Exhibition Stand Design & Build, Run From Frankfurt
We design the stand, build and inspect it in our Frankfurt workshop, then our own crew installs and dismantles it on the show floor. One quote covers the design, the fabrication, the freight across Europe, and the on-site labour.
One team from sketch to dismantle
Most exhibition problems start with a handoff — the designer isn't the builder, the builder isn't on-site, and nobody owns the gap. We keep the whole chain in one place: a designer who knows what the workshop can actually fabricate, a workshop that pre-builds and photographs every stand before it ships, and a crew that has installed the same structure once already in Frankfurt. If something is wrong, there is one number to call, not three.
Three ways to build a stand
The right structure depends on how often you exhibit, how much you ship, and how much floor you take. Here is the honest trade-off between the three.
Custom stands
A stand designed from scratch for one brand — bespoke architecture, meeting rooms, integrated AV. Best when the stand is a flagship and the space is 24 m² or larger. Shipped and rebuilt each show; graphics refreshed per event.
Custom range →Modular stands
An aluminium system frame with printed fabric and swappable graphics. Best for 9–24 m² and for exhibitors who do several shows a season — the frame reuses, only the graphics change. Lower cost, faster install, fully reconfigurable.
Modular range →Double-decker stands
A two-storey build that buys meeting space without buying more floor. Best above roughly 80 m² and only where the hall permits rigging and load. Engineering, structural sign-off and venue approval are part of the quote.
Double-decker →From brief to show floor in four stages
Brief & 3D design
You send the stand size, hall, and references. You get a 3D rendering and a full quote — usually within 48 hours.
Fabrication
On approval we build the stand in our Frankfurt workshop, photograph it finished, and sign it off with you before anything ships.
Freight & customs
We move the stand across Europe and handle the venue paperwork and any customs on the route. It arrives staged and ready.
Install & dismantle
Our crew — the people who built it — install on-site, stay through the build window, then dismantle and return it to Frankfurt for storage or reuse.
What a stand actually costs
Full-build "from" prices in euro — design, fabrication, European freight and on-site labour inside the number. What is never inside it: the floor-space rental (that is between you and the organiser), local taxes, and your team's travel.
Essential — 9–18 m²
- Modular aluminium system frame
- Backlit fabric back wall, full height
- One branded reception counter
- LED top-rail lighting
- Graphics design and print (two revision rounds)
- European freight and on-site labour
- Install and dismantle
- Venue electrical and cleaning paperwork
Not included: monitors, coffee station, enclosed meeting room. Quoted line by line.
Custom — 24–48 m²
- Bespoke design (not a template)
- Semi-private meeting nook
- 55″ monitor on VESA mount, or two 43″ screens
- Premium accent lighting
- Storage closet behind the back wall
- Branded reception and one secondary counter
- A named project manager from kickoff to dismantle
- On-site supervisor for the full build window
Floor rental, taxes and travel are separate, as on every tier.
Premium — 50–100+ m²
- Architectural custom build, optional double-decker
- Multiple meeting rooms (2–4 by size)
- Hanging sign where the hall permits
- Touchscreen or product-demo stations
- Full AV package including audio
- Branded furniture suite
- Optional espresso bar
- Priority workshop build slot
Double-decker and 100 m²+ builds are quoted on application.
Stand designs across every size class








Choosing an exhibition stand — what actually matters
Size before style
The single biggest driver of cost and design is floor area, not finish. A 9 m² and a 48 m² are different problems, not the same problem at different budgets. Below 18 m² a modular system almost always wins on cost and reuse. Between 24 and 48 m² a custom build starts to pay off because you can shape traffic flow and add a meeting space. Above 80 m² the question becomes whether to go up — a second storey buys meeting rooms without buying more floor, but only where the hall allows the rigging and load.
Reuse changes the maths
If you exhibit once a year, a custom stand shot after one show can still be the right call. If you do four shows a season, a modular frame that reuses with only a graphics refresh is usually cheaper across the year, even if its first invoice is higher per square metre than you expected. Ask any builder to price the second and third show, not just the first — that is where the real cost of a design shows up.
The freight and paperwork nobody quotes
A stand price that looks low often excludes the parts that are hardest to control: cross-border freight, venue electrical and rigging orders, drayage, and customs on any route that crosses a border. These are not add-ons; they are the difference between a stand that arrives and one that sits in a depot. Our quotes fold European freight and venue paperwork into the headline number so the comparison is honest.
Where the build happens
Ask where a stand is actually built and whether you can see it before it ships. We pre-build every stand in our Frankfurt workshop, photograph it finished, and get your sign-off before freight. It means install on the show floor is a rebuild of something the crew has already assembled once — not a first attempt under a deadline.
How a stand comes together
Exhibition stands — common questions
How much does an exhibition stand cost?
Full-build "from" prices start at €4,500 for a modular 9–18 m² stand, around €11,500 for a 24–48 m² custom build, and €24,000 for a 50 m²+ premium build. Double-decker and very large stands are quoted on application. Those numbers include design, fabrication, European freight and on-site labour — not the floor rental, taxes, or your travel.
What is not included in the price?
Three things, on every tier. The floor-space rental, which you book from the organiser. Local taxes. And your own team's travel and accommodation. Anything else — extra monitors, an espresso bar, an enclosed meeting room on a small stand — is quoted line by line so you can see it.
Custom or modular — which should I choose?
Modular if you exhibit often and want to reuse the frame with new graphics; it is cheaper across a season and faster to install. Custom if the stand is 24 m² or larger and you want bespoke architecture, meeting space, or integrated AV. Many exhibitors run a modular frame for smaller shows and a custom build for their flagship.
Do you build outside Germany?
Yes. We are based in Frankfurt and serve shows across Europe from there, moving the stand by road freight and handling venue paperwork and any customs on the route. Frankfurt is home turf; other cities are served from Frankfurt on a freight model, which we label honestly in every quote.
How long does a stand take to build?
From a locked design: a modular 9–18 m² stand installs in 6–10 hours; a 24–48 m² custom build in 1.5–2 days; a double-decker across the full venue build window. The workshop needs roughly three weeks before that to fabricate, plus freight and customs time on the route.
Can I see the stand before it ships?
Yes, and we encourage it for stands of 30 m² and up. We pre-build every stand in Frankfurt, photograph it finished, and you sign it off before freight. About a third of clients come in person for a half-day walkthrough before the stand leaves.
Can a stand be reused?
Modular systems reuse with a graphics refresh between shows — typically €400–€1,400 depending on size. Custom structures reuse too, but graphics and finishes are usually replaced after one show. We store a stand free for six months if you plan to run it again.
How many staff do I need on the stand?
Roughly: one to two on a 9 m², two to three on 18 m², three to four on a 24 m² with a meeting nook, and five or more above 48 m². The real bottleneck is aisle frontage — you want someone engaging passers-by separate from whoever is running meetings.
What do you need from me to start?
Your stand size, the show and hall if you know it, and a few reference images of what you like or want to avoid. From that you get a 3D design and a full quote, usually within 48 hours. If we are not the right builder for what you need, we will say so.
What are your payment terms?
50% on design approval, 50% before the ship date. SEPA, international wire, or major cards. Net-30 is available for established corporate clients after a standard credit check.
Do you handle venue paperwork and customs?
Yes — electrical and rigging orders, cleaning, crew passes, and any customs documentation on the route. The deadlines on venue orders matter (late electrical orders carry surcharges), so we file them as soon as a contract is signed.
What happens to the stand after the show?
Our crew dismantles, packs, and returns it to Frankfurt. If you want to reuse it we store it free for six months. After that there is a small storage fee, or we recycle the materials — aluminium frames are fully recyclable; single-show fabric graphics usually are not.
Tell us your stand size and show
Send the size, the show, and a couple of reference images. You get a 3D design and a full quote within 48 hours.
Get a 3D Design