How much does a trade show stand cost?

A trade show stand costs from €1,200 for a modular stand. Beyond that, the price depends on the size, the materials, the structure (modular or bespoke joinery), the graphics, the lighting and the furniture. There is no price per square metre that works for everything: two stands of the same size can have very different quotes.

In this guide we explain which items move the price, where you can save without it showing and how to request quotes you can genuinely compare. If you are not yet sure which kind of stand you need, start with our guide to types of trade show stands.

Size is the first thing that moves the price, but not the only one. How many sides are open to the aisle matters too:

• Inline stand (one open side): it has a back wall and side walls, and only one front to dress.
• Corner stand (two open sides): more visibility, and more surface to finish.
• Peninsula or island stand (three or four open sides): it is seen from every angle, so everything has to be finished, including what would stay hidden on another stand.

Height counts as well. Headers, totems or structures hung from the hall ceiling add visibility and add cost. Each venue also has its own height limits and rules for suspended elements, so it is worth confirming them before you design.

This is the decision that changes the budget the most.

Modular stand. It is built with an aluminium profile system and panels or tension fabric. It is the most affordable option up front and the one that pays for itself best: the structure is stored and rebuilt at other shows, changing only the graphics if needed. That is what we did with the modular stand for SIMO Fishprocessing: aluminium frames with printed tension fabric, storage built into the walls and a demountable structure that can be rebuilt at other trade shows.

Bespoke or joinery stand. It is designed and built for a specific brand and space: free-form shapes, special counters, arches, double heights. It gives you more freedom and more impact, but it takes more workshop hours, more transport and more build time.

Hybrid solution. A reusable modular structure with a few bespoke pieces: a counter, a display case, a 3D logo. It is often a good middle ground between cost and image.

If you want to compare materials, our guide to trade show stand materials covers the pros of each one.

These are the items visitors notice most at the show, and the ones that vary most from one quote to another.

Graphics. A tension fabric wall does not cost the same as printed rigid panels, floor vinyl or 3D letters. The total printed area, the material and the finishes all play a part. On the modular stands for the publisher Gustavo Gili, for example, the graphics take centre stage: a large-scale typographic collage digitally printed on the walls, with book displays and a counter. With a simple structure, good graphics do much of the work.

Lighting. A few track spotlights have nothing in common with backlit walls, perimeter LED strips or lightboxes. Lighting changes how the stand is perceived, and the price too.

Furniture and equipment. Counter, tables, chairs, stools, display units, cabinets, screens, a lockable store room. The more bespoke, the higher the cost, although your own pieces can be reused at other shows.

Flooring. Carpet, a raised platform or technical flooring. A platform defines the space and hides cabling, but it adds material and build hours.

A stand is not just about making it. Some items depend on the show and are worth keeping under control from the start:

• Transport to the venue and back.
• Build-up and breakdown, which depend on the schedule set by the organiser and on how complex the stand is.
• Storage between shows, if the stand will be reused.
• Design and drawings for the organiser's approval, when the show requires them.

There are also costs that are not part of the stand and are normally booked separately with the organiser: the floor space, the electrical connection and consumption, water, internet, cleaning or any insurance the show requires. Every event works differently, so check the exhibitor manual to see what is included and what is not.

We manufacture in Barcelona and install all over Spain, so transport and travel are worked out according to where the show takes place.

• Think about several shows, not one. If you are going to exhibit again, a reusable modular structure lowers the cost of each appearance.
• Invest where visitors look. The front, a logo visible from the aisle and good lighting. Whatever is behind them can be simpler.
• Interchangeable graphics. If the graphics can be swapped without touching the structure, you can adapt the stand to each show or product for far less.
• Decide early. With time, production is planned better and you avoid last-minute rushes, which always cost more.
• Sign off the design before production. Changes once the stand is being built are among the most expensive there are.

The most common mistake is asking several companies for a price while describing the project differently to each one. That makes comparison impossible. Send them all the same information:

• Show, venue and dates, including build-up and breakdown days.
• Space dimensions and open sides, with the floor plan if you have it.
• Maximum height and rules set out in the exhibitor manual.
• What you need inside: counter, meeting area, store room, product display, screens.
• Whether you want to buy or hire the structure and whether you plan to reuse it.
• Your brand and files: logo, colours, images.

Also ask for every quote to be broken down into the same items: design, structure, graphics, lighting, furniture, transport, build-up, breakdown and storage. That way you will know whether an offer is cheaper because it is more efficient or because something is missing.

At Unical Graphic we have been designing, building and installing stands since 1994, with more than 3,000 projects behind us. Tell us which show you are attending, what space you have booked and what you want to achieve, and we will put together an itemised proposal.

You can see examples on our trade show stands page, request a quote or call us on +34 937 50 23 04. And if it is your first show, our checklist for preparing your stand will come in handy.