Almost every company that exhibits more than twice a year ends up with the same dilemma. Build a new stand for every fair, or invest in a modular system that can go up again and again. Both answers can be right. The wrong move is deciding on the first quote alone.
Here is how we explain the difference to clients, and when we would recommend each.
What we mean by modular and custom
A modular stand is built from a system: aluminium frames, fabric or panel infills, standard counters and shelves. The parts are made to be taken apart, packed and rebuilt in a different shape. A 3×3 m booth can grow into a 6×6 m corner with more of the same parts.
A custom stand is designed and built for one space and one event, usually in timber, MDF, metal and paint, with most of the joinery made in the workshop. It can take any shape the organiser allows. Most of it is not meant to travel.
Between the two sits a hybrid: a modular frame for walls and structure, with custom pieces such as a reception counter, a feature wall or a product display. A lot of our work lands here.
Where modular stands work well
- You exhibit several times a year, in similar stand sizes.
- Your fairs are abroad, and shipping a light, packed system is easier than building locally each time.
- Your message and branding will stay the same for a couple of years.
- You need to set up quickly, or with a small crew.
The first outlay is usually higher than a single custom stand of the same size, because you are buying the system. The saving comes with the second, third and fourth use. If you will only use it once or twice, the sums rarely work.
A modular stand also needs a home between fairs. Storage, checking the parts after each show and replacing damaged fabric graphics are all part of the real cost.
Where custom stands earn their cost
Custom building makes sense when the stand itself has to say something about the company. Large islands, two-storey stands and stands for a major launch are nearly always custom. The Wadi Steel two-storey corner stand at METAFO and the TTI island in Tehran could not have been done with a standard system.
Custom also wins when your fairs are all different: 40 m² inline in one city, a 150 m² island in another. A modular kit bought for the smaller space will look thin in the bigger one.
The downside is that most of the stand is thrown away or heavily reworked after the show. We try to reduce that by designing parts that can be reused, such as counters, display units and lighting, but the walls rarely make it to a second fair.
The questions we ask before recommending one
- How many fairs will you do in the next two years, and in which cities?
- Will the stand sizes be similar or very different?
- Who will store the stand, and who will set it up abroad?
- How much will your products and branding change in that time?
- Is there a fair where the stand itself has to be the headline, such as a launch?
If most answers point to “similar and frequent”, modular or hybrid is likely the better deal. If they point to “few, large and different”, custom usually works out cheaper over the whole period than it first looks.
A few practical notes
Modular does not have to look cheap. Good fabric printing, proper lighting and one or two custom elements make a big difference. The stands that look like a kit usually have weak lighting and too many small messages.
Renting a modular system is also an option in many cities. It lowers the risk in the first year and lets you find out which layout suits you before you buy anything.
Whichever route you take, check the rules on materials and fire safety in the fair’s technical manual. At Dubai World Trade Centre shows, space-only stands submit drawings to the organiser for approval before build-up, modular or not, so put that step in your timeline.
If you are planning next year’s fairs, send us the list and the stand sizes and we will tell you plainly whether a modular system would pay back for you. You can look at our past stands, the upcoming fair calendar and our services.