Customised exhibition stand for multiple use?

Update: 27.10.2022

If you want to visit several trade fairs a year, you often fall back on exhibition stands with a plug-in system. Unfortunately, customised stands are often neglected because the budget does not allow a new stand to be produced for every trade fair visit. However, it is also possible to plan customised exhibition stands in such a way that they can be used several times. With a few tricks during trade fair planning, the systems can be adapted to different stand areas. This saves the trade fair budget on production costs, makes planning easier and you still achieve a high design standard. Although the lower costs of a plug-in system stand cannot be achieved with this planning, you can save on investment by reusing elements and stand out from the masses of system stands at a trade fair.

Requirements for a reusable exhibition stand

This solution will be of interest to you if you are faced with the following situation:

• You would like to visit trade fairs or congresses several times a year with similarly sized stands 

• The concept of your stand should remain similar or the same over a longer period of time 

• Your graphics do not change with every trade fair appearance (e.g. products on a wall)

• It is good to know whether the trade fairs you want to visit take your desired stand dimensions into consideration

The following image shows an example of the trade fair concept described:

The solution here: The stand can be used as a row, head and corner stand. The exhibition walls can be exchanged, omitted and repositioned. This gives the exhibitor more options for customising a stand area and thus using the stand several times. By using textile exhibition graphics, these can be stored or replaced at low cost. The individual parts of the wooden structure can be exchanged and can also be partially omitted, which also allows for different construction heights.

Another option is to use high-quality individual elements that are supported by convertible elements. The tower in the following pictures is used as a trade fair booth and can be adjusted in height. It can be used at any position on the exhibition stand, which means it fits on a wide variety of stand surfaces. An eye-catcher was created that rapidly increases the design quality and value of the stand.

Of course, these are not the only options for realising multi-purpose exhibition stands. If you are interested in appearing with more than one system stand but do not want to develop a new stand concept for every trade fair, this is an effective way of planning.

An important tip for trade fair planning:

A large number of wall sections allows for a wide range of options, but does not look as elegant as a continuous large wall. Although such a division is practical, it is also reminiscent of a system stand. If these individual walls then have too many different graphics, the overall picture loses its calm and expressiveness. One of the golden rules of design: ‘Keep it short and simple’ is a good guide here.

Disadvantages compared to one-off customised exhibition stands

You should bear in mind that, unlike one-off exhibition stands, you will incur storage costs for the materials and exhibition furniture that you wish to reuse. This disadvantage can be minimised somewhat by using rental furniture and textile graphics. Rental furniture is not stored at your expense and textile graphics for exhibition walls save space in storage. You can find a helpful article about hiring furniture for exhibition stands here: Buying vs renting exhibition furniture. Of course, reusing stand components also requires that you have a consistent stand concept. Changes to the stand statement are difficult and involve new productions. This reduces the possibilities of changing your design as it ties you to existing elements. Finally, you should also bear in mind that signs of wear and tear cannot be avoided, especially due to the constant assembly and dismantling. You should also expect some parts to be replaced after a long period of use.

Disadvantages compared to system stands

Probably the biggest disadvantage compared to plug-in system stands is the higher cost. The use of higher quality materials, such as the wooden constructions in the two examples above, naturally affects the trade fair budget during production. Assembly and transport as well as preparation during trade fair planning are also somewhat more complex, which leads to higher costs.

The advantages of this stand design

The advantages are similar to those of the system stands. The investment costs are greatly reduced from the second construction onwards, as you can fall back on parts that have already been produced. This allows you to invest more of your budget in possible elaborations and additions. The extended elements then of course give you even more options. The consistent design of such an exhibition stand increases the recognition value of your company at trade fairs and you will be more easily recognized by your customers. It is possible to achieve a much higher design quality than with regular plug-in systems. As in the examples above, you can create eye-catchers with high-quality wooden elements and impress with a higher quality appearance. By individualizing your stand, you stand out from the crowd and are more easily remembered by your potential customers. A very pleasant extra is that it makes it easier to plan a trade fair visit. You no longer have to plan from scratch, but already have a basis on which to build. This gives you more time for detailed planning and reduces time pressure. Sustainability is also a major issue these days. The resource-conserving use of materials should be a common goal for all of us. Reuse is a great asset here and ultimately also protects our environment.

Advantages and disadvantages of individual exhibition stands

Disadvantages:

• Higher costs than with plug-in systems

• Additional costs for storing the material

• Fewer design options

• Unavoidable signs of wear with prolonged use

Advantages:

• Reduction of investment costs through reuse

• Recognizability due to similar appearance

• Significantly higher design quality than with plug-in systems

• Easier planning for trade fair visits

• Improved sustainability through reuse of the material

• Expanding and extending opens up a wide range of possibilities

Conclusion on whether individual stand components can be used multiple times

Consider whether your future plans for trade fair visits meet the requirements and whether it makes sense to start with this concept. Ask your stand builder for advice on which construction methods would be effective and whether such a principle could be profitable for you.