Planning Guide
Exhibition Stall Planning Checklist: Timeline, Tasks & Common Mistakes
Everything to do before a trade show, from briefing a builder 10 weeks out to teardown day, in one checklist you can work through stage by stage.
Planning guide
The timeline
Exhibition Stall Timeline: 10 Weeks to Show Day
- 8 to 10 weeks out: confirm your hall, stand number and the exhibitor manual, then brief your stand builder.
- 6 to 8 weeks out: approve the concept, floor plan and 3D renders.
- 4 to 6 weeks out: finalize graphics, electrical requirements and any organizer submissions.
- 2 to 5 weeks of fabrication: production and quality checks, finished before move-in.
- Move-in days: transport, installation, final graphics and a power check.
- After the show: dismantling within the organizer’s teardown deadline.
This timeline is our working practice, not a venue rule. Your organizer may set earlier deadlines for electrical and design submissions. The same schedule appears in our Expo Centre Karachi exhibitor guide.
Checklist
The Planning Checklist, Stage by Stage
Before you brief
Confirm the show, hall, stand number and size. Request the exhibitor manual. Set your goal and a budget range.
Design and approval
Review the floor plan and 3D renders. Confirm branding, furniture, lighting and any meeting space. Sign off in writing.
Production
Send final graphics files. Submit electrical needs to the organizer. Ask about quality checks before dispatch.
Move-in
Confirm the access window and loading rules. Name a site contact. Check power and lighting before the hall opens.
During the show
Keep counters and displays inside your boundary. Have lead-capture tools ready and brief your staff.
After the show
Confirm the teardown deadline. Agree what to store or reuse. Collect leads and review what worked.
What to send
What to Send Your Stand Builder
- Booth size and layout (inline, corner, peninsula or island)
- Hall number or show name, and the show dates
- Branding files: logo, colours and any print-ready artwork
- Products or demos that need display space, screens or power
- Your budget range and any must-have features such as a meeting room or storage
With these details a builder can propose a design direction and a realistic estimate. Compare what to expect in our Karachi cost guide or Pakistan cost guide.
Common slips
Planning Mistakes That Cost Time and Money
Briefing too late
A custom build needs roughly two to five weeks of fabrication, so late briefs leave no room for design approval.
Changing the design mid-build
Changes after fabrication starts cost the most. Lock the design first.
Leaving power until last
Count every light, screen and display early and request power with a margin.
Ignoring move-in windows
Build time is often one to two days. Plan the install against the confirmed window.
Forgetting outside costs
Space rental, venue services, shipping and staff costs sit outside the stand budget.
No contingency
Keep roughly 10 percent aside for last-minute graphics changes or an extra power drop.
Questions
Exhibition Stall Planning Checklist FAQ
Eight to ten weeks before the show is a comfortable starting point: it leaves room for design approval, graphics, organizer submissions and fabrication.
Fabrication generally takes two to five weeks, depending on size and complexity. Our fixed-spec 6x3 island package takes 15 to 20 working days from approved design to dispatch.
The exhibitor manual, your hall and stand number, move-in and move-out windows, and the rules for power, rigging and stand height.
Sometimes, but rushed builds usually carry a premium and leave less time for design changes.
Planning a stall? Get a quote from our Karachi team.
Share your booth size, venue and show dates — we reply by call or WhatsApp with a design direction and a realistic estimate.
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