gsm silk go to anyone who wants a follow-up; bring more than feels sensible. Not sure whether a folded piece is worth it? See the difference between flyers and leaflets.
Delivery and artwork #
UK mainland delivery is £7.95 per order, free once the order reaches £100 after discounts (artwork fees excluded). Upload print-ready files and a person checks each one for free, or build simpler items in the online designer. If you would rather someone else did the layout, the paid artwork service includes 1 design and 2 rounds of changes; build a few extra days in for that.
The night-before part of the exhibition stand checklist #
- A trial build: put every graphic up on its frame and base once, before it leaves the building.
- Ties, scissors, a few basic tools and hook-and-loop tape if the venue permits it.
- Chargers and an extension lead, assuming your stand has a socket.
- A stack of flyers and cards, plus a notebook or tablet for collecting names.
- Stand number, the manual and a phone number for the organiser.
The HSE event safety pages explain what organisers are responsible for; your stand-specific rules come from the manual, so treat that as final. Want help turning this exhibition stand checklist into an order? Send the stand size and show date through get a quote and we will go through your exhibition stand checklist with you.