Rigging: when it is possible

1–10 days

on-site build time that rigging is added to

Stand types

Structural calculation

the technical document the approval file requires

Exhibition stand services

What permission depends on

The first condition is the hall. Where the roof was designed to carry suspended load, the grid points are defined and the venue lists them for exhibitors. In older or lightweight halls rigging is simply not offered, and the stand ceiling has to stand on its own legs.

Where the points sit constrains the design as well. The grid runs at fixed centres, so the middle of the element you want to hang rarely coincides with the middle of the stand. A couple of metres of offset means the logo ring hangs off-centre, which is why the point list is requested during design.

The second is load. The weight of every suspended element, the number of points and the load per point are calculated. Motorised hoists are calculated separately. Lighting, sound and anything that moves bring dynamic loads into the sum, and the file carries the signature of whoever did the calculation.

The third is approval. Calculations and the rigging plan go to the organiser and the approval comes back in writing. At some venues only the appointed rigging contractor may do the work; the job then goes to them while the coordination and the timing stay with us.

What can hang and what cannot

The most commonly rigged element is a logo ring or hanging banner box, so visitors read the company from across the hall. Lighting truss comes second: taking the light from ceiling height reduces the number of uprights inside the stand and frees up the layout.

Drapes, fabric and light textile elements can be suspended too, and their low weight makes approval easier. In return, a fire certificate for that material is always requested; uncertified fabric cannot stay in the hall even with rigging permission granted. The two conditions have to be checked together.

What does not get rigged is equally settled. Products, screens and heavy glass elements generally stay on the ground. Anything above visitors’ heads goes through a separate safety assessment, needs secondary suspension, and requires the area beneath it to be cleared during installation.

The decision touches the stand type as well. On an island stand a hanging element reads from all four sides and earns its cost; on an in-line stand the same spend rarely pays back. We compare the choices on the stand types page.

Alternatives when rigging is out

When permission is refused, the first alternative is a self-supporting portal. A frame rising off the stand’s own legs does the job of a hanging ring. It costs floor area because there are more uprights, so the layout is drawn around them and some of the loss is won back by merging the legs into the store walls.

A fourth route is to give up on height altogether and work at floor level. A strong graphic on the ground, a different floor finish or a raised platform does more once a visitor is close than a ring hanging above them. Backing up distance visibility with the show catalogue and directional signage is often the smarter split of the budget.

The second is mass: a solid wall taken up to the maximum permitted height. It does not reach as far across a hall as a suspended sign, but it carries far enough. Do not forget the manual’s rule about the face that looks onto the neighbour.

The third is lighting from below. If you cannot light from the ceiling, an arrangement that washes products and graphics from low level is cheaper than truss and needs far less approval paperwork. Cable management gets harder, so the floor layout has to be settled early.

When is a rigging application made?

It varies by venue, but always weeks ahead. The deadline is stated in the technical manual, and late applications carry a surcharge.

What drives the cost of rigging?

Number of points, total weight, whether motors are used, and whether the venue mandates its own riggers. Ask about all four up front.