There are several exhibition company types, each specialising in a particular service. All the popular events are hosted in top exhibition venues such as Sydney ICC and MCEC; then, you have event organisers manage each event to ensure it runs smoothly. You could be in contact with a range of suppliers who can ultimately get the job done, and some will outsource a particular scope to others. As an exhibitor, it is very useful to understand the following exhibition company types: exhibition head contractor, exhibition stand builder, design agency, and niche service providers. Each can get you a similar result, but the price you pay will vary because different companies will outsource different scopes. We hope to help you wrap your head around this so you can be in the position to make the right choice for your business!
Venue
The popular events are usually hosted in large venues such as Sydney ICC and MCEC – the venue is selected and booked by the event organiser well in advance to ensure sufficient time for all exhibitors to book their booth spaces. The venue will have typical facilities such as toilets and large spaces for people to gather and network; it can also offer services that can only come directly out of the venue, such as wired internet services, electricity, plumbing, catering, stand cleaning, rigging, and any onsite emergency support, etc.
For certain services, only exhibition head contractors and niche service providers will have a contract with the venue to offer these services to exhibitors – then the exhibitors book these services through them. Services that can directly be arranged with the venue include wired internet services, catering services and stand cleaning.
Examples of Venues: ICC Sydney, MCEC, BCEC etc.
Event Organiser
The event organiser is one of the exhibition company types that look after all the event marketing and operational side of things. One of their sales representatives will be the person you would speak to when you’d like to book a booth space at an event. They will be able to provide you with all the different booth price packages; most of the time, it will either be a standard shell scheme booth package or a space only (where you’ll need to engage a stand builder to execute the design and booth build).
The event organiser also is the primary contact between the venue, onsite event logistics, head contractor and any niche service providers that may apply to each event, and one of their key roles are to make sure everything runs smoothly leading towards the event, during the event and after the event (bump in, bump out, loading dock access for the head contractor and custom stand builders etc).
Examples of Event Organisers: Informa, Diversified Communications, Exhibitions & Events Australia etc.
Exhibition Head Contractor
The exhibition head contractor looks after the bulk of the physical scope for the event organiser; each event is different, so the scope could vary, but in general, they would look after install and dismantling of shell scheme booths, exhibition hired equipment and electricity. The head contractor can also look after custom booths if you prefer to only deal with one supplier throughout the whole event – but it is useful to understand that most of the time, they will be outsourcing any custom work to third parties such as stand builders (which means you would be paying more than what you need to).
Due to the large scope of these exhibition company types, they would get early access to the venue to ensure there is sufficient time for them to complete the bulk of their scope; you can view it as rather than managing a single booth space, they need to look after the whole venue as a complete package.
Examples Exhibition Head Contractors: Harry The Hirer, ExpoNet, Moreton Hire etc.
Shell Scheme Booths
Due to the efficient cost of shell scheme booths, this option is desirable for first time exhibitors who are just entering into the market (just wanting to see what it’s like). All shell scheme booths are built in the same manner, out of aluminium frames with panel inserts, and the only areas where you can have your own branding are the fascia panels and wall panels. Depending on the event, these booths are typically grouped together and can make up 20-30% of the booth types. This bulk build package is handled by the exhibition head contractor responsible for ensuring these shell scheme booths are built correctly and have access to electricity and hired items as required by each exhibitor.
Hired Equipment
Hired equipment includes furniture, flooring, lighting and even audio visual – these can all be arranged directly with the exhibition head contractor. In a way, it can be convenient to arrange it through them because they will have onsite support, but it is useful to consider other third parties who can offer the same thing and most likely at a more competitive rate. With hired equipment, you are not paying for something that is brand new; therefore, if you are after brand new, it may work out cheaper to purchase it yourself than look after the logistics of how it gets to the venue and back. Going through the head contractor is purely for convenience to minimise the amount of project management required to get things done.
Electricity
When it comes to electricity, there is only one method to arrange this, and it is directly with the head contractor. The exhibition head contractor has a contract with the venue (where the source of power is coming from), and to ensure all electricity is handled safely and appropriately, this can only be looked after by one company, the head contractor. Electricity can be a very sensitive component of the exhibition; one wrong move could affect the whole event. They will be able to supply whatever power is required for your booth and products to operate, but this needs to be booked in advance; otherwise, you could be stung with a late fee or shortage of electrical equipment etc.
Exhibition Stand Builder
You should consider the exhibition stand builder as your primary contact for all your custom stand needs. They can look after your booth’s design, fabrication, and onsite construction. In a way, you can view the stand builder as the head contractor for your booth space (rather than the whole venue). Depending on your requirements, stand builders are the types of exhibition company that has the capacity to arrange everything that is required to complete your custom booth, everything from design to the final touches before your booth to make sure it’s show-ready. Stand builders can cover hired items, signage, and project management to ensure all scope and services are aligned for an on-time booth completion.
Examples of Exhibition Stand Builders: UCON Exhibitions
Design
Stand builders have direct knowledge of how much things cost and the labour involved to make things happen; therefore, if you have a certain budget you need to fit your project into, it would make sense to have a chat with your stand builder to see what they can offer. Certain stand builders will have their own design department, so do not assume that you will only get standard designs – it is important that as the exhibitor, you communicate everything that is important to your business and brand and any “must haves” you want in your booth, this way the design department can frame their proposal based on your requirements.
Fabrication
Fabrication is where your booth transitions from a drawing to physical components; it requires an agreement between you and the stand builder on how you want your final product to look like – this is done through production drawing approval (dimensions, finishes, materials etc). Once approved, the appropriate materials will have to be ordered, and builders briefed on the scope and priorities.
Different stand builders will have different machinery in their factory, which means the fabrication method will differ but can ultimately achieve a similar effect as an end-product; this may also explain the difference in costs between different stand builders (one may rely on heavy manual labour while the other may rely on machine operational costs etc). If you are after something custom and built to suit your branding and product display, get in contact with a stand builder to get started; you do not want to leave it last minute! There are definitely ways to reduce stand costs; most of the time, it comes down to preparation.
Construction
The construction scope refers to all onsite work (installation and dismantling of your booth). Your stand builder will make arrangements with the venue to get a slot for the bump in and bump out, transport your stand components at the allocated time and have all the tools and manpower required to complete the installation of your booth. Some stand builders may choose to preassemble your booth at their own factory just to make sure there won’t be any hiccups onsite to ensure everything is completed in time. To ensure there are no delays on site, it is highly recommended that you and your stand builder are fully aware of whether there are any electrical, plumbing or wire internet cables applicable to your booth, as these will have to be laid out on the floor prior to assembling the flooring.
Design Agency
As the name suggests, design agencies’ main focus is on design and are experts in graphic design and creating purposeful marketing materials. If impactful branding and unique custom booth designs are what you are after, then you could look into this option. Since they are an agency and do not build, they will be outsourcing the fabrication and construction scope to a stand builder – which means based on their pricing structure; you may be paying more to get the end product.
The upsides of cooperating with these exhibition company types are that they will focus on your brand and are able to guide and create purposeful artwork to reflect your business to make it stand out. The stand builder will take the design agency’s custom exhibition stand design and make slight modifications to make it as buildable as possible. Then, they will provide artwork dimensions to the design agency so they can ensure your brand is positioned for maximum impact.
Examples of Design Agencies: Best Case Scenario, Sussex Australasia, Campaign Architecture, etc
Conceptual Stand Design
This involves working out the look and feel of the stand, ensuring the big picture idea is represented in the design and agreed upon so that there is a clear direction to move towards. Design agencies may not have as much construction background knowledge; therefore, there is a chance that their ideas may not be the most cost-effective way to build your stand. The stand builder can take these conceptual drawings and make slight modifications to reduce costs so that your booth will still have maximum impact as per conceptual designs from the design agency. For some, getting to a point where they are happy with the overall design is a big hurdle (may require design expertise to get it right); that is where approaching a design agency may be the right pathway for you.
Graphic Design
Graphic design plays a massive part in your branding and gives you the flexibility to create something super minimalistic to something full-on complex sci-fi. Depending on your booth design, you may have huge empty walls which will need some sort of artwork to capture the attention of the crowd, and the best way to appear professional is to integrate the artwork so that it seamlessly works with the structure of the booth. You could go as far as making artwork that flows from the flooring to the walls to the ceiling, and to get this right it, design agencies would have the experience and knowledge to guide you in the right direction.
Marketing Materials
Marketing materials are usually in the form of brochures, promotional products, and any type of printouts – having attractive looking designs will increase audience engagement and brand awareness. You can give these things to your visitors as they enter the stand and express their interest in your product/service. If your marketing material is boring, it will serve no purpose and most likely would just be thrown away; therefore, a well-designed marketing material would be much more effective in promoting the key features, and it can keep some customers occupied while they wait for you.
Niche Service Providers
Several niche exhibition company types operate specific roles in the exhibition industry, mainly because those services are more complex and require expertise to ensure everything runs smoothly. We will discuss niche services providers audio visual, rigging, onsite logistics and plumbing. These are usually booked separately and are cost you’ll need to consider if you require those specific services to operate your booth.
Keeping the stand builders in the loop is also important because these will affect the build schedule. If one service provider is held back, it could hold back the whole booth build – this is not something you’d want to be dealing with, especially if you need the booth to be complete before you can position your products etc. To save on costs, you may also want to consider hiring exhibition equipment rather than going for a one-off purchase and having no use for it after the event.
AV
Audiovisuals are items such as TVs, touchscreens, LED video walls, iPads, laptops, speakers, projectors etc. To make these easy for exhibitors, AV companies will offer these as hired, and they will look after the delivery of the items to your booth and collection after the event. If you use touchscreens or more complex AV equipment, you should also include technical support if any issues arise during the event. Suppose suddenly part of your AV equipment stops working. In that case, it creates a negative impression for you because it would look like you as the exhibitor is unprepared and unprofessional, which may deter some customers from approaching your stand.
Examples of AV providers: Microhire, Hire Intelligence, Blue Shadow Group etc.
Rigging
Rigging is for any suspended items in the air; this includes hanging banners, lighting, other architectural elements, etc. Anything suspended will generally be connected to trusses to ensure they are safe and stable in the air. If you are looking to use rigging on your booth, be prepared to pay for it because they don’t come cheap. Regarding scheduling, you would most likely try to get whatever you want hung to be done first because you’ll need a nice flat area to assemble your hanging banner. Is a hanging banner worth the additional cost? For a first-time exhibitor, probably not – but if you are a large company and making a presence at an exhibition, you may want to consider this.
Examples of Rigging providers: Clifton Productions, Get Rigged, Pollard Productions etc.
Onsite Logistics
To get access to the loading dock, you will need to be in contact with an onsite logistics company – this is usually one company that looks after everything that goes in and out of the loading dock, and they will have a schedule for this. They also provide onsite forklift and storage services; your booth will most likely come on pallets, and you will need to book forklift services so they can unload your truck and move your pallet to your booth space.
Examples: Agility, DB Schenker, Gel Events etc.
Plumbing
If your booth requires a water connection, you’d need to contact a plumber who specialises in exhibitions. They can supply you with all your plumbing needs and even hire self-contained units for you to use (cost apply). To maintain a professional look to your stand, you’d want to make sure you have raised flooring and a clearance of 40mm so you can hide all the pipes under the floor. Plumbing services are commonly used at large food exhibitions where exhibitors connect to their products for live demonstrations.
Examples of Plumbing providers: F Wood & Son Plumbing
Conclusion
In conclusion, exhibitions require the management and collaboration of several companies to ensure everything falls into place. As an exhibitor, there are several pathways you could take which vary with the different exhibition company types – the most convenient (often most expensive) is to go through the head contractor for all your needs, and they can arrange everything, another option to go through a design agency that can elevate your brand graphics and stand design or the most cost-efficient is to go through the stand builder directly (often the most cost-efficient) – it will all come down to what your core goals are. UCON Exhibitions is a hybrid company with an established supply network that can handle everything for you, from design to construction – why not reach out and chat?
