Almost every client asks the same thing on the first call: “How much for a 40 m² stand?” The honest answer is that floor space alone doesn’t tell you much. Two stands of the same size in the same hall can differ in price several times over. Here is where the money actually goes, so that when you compare quotes you know what you’re comparing.
Size and stand type
Square metres matter, but the type of stand matters just as much. An inline stand has one open side and three walls to work with. An island is open on all four sides, so every face has to be designed and built, and there are no ready-made walls to hang graphics on. That’s why a 100 m² island usually costs a lot more than two 50 m² inline stands.
Height adds up quickly too: taller structures mean more material, a stronger frame and a longer build day. A second floor, like the VIP level on the 110 m² stand we built for Wadi Steel at METAFO, brings structural calculations and organiser approval into the picture.
Custom or modular
A custom stand is built for one show, and much of it can’t be used again. A modular stand is made of parts you can put together again, in other sizes. It isn’t cheap the first time, but if you exhibit three or four times a year, from the second show on you are mostly paying for graphics, transport and installation.
We often suggest something in between: a modular frame and walls, plus one or two custom pieces, such as a logo wall or a counter, that change from show to show.
Materials and finish
This is where most of the difference between two quotes hides, and it’s rarely written down properly. Flooring can be plain carpet or a raised platform with wood finish. Walls can be painted board, timber slats, composite or glass. Lighting can be a few spotlights or linear lights, lightboxes and a lit ceiling. Furniture can be hired or made. A TV on the wall and a large LED wall are not in the same price range.
Ask every stand builder to list the main materials in the quote. When two prices are far apart, the reason is almost always in those lines.
Graphics and print
Fabric prints in lightboxes, vinyl on walls and raised metal letters all cost different amounts. If artwork files aren’t ready or aren’t print quality, design time gets added too. The sooner you send logos and product photos, the cheaper and cleaner the result.
Transport, build-up and the venue
The same stand costs something different in Tehran, Kish and Istanbul. For Kish everything has to be finished earlier and shipped to the island. Outside Iran you add international freight, customs and the crew’s travel. Short build-up windows also push the price up, because you need more people for fewer hours.
Time
People rarely count time as a cost, but it is one. When a design is approved two weeks before the fair, the workshop works nights, buys materials wherever it can and pays for rush printing. The same stand approved four to six weeks earlier is usually cheaper and better made. Every fair in our exhibition calendar has a suggested schedule showing when the design should be signed off.
What to send for a real quote
The name of the fair and the venue, your stand size and how many sides are open, how many products you need to show, whether you need a meeting room, a couple of photos of stands you like, and a budget range. Sharing the budget helps you more than us: we design something that fits it from the start, instead of cutting half of it later. You can see some of the stands we’ve built in our portfolio.