Stands at Fira de Barcelona: a guide for exhibitors

To build a stand at Fira de Barcelona, whether at Montjuïc or Gran Via, the key is to learn the organiser's and the venue's rules early, fit the stand into the build-up and breakdown schedule, submit drawings and apply for passes on time, and plan the logistics properly. The same applies to any large exhibition venue.

In this guide we explain what to check and in what order. It does not replace the exhibitor manual: every show publishes its own rules, and those are the ones that apply. If it is your first show, use this guide alongside our checklist for preparing your stand.

Fira de Barcelona has two venues: Montjuïc, next to Plaça d'Espanya in the city centre, and Gran Via, in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat. Each event is held at one of them (or both), which affects access, loading and unloading, and how your team gets there.

The first step is to confirm which venue and hall your stand will be in. Ask for the hall plan and look at what is around you: goods entrances, main aisles and nearby fixed features such as columns, emergency exits or electrical panels. All of this affects the design and the build-up.

At a large show there are two levels of rules:

• The venue's rules, common to everything built there: safety, evacuation, use of the facilities and access.
• The event organiser's rules, which each show sets out in its exhibitor manual: maximum heights, conditions for suspended elements or double-deck stands, finishing of walls facing neighbours, deadlines and forms.

We cannot give you a definitive list of rules, because they change from one show to another and from one edition to the next. What we always recommend: download the exhibitor manual as soon as your participation is confirmed and pass it to your stand contractor. If anything is unclear, ask the show's technical team before designing, not on build-up day.

Topics that usually appear in these manuals and are worth reading carefully:

• Maximum height and set-backs from the edges of the space.
• Permitted materials and their fire performance.
• Elements suspended from the hall ceiling.
• Electrical installation and who may connect it.
• Services that can only be booked through the organiser.

At many events the stand design has to be submitted for the organiser to review before build-up, especially if it is bespoke, has tall or suspended elements, or a double deck. The manual states which documents are required; usually a floor plan and dimensioned elevations.

• Always work from the official plan of the space, using the dimensions given by the organiser.
• Check where the power point is before finalising the stand layout.
• Bear your neighbours in mind: check what the manual says about shared walls and how they must be finished.
• Meet the design submission deadlines. If you are late, build-up gets complicated.

For the design decisions themselves, see our guide on how to design a trade show stand.

Each show sets build-up and breakdown days and times. At large venues, with many companies working at once, these windows are strictly enforced. That affects the design: a stand with a lot of joinery, heavy machinery or large suspended elements needs more build time, and you have to make sure it fits into the time available.

• Ask for the build-up and breakdown schedule with exact times.
• Ask whether there are different slots depending on stand size or type of build.
• Allow time for your products: placing machinery, screens or displays once the structure is up.
• Plan the breakdown too: there is a deadline to clear the space, and your materials need to leave on time.

One example: on the Timedi and JVM stand of more than 50 m² for a pharmaceutical trade show in Barcelona, the build-up included installing real pharmacy dispensing machinery in working order. With pieces like that, coordinating structure, machinery and schedules is part of the project from the very first drawing.

Nobody gets into the venue without a pass, not even during build-up.

• Exhibitors: your team needs passes for the show days.
• Contractors: the company building your stand applies for its staff's passes following the show's procedure.
• Vehicles: loading and unloading is usually controlled with permits and access slots.

Apply in good time and have the details ready: names, company and number plates, if requested. Every minute lost at an access point is build time you will not get back.

• Transport: decide whether the stand and your materials arrive together or separately, and who receives each delivery. Label every package with company, hall and stand number.
• Loading and unloading: confirm the access points assigned to you and whether you need lifting equipment for heavy pieces.
• Utilities: electricity, water or internet are usually booked through the organiser's channels by a deadline. Work out the power you need (lighting, screens, machinery) before ordering it.
• Storage: plan where boxes and stock will go inside the stand.
• Cleaning and waste: check which services the show offers and what you have to handle yourself.

Working with a nearby contractor helps: we manufacture in Barcelona, so any adjustment or replacement part is close at hand. And if your next show is in another city, we install all over Spain.

Two examples of stands we have designed, produced and installed for trade shows in Barcelona:

• Timedi / JVM. A stand of more than 50 m² for a pharmaceutical trade show, with a double-height structure, large-format 3D letters, an entrance arch, a demonstration area with real machinery and a meeting area.
• Cava Pharma. A premium stand of more than 30 m² for an international pharmaceutical trade show, with a closed structure in matt black, blue LED lighting, large-format backlit screens, a branded counter and a lounge area for meetings.

You can see more of our work on our trade show stands page.

At Unical Graphic we have been designing, building and installing stands since 1994. We go through the exhibitor manual with you, prepare the stand design and coordinate production, transport, build-up and breakdown within the show's schedule.

To get an idea of the budget, see how much a trade show stand costs. And once you have your space, request a quote or call us on +34 937 50 23 04.