Small budget exhibition stand: where the money should go

A small budget exhibition stand works when the money goes on what a visitor sees from the aisle: one clear message, good light and an open front. Settle those first, buy the structure that carries them, and cut whatever only you will notice.

Your number was fixed in the autumn. It is one line in a spreadsheet, and the first quote you receive is above it. The usual next step is to cut every line evenly, and the small lines go first: the lighting and the graphics, which are the ones a visitor can see from across the hall. The space is already paid for, so a stand that stops nobody wastes the rest of your show budget too.

What a small exhibition stand budget has to cover

Start with the whole show. The space, the venue's electrics and rigging, passes, travel, staff and follow-up are all paid on top of the stand, and a quote that looks unusually low has often left some of them out. Take those off first. What is left is your stand budget.

Then hold some of it back. A change after sign-off costs more than the same change at concept stage, and power ordered late is charged at the late rate. The exhibition stand design cost guide sets out which lines usually sit inside a stand price and which are billed separately, so you know what to ask each bidder to confirm.

Where the money goes first

Spend in this order, and cut from the bottom when the quote comes in high.

One message. A stand that says one thing is easier to read from the aisle than one that says four. Write the sentence before you brief anyone, then judge each line of the quote by whether it helps a visitor read it.
Light. Light on the graphic and on the product usually costs less than extra structure, and it is what makes a plain stand look finished.
An open front. Leave the opening clear. A counter across it turns the stand into a shop window. Set it to one side and visitors can step in.
What you already own. Banners, display units, furniture and the product itself can go into the design if the designer knows about them at the start. Send a list with the brief.
Reuse, if you will exhibit again. Spend on parts that come apart and go back together, with graphics you can change. For a single show, do not pay for a structure you cannot use twice.

What to leave out

Curves, angles and hanging pieces. Each one adds making and installing time, and a flat front with one strong graphic costs less to build.
A second level, or anything that needs an engineer's sign-off. Anything above a single storey usually needs more proof that it is safe.
Furniture and screens you can hire for the days of the show. Quotes often price them as hire lines, and a hired chair goes back when the show ends.
A second round of design after sign-off. Changes cost more the later they come.

Four routes, from least commitment to most

Route	What you spend on	What it limits
A shell scheme, dressed	Graphics and furniture added to the organiser's package	The shape and the structure
A shell scheme upgrade	Lighting, flooring, graphics and furniture designed together	The footprint and the organiser's rules
A modular system, hired or owned	Graphics and layout	The shape, within the system's parts
A custom-built stand	Design, structure and graphics	Little beyond the budget and the organiser's rules

Each step down the list buys more control, and usually costs more to start. For the last two, read custom vs modular exhibition stand before you commit.

Briefing a designer on a fixed figure

Give the stand budget at the start and say what sits outside it. Then ask each designer two things: what it buys, and what they would drop first. Ask for the exclusions in writing beside the price. A designer who cannot say what they would drop has not worked to your number.

A one-page brief covers:

The show, the dates and where your space sits on the hall plan.
The size of the space and how many people will staff it.
The one thing a visitor should do or remember.
The stand budget, and what sits outside it.
What you already own and want to keep using.
Whether the stand has to travel to another show.

Stillroom designs and builds stands to a figure you set. Tell the Stand Room the budget you have and it proposes the smallest changes to scope that bring the stand to it, then shows them on the scale drawing. What comes back is a lower specification for the money, not the same stand for less. Or send the show, the size of your space and your figure to info@stillroomcreative.com.

Then your small stand says one thing, clearly, to everyone who passes it.

FAQ

How do I work out a stand budget for a small show?

Add up the space, the venue's electrics and rigging, passes, travel, staff and follow-up first. What is left of your total is the stand budget. Hold part of it back for changes.

Is a shell scheme cheaper than a custom-built stand?

Often it has the lower starting cost, because the organiser supplies walls, a name board, lighting and power, and you dress the package with graphics and furniture. The trade is control: the shape and the structure are fixed.

Can a small exhibition stand still look professional?

Yes. One clear message, light on the graphic and the product, a clear front and nothing on the floor that does not need to be there.

Which costs are easiest to forget when budgeting for a stand?

Electrics and rigging billed by the venue, flooring, hired furniture and screens, storage between shows, shipping, dismantle and any change made after sign-off. Where a quote says nothing about a line, it has not included it, so ask for each blank to be filled in.

Is it cheaper to hire a stand or to buy one?

For one show, hiring a modular system usually costs less. If you will exhibit again, set the hire charge multiplied by the number of shows against the purchase price plus storage, transport and refurbishment. The guide to custom vs modular exhibition stands walks through the sum.

What if every quote is above my budget?

Say so, and ask each designer what they would remove first. The Stand Room will also propose the smallest changes to scope that reach your figure.

Does a smaller space always mean a cheaper stand?

The total is usually lower, because less is made and installed, but the price per square metre rises as a stand shrinks. A small space in a good position can work harder than a larger one in a poor position, so look at the hall plan before you pay for size.

How long before the show should the budget be fixed?

Before design starts. A change after sign-off costs more than the same change at concept stage, and the organiser's deadline for stand plans comes weeks before build-up. Ask each designer for the date after which changes are charged.

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