Stand flooring and platform decisions

Cable, boundary, level

the three reasons a platform is justified

Stand design

Look at the hall floor first

Hall floors may be concrete, epoxy or an older covering; some halls have floor ducts, some a slight fall. Get that information from the venue before build-up. Laminate laid straight onto a sloping floor opens at the joints.

Some venues forbid adhesives on the floor outright or specify which tape may be used. If tape residue is left behind at tear-down, the cleaning charge lands on the exhibitor. That line is missing from most budgets. A floor check after tear-down belongs on the crew’s list as their last job.

Where the hall provides its own carpet, a covering can go over it, but the extra height has to be allowed for. How constraints like these tie to each type is summarised on the stand types page.

What a platform gives and takes

The clearest benefit of a raised platform is cable routing. With power, data and screen cables running underneath, the stand looks cleaner and nobody trips. On stands with a water supply, a platform is close to mandatory.

The second benefit is boundary. A few centimetres of level change tells people where the stand begins without building a wall. On open plans it is the quietest way to define space without closing it off.

It takes things away too: cost, build time, freight volume and step-free access. If there is a platform, there is a ramp. Wheelchairs, trolleys and product cases all use the same one. Its gradient and width are set out in the venue regulations, and it goes into the plan at those dimensions.

Choosing the covering, and end-of-day fatigue

Exhibition carpet is cheap, goes down fast and absorbs sound; in exchange it looks worn by day four and cannot be reused. Laminate and timber cost more but make a visible difference in photographs and can travel to several shows.

Choose the colour with dirt in mind. Pale tones hold footprints by the fourth day; very dark tones show dust. Mid tones and textured surfaces stay looking cleaner through the week.

Then there are your team’s feet. Eight hours standing on thin carpet over concrete is punishing. A cushioning layer under the platform changes the state six people are in by closing time. Visitors never see that decision, but it affects selling.

How high should a platform be?

The minimum needed to route cables. The higher it goes the longer the ramp and the greater the loss of floor; unnecessary height eats square metres.

What can replace carpet?

Vinyl, laminate, interlocking timber panels or modular floor tiles. The choice follows the reuse plan and the time available for build-up.