Stand types
Balancing two open sides on a corner stand
Lokman Türkoğlu · Founder & Head of Design · 2 min read · Last updated:
Short answer
How do you balance two open sides on a corner stand?
Do not treat the two sides as equal. The frontage on the main aisle is given to greeting and brand visibility: the counter, the company name and the entrance belong there. The side aisle takes display and product explanation, because people passing there move more slowly. The corner where the two meet is never closed; it is the most valuable point on the stand and, left open, it links the two aisles. Closed volumes go against the two neighbouring party walls.
The two sides are not equal
Aisles in a hall are hierarchical. The main aisle is wide and busy and people walk fast along it. The side aisle is narrow, the flow is slower and visitors can stop and look. Those two behaviours need different design.
On the side facing fast flow, one message works: the company name, what you do, and a place to be greeted. On the side facing slow flow, products, technical boards, samples and text worth reading all earn their place. Putting the same content on both weakens both.
When booking the space, check from the hall plan which frontage faces the main aisle. The same floor area is a different stand once the aisle turns. Our stand types page covers how the number of open sides changes the layout.
The corner point
Where the two frontages meet is the most seen point on the stand. Visitors approaching from either aisle look there first. Putting a closed mass on it spends the stand’s strongest card.
Three things work at a corner: one product shown plainly, a tall brand element that reads from both directions, or an entirely open entrance void. You cannot have all three; pick one and pull the others back.
The common mistake is filling the corner with a curved counter. The counter puts a barrier between visitor and staff and pushes the entrance away from the corner. Bringing it a metre or two inside opens the entrance and puts staff where they can watch both sides at once.
Placing the closed volumes
The advantage of a corner stand is that two party walls remain. Storage, the electrical panel and the catering niche lean against them, so the island’s core problem does not arise.
The store door should face into the stand, not the aisle. Staff carrying cases through the show must not cut across the visitor flow. Using a curtain or a sliding panel instead of a hinged door reclaims the swing space on a tight plan.
The meeting area belongs in the back corner where the two party walls meet. It is the quietest point on the stand and both walls cut the aisle noise. Setting the table at an angle to the corner, rather than parallel to a wall, lets whoever is seated see the entrance.
How much better is a corner than an in-line stand?
The second open side increases both visibility and the number of entrances. Organisers charge a position premium for corners, and that premium is usually repaid by what the layout gains.
Which frontage carries the company name?
Both, but at different sizes. The main aisle needs a large scale that reads from a distance; the side aisle needs a smaller repeat that reads on approach.