Choosing to exhibit your products or services at an event is an exciting prospect, but one which will require both an investment of time and money. That’s why it pays to do your research, especially when it comes to the layout of your exhibition stand. The aim of the game is to maximise your brand’s awareness, and ultimately the sales that your attendance will generate. 

After all, while you prepare your team with plenty of sales talk and product information, the star of the show is always going to be the exhibition stand itself. When done correctly, your exhibition will have the masses flocking towards you with great intrigue. 

As exhibition planners, designers and installers, there are many different layout options we can provide for our clients; from the tried and trusted methods to something entirely bespoke. The goal is to ensure the finished design proudly showcases your brand in a way that also connects with your audience. 

Here’s just a snapshot of what you need to consider to ensure your next exhibition attendance will be a success. 

Understanding The Exhibition Environment 

Before you can plan the finer details of your exhibition stand, it’s worth taking things back to basics in terms of the environment your exhibition will be placed in. 

Our very own Andy’s top tips:

• Write a great brief, and use it/measure it after the event. ROI is an actual thing.

• F2F should be enjoyable. For visitors and exhibitors. Include interaction within the brief.

• Set a meaningful budget and share it with those pitching.

• Train your teams properly – and choose the right team for the stand, it’s not always the case that salespeople are the best option
• Think like a visitor. Create a space that they will want to feel. They are the most important component of an event.

Exhibitions are designed to be immersive experiences. If you’ve ever visited an exhibition before, then think about the key components that made you want to gravitate towards certain stands once you arrived at the event. Specifically, this relates to an upbeat atmosphere, the availability of industry professionals, along with product showcasing, with a real focus on the target demographic.

Let’s take Professional Beauty as an example, which is just one of the many fantastic industry specific exhibitions we have in the UK. People purchase a ticket to this show because they are interested in beauty products, and it’s a rare opportunity for brands to network with industry professionals while demonstrating their products in front of thousands of customers. This same successful format can be repeated in every trade show or exhibition, regardless of the industry you operate within. 

So whether your business sells tanning products or tractors - your audience should be captivated by what you have to offer through the way your exhibition stand has been conceptualised. 

By putting your exhibition audience at the forefront of every design and planning decision, this aim has a greater chance of being achieved. 

What Makes A Good Exhibition Stand? 

An exhibition stand that meets the objectives of the exhibitor is what every business strives for. 

Usually, these objectives include building brand awareness, facilitating new business, networking with like minded individuals and ultimately achieving a healthy ROI on the cost of attending the event. 

Meeting those objectives is going to rely on creating a stand that caters to what the audience is going to be most receptive to. 

The layout is an integral part of the visuals, seen as it needs to get your business noticed from afar. The exact components within the layout itself can also be customised to feature certain aspects such as graphics, tv screens, product displays, meeting areas and much more. 

Maxine, part of our team here at HumanBuilt, has managed events for Aerospace, Beauty, Telecommunications and Manufacturing businesses. So we asked her to share her thoughts on how your stand layout can help you meet your objectives:

Keep things ‘open and inviting’, specifically thinking about your audience and how they prefer to interact.

Which means you shouldn’t go for the staples of run-of-the-mill exhibition stands just for the sake of it. For example, reception desks are often seen as an event must-have, but depending on the event, they can sometimes act as more of a barrier than an invitation. They take up a lot of stand space and can cause a bottleneck in communications. Having a more open and inviting space can offer a more engaging and welcoming environment for some audience types.

Ultimately, what makes a successful exhibition stand is something that factors in the above that has people stopping in their tracks. Once they do so, the intended purpose such as purchasing a product or signing up for your services should be fully achievable within the exhibition stand layout that has been created. 

Exhibition Stand Layout Examples

Andy, who’s our Sales Director here at Human Built, has seen the good, the bad and the ugly in his 20+ years working in exhibitions & events. Here are a few of  his top tips:

To create a truly great stand layout, ask yourself the following questions:

• Does the ratio of open to occupied space work?  Is it balanced, will it be too congested when busy? Is there enough volume to impress?
• How will your stand look and feel?  What emotions will the stand layout create – intrigue? Shock? Awe?
• What are the real dwell points – coffee?  Product displays?  Interactive elements? 

Exhibition stands vary dramatically in terms of layout, based on factors such as the venue restrictions, exhibition type as well as your budget. 

The main consideration needs to be the type of actions you want to facilitate. As an example, a car manufacturer would want to be able to demonstrate their vehicles and have plenty of room for negotiations with clients. Therefore; a custom built solution would be ideal. 

However, for basic brand introductions or any stand that does not require excess furniture, shell schemes or Made Ready stands make for a suitable option. There’s still plenty of opportunity to add brand personality within more compact layout types, but the flexibility to move around or add components is less. 

Deciding on the most appropriate layout comes down to identifying the actions that the exhibition stand must perform. 

Made Ready Exhibition Stands

If you have booked a space only plot at your exhibition, then you’ll be required to fill this space yourself. Made Ready exhibition stands are a perfect solution, and offer more flexibility to get creative with your stand design. 

Layout wise, Made Ready stands can take various forms. This enables exhibitors to highlight aspects of the business that will most attract visitors making their way around the event. 

Custom Built Exhibition Stands

Custom built exhibition stands (also known as bespoke exhibition stands) rip up the rule book. Offering the highest level of flexibility in terms of design, features and aesthetics, custom built exhibition stands can be made to incorporate practically any layout type. 

Shell Scheme Exhibition Stands

A shell scheme is a pre-built modular booth that is provided by the show organiser. A basic shell scheme package by an exhibition designer such as ourselves here at Human Built, usually includes the shell walls, facias, single lighting, carpet and a power socket. 

One advantage of shell scheme exhibition stands is that they usually have two open walls, with the other two walls containing your branding or printed imagery. Therefore, the stand can be positioned strategically to ensure an eye catching angle depending on the setup of the venue. 

Our Exhibition Stand Designers share some common ‘fails’ when it comes to exhibition stands

Andy says:

• While it’s tempting to add text to your feature walls, keep it brief. That’ll make sure you have enough space to make the text eye-catching, and not so small you can’t read it!
• Lack of contrast, scale-change, and brand empathy.
• Forming a palisade around the stand perimeter - making the entire space scream ‘don’t come in!’.
• Lighting is important and plays an important part in the psychology of attracting visitors, simply by making the wrong choice for the wrong surface, not having enough light, or creating dodgy shadows.

Maxine says :

• Avoid overcrowded stands, graphics and design layouts that create bottlenecks and poor customer flow. Your objective at an exhibition is to speak to people - make sure the design of your stand invites that.

Exhibition Stand Layout Design

Once the layout type has been selected, the finer design elements need to be chosen. This includes aspects such as colour schemes, graphics, lighting, furniture, flooring, product displays and technology integration. 

Depending on the layout of the stand, physical elements such as furniture and product displays will need to be factored into the available space. That’s why, if exhibitors have any specific requests for particular items such as a table and chairs to do business, then the layout needs to match the type of interactions that will take place. 

Beyond the physical components are the creative elements, where graphic designers can go to town on translating your business into a 3D model. The layout will influence the type of graphics that are used, along with their placement. 

As an example, shell scheme exhibition stands require large wall banners to make up the closed wall sections. The graphics also need to be visible not only from afar, but up close without being obscured. 

Exhibition Stand FAQ

How much do exhibition stands cost?

• Ah, the big question! Honestly, it depends on a huge range of factors, such as whether you’re looking for a bespoke or modular design, and the levels of intricacy you’re looking for from an exhibition stand. Speak to a member of our team and they’ll work with you to understand what you need, and how much to budget for.

How far in advance do I need to order my exhibition stand?

• When working on modular exhibition stands, ideally your planning process should begin around 6 months before the exhibition, allowing 2 months for your stand and associated graphics to be manufactured.
• Whereas custom builds are much more complex and often require bespoke manufacture, therefore we recommend you contact us at least 4 months prior to opening day.

Do you design and build exhibition stands? 

• In a word, yes! We can work with you to create custom and modular exhibition stands that perfectly meet your brief, thanks to our team of experienced exhibition experts being on hand every step of the way.

Exhibition Venue Considerations

• Accessibility
• Covid secure design
• Event type
• Exhibitor objectives
• Length of exhibition
• Number of employees
• Plot size
• Required functions
• Sustainability 
• Venue type

Popular Exhibitions & Trade Show Venues UK

• ACC Liverpool
• Alexandra Palace
• Business Design Centre
• EventCity Manchester
• ExCel London
• Manchester Central
• NAEC Stoneleigh Park 
• National Exhibition Centre (Birmingham NEC)
• Olympia London
• Ricoh Arena
• Telford International 

Exhibition Stands UK

Are you ready to have a winning stand built for your exhibition or event? Human Built is an exhibition agency offering a full range of services covering every aspect of your exhibition. 

We’re based in Birmingham, and we offer our services across the UK and beyond. So wherever you’re exhibiting and whatever you have in mind, let us show you what we can do. 

Email us or give us a call on 07760 172326 for further information, and our friendly team will be in touch. You can also check us out on Facebook or Instagram where you can also view our work on display.