Most people buying their first exhibition stand start with the wrong question.
They ask which stand looks best. The better question is how it gets from your front door to your space in the hall, and who puts it up when it arrives.
Get that right and almost any stand will look good. Get it wrong and you spend the first hour of the show sweating over a frame while the people next to you are already talking to visitors.
Start with the car, not the catalogue
Picture the morning of the show. You are probably on your own or with one other person. You have a car, a parking space that may be a long walk from the hall, and a set-up window that is shorter than you'd like.
So before you look at a single design, answer three things:
- How are you getting there? If it all has to fit in a hatchback with your boxes of leaflets, weight and bag size matter more than anything else.
- Who is setting it up? If the answer is "me, alone", rule out anything that needs two pairs of hands.
- How big is your space? Organisers will tell you. A 3m by 2m shell scheme is very different to an open floor space you have to fill.
Those answers usually narrow the choice to one or two stands before you get anywhere near the artwork.
If you are setting up alone: an SEG fabric pop-up
This is the one we'd point most first-timers towards.
SEG stands for silicone edge graphic. The printed fabric has a thin silicone strip stitched round its edge, and you push that strip into a groove in the frame. The fabric pulls tight, and nothing shows on the front. No clips, no poles, no Velcro.
One person can put a unit up in about 15 minutes, and the frame packs into its own carry bag. They come in four widths, from 770mm up to 2970mm, all 2235mm high. Later on, if you get a bigger space, units join together into a longer wall or a corner.
If it all has to be light: a stretch fabric stand
Stretch fabric stands are a snap-together aluminium frame with a printed fabric cover pulled over it, a bit like a pillowcase.
They are the easiest kit to carry. On the economy stands the graphic folds up and goes in the same bag as the frame, so the whole stand is one bag. Widths run from 850mm to 2500mm.
If you need a wider backdrop, stretch fabric walls go from 1m to 6m, straight or curved.
Stretch fabric economy stands · Stretch fabric walls
If you already know you'll do several shows: a pop-up stand
A pop-up stand opens out on a folding concertina frame. It takes more room in the car than fabric, but it is sturdy and it goes up the same way every time.
There are two kinds worth knowing about:
- The fabric pop-up stand has a fabric graphic that fixes on with Velcro, in 3x3 or 3x4, with a wheeled bag. The useful bit is that you can buy the graphic on its own later. Keep the frame, change the message.
- The traditional pop-up display uses semi-rigid printed panels that hang on magnetic bars. It is the hardest-wearing option, and it comes in a moulded wheeled case that doubles as a table with a wooden top.
If you only have one show booked, this is probably more stand than you need. If you have four, it starts to make a lot of sense.
Fabric pop-up stand · Traditional pop-up display
The backdrop isn't the stand
Here is the mistake we see most often. Someone spends their whole budget on a big printed wall, then stands in front of it with nothing between them and the aisle.
A backdrop tells people who you are from across the hall. It doesn't give them a reason to stop. What does that is somewhere to stand and talk, and something that points them in.
- A counter. It gives you a place to put leaflets and samples, and gives visitors something to lean on while they talk to you. The pop-up counter goes up in about 5 minutes and has a shelf inside for your bags.
- One banner stand with one message. Not your whole services list. One line that says what you do. The Xscape tension stand comes in sizes up to 1200 x 2000mm, and you can swap the graphic later.
If the budget is tight, a modest backdrop plus a counter will do more for you than a large backdrop on its own.
If the show is outdoors
Outdoor events are a different problem. The ground is often tarmac or paving, so you can't peg anything down, and the wind will find any stand that isn't weighted.
The outdoor water base roller banner has a base you fill with water on the day. It is rated to Beaufort 4 when filled and weighs 3.6kg empty, so it is still easy to carry in.
Artwork: one line from across the hall
Whatever you pick, the design rules are the same. People see your stand from a distance, while walking, for a couple of seconds.
So put your name and one clear line about what you do high up, where they can see it over other people's heads. Keep the detail for the leaflets on your counter. A stand that tries to say everything says nothing.
Every Printlogik stand has a template for its exact size. Keep text and logos inside the safe area, run the background to the edge, and a real person checks the file before it prints.
So which one?
If you want our honest answer for a first show: an SEG fabric pop-up or a stretch fabric economy stand, plus a counter.
That covers setting up on your own, fitting it in the car and giving people a reason to stop. It is also a setup you can build on, because both stands let you add more later.
Buy for the show you have booked, not the one you might do in three years.
If you're still not sure, send us your space size and how you're getting there. We'll tell you which stand fits before you order.
Ask Printlogik which stand fits your space
For a side-by-side of every stand, see the best portable exhibition stands, compared.
