Akros Mimarlık
Trade fair preparation checklist
What happens, in order, from six months out to the day of the dismantle: space booking, technical regulations, design approval, production, freight and install.
The most expensive mistake in fair preparation is being late. Space selection, technical regulations and design approval wait on each other; when one slips, all three slip.
The list below does not fit every fair. Freight is a one-day job for a domestic show and a three-week job in Europe. The order still holds: space first, then the regulations, then design, then production.
The budget side is kept separate, item by item, on the cost calculation page. Build times by stand type are on the stand types page.
01
From six months to four weeks
The first three months are for decisions, not production. Space is booked, the goal is written down, the technical regulations are read and the design brief takes shape. These decisions are not cheap to change later: position and open sides set the budget before design begins.
Leave four weeks between design approval and the fair. Production runs on a normal schedule and the print files reach the press in good time. Work squeezed into two weeks carries a rush cost and a wider margin for error.
At most venues the technical regulations arrive at registration; venues such as Messe Frankfurt publish the document with the space confirmation. Height limits, rigging permission, floor loading and power capacity are inputs to the design.
- 01
Six months out
Space application and position. Ask the organiser for the floor plan; the difference between in-line, corner and island lands on the budget before design starts.
- 02
Four months out
Read the technical regulations. Height limits, rigging permission, floor loading and power capacity come out here. If a second storey is in mind, ask about permission now.
- 03
Three months out
Brief and concept direction. The goal is settled: new customers, meetings with existing ones, or a product launch. The floor plan follows from it.
- 04
Eight weeks out
Design approval and contract. The approved 3D visual is an annex to the contract; layout changes after this date carry a cost.
- 05
Four weeks out
Production and printed graphics. Files are delivered to the brand guidelines. A logo or strapline change after this point means reprinting.
- 06
One week out
Freight and customs. For work abroad the ATA carnet and the shipping window close this week. Products and samples go in the same consignment.
- 07
Install and dismantle
On-site installation takes 1–10 days by stand type. Dismantling starts in the last hour of the fair; reusable parts are numbered and returned to storage.
02
The week of the fair
The install-day list is short: the stand is in place, the power is on, the graphics are hung correctly. Products and sample boxes usually arrive on the last day; write down in advance who will receive them.
The staff rota, shift times and the way conversations will be recorded should be settled before installation. That record is the only thing that measures the return on the fair. Publications from AUMA make the same point about looking at the whole cost of attending.
The organiser sets the dismantling time and late clearance is charged. When installation and dismantling sit inside the same contract, that deadline is not your problem.
| Timing | Task | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Six months out | Space application, position and open sides | Exhibitor |
| Four months out | Technical regulations and constraints | Akros |
| Three months out | Brief, goal and concept direction | Both |
| Eight weeks out | Design approval and contract | Both |
| Four weeks out | Production, artwork files and printing | Akros |
| Two weeks out | List of products, samples and literature | Exhibitor |
| One week out | Freight, ATA carnet and customs | Akros |
| Installation | On-site build, power and graphics check | Akros |
| Fair days | Shifts, conversation records and stock | Exhibitor |
| Dismantle | Demounting, numbering and storage | Akros |
- How many months ahead should we start?
Six months is a comfortable schedule. Three months also works. Under two months the choice of stand types narrows and a rush cost appears.
- Who reads the technical regulations?
We do. Height, rigging permission, floor loading and power capacity are extracted before design begins. All we need from you is the fair name and the space details.
- Can products and samples travel with the stand?
Usually yes, but they need a separate declaration. At fairs abroad the customs status of goods differs from stand material. Send us the list a week ahead and it goes in the same consignment.
Do you have your fair dates?
The fair name, dates, floor area and number of open sides are enough. We come back within two working days with a concept and a budget range.