What Actually Determines the Cost of an Exhibition Stall?

Ask five exhibition companies for a per-square-metre rate and you'll get five different numbers — and none of them will hold once you actually brief a project. That's not evasiveness; it's because stall cost is driven by a set of independent variables, and two 18 sqm stands can cost very different amounts depending on how those variables combine.

The Variables That Actually Move the Budget

• Stall size — larger footprints need more structure, material, and labour.
• Design complexity — multi-level structures and curved forms cost more than flat-panel construction.
• Structure type — fully custom-built stands price differently than modular builds or shell-scheme upgrades.
• Materials — laminates, veneers, acrylic, metal, and specialty finishes sit at different price points.
• Printing and graphics — format, finish, and the amount of branded surface area.
• Furniture — rental vs custom-built, and how much is needed for meetings, storage, and display.
• Lighting — standard fixtures vs feature and accent lighting on displays.
• AV requirements — screens, sound, and demo equipment add cost and installation complexity.
• Product displays — custom plinths, cases, or demo counters built to fit specific products.
• Transport — distance to venue and volume of material being shipped.
• Installation requirements — labour, timeline, and venue-specific access constraints.
• Venue requirements — organiser rules on rigging, height, and fire safety can add cost.
• Timeline — compressed production or installation windows increase labour and logistics cost.
• Location — city, venue, and whether the project needs multi-city logistics.
• Special fabrication — anything outside standard build methods.

Why We Don't Publish Fixed Pricing

A fixed price list would either be so padded it overcharges simple projects, or so tight it can't absorb a genuinely complex one. Instead, we scope every project against the variables above during the proposal stage of our process. The fastest way to get an accurate number is to share a real brief; a rough one is still useful, but the more of these variables you can answer upfront, the tighter the first proposal will be.