On a trade fair floor you have a few seconds to make someone stop. Stand materials do two things at once. They make you visible from a distance, so visitors can find you in a busy aisle, and up close they show straight away who you are and what you offer. Beach flags, roll-ups, banners and counter covers create that picture together.
We help you choose which system suits your stand space, which finish makes sense and how to supply your artwork. You get one point of contact and a schedule that works back from your build-up day. Want to line up the rest of your trade fair preparation alongside it? That can go in the same request.
You don’t need to commission a full stand build straight away. A limited package already gets you a long way, as long as you cover a few essentials. Even a stand of a few square metres then looks polished.
Two things are often forgotten. A printed floor mat visually marks out your space and is far more comfortable for anyone standing on it all day. And brochure holders, a tablet stand or a small sign with your wifi code keep your counter tidy and steer the conversation. Include them in the same request and they’ll come in the same colours and the same delivery. What a basic set-up like this costs depends on the size, the quantity and the finish, so we draw up a separate calculation per stand.
Most stands consist of a combination of the same familiar elements. Below you can read, item by item, what each one is for and what to look out for when choosing.
A roll-up rolls out of its cassette, is up in a minute and goes back into its own bag afterwards. Pay particular attention to the quality of that cassette, because a cheap mechanism warps after a few fairs and you’ll see it on the banner immediately. With most models you can later replace just the cartridge with the print and keep the base.
A PVC banner is tear-resistant and moisture-proof, so you can hang it on a fence or a facade without worry. It does weigh more than fabric and reflects more under bright spotlights. Roll it up rather than folding it, because you’ll never get a fold line out completely.
A beach flag makes sure people see you from afar, indoors in an aisle and outdoors at the entrance. The choice is in the shape, the height and above all the base. Indoors a cross base is enough, outdoors you need a ground spike or a filled water tank. The pole stays usable for years, and you replace the flag separately when your message changes.
A counter cover finishes off your counter or high table in your own colours. Measure the furniture carefully in advance and decide whether you want a tight fit or a draped model, with Velcro or a zip. It’s washable and lasts for years, especially if you don’t put a date on it.
Place a flagpole at the entrance or in the car park, where people see you before they’re even inside. Choose a base that suits your ground and bring the flag in during strong winds or at night. You buy the pole once and replace the flag when your house style changes.
Your choice of material determines how your stand looks after three fairs. Fabric with sublimation printing has the ink in the fibre, so nothing cracks or peels. It barely reflects under exhibition lighting, weighs next to nothing and can be folded into a bag. Creases usually drop out by themselves, especially once the fabric is stretched tight in a frame.
Aluminium frames are light for their strength and usually click together without tools. A frame like that is the purchase that pays for itself the longest, because you put new prints on it for years. Modular walls and roll-ups with interchangeable cassettes work on the same principle. You buy the structure once and update the print when needed.
And then the classic bad buy. Don’t put a year or a fair name on your banners, because after one edition you’ll have a print you can’t use anywhere else. Keep your logo, your colours and your general message on the fixed elements and put everything that changes on a separate print or panel. At the next fair you’ll then only pay for printing.
Large format is unforgiving. A logo that looks fine on a business card is ruthlessly exposed on a print three metres wide. So ideally supply vector files, meaning AI, EPS or PDF, as they stay sharp at any size. If you’re working with images, a TIFF or high-resolution PDF is the safe choice. A logo taken from a presentation or a screenshot of your website rarely passes the check.
Always calculate your resolution at actual size. For smaller pieces that people look at up close, keep to 150 dpi; for large prints seen from a few metres away, 100 dpi is enough. Scaling up a small file doesn’t help, it only makes it bigger and blurrier.
Allow some extra image all round beyond the final size, so no white edge appears when cutting or hemming. Exactly how much differs per product, and we’ll tell you for each job. Keep your logo and your most important text away from the edges too. With frames a strip disappears under the profile, and with fabric there’s a stitched seam around the print.
Supply your files in CMYK. If you have fixed brand colours, include your Pantone reference as a guide, and bear in mind that the same colour looks slightly different on fabric than on PVC. Convert your fonts to outlines before sending, so nothing can be substituted when the file is opened. Unsure about the dimensions? Let us know which product you’re choosing and you’ll get a template with the dimensions, bleed and safe zone already drawn in.
Stand materials don’t just need to look good, they also need to fit in a car and be put up by two people. Ask for the carry bag or case that comes with each item. A beach flag belongs in a slim cover, a roll-up usually has its own bag, and for a full wall there are sturdy cases, sometimes on wheels.
Watch the weight too. Two people can lift a light fabric frame without effort, while the bases and filled water tanks of outdoor materials make up most of your load. So don’t just plan who designs the materials, but also who carries them that morning.
For set-up there’s a simple rule of thumb. A roll-up is up in a minute, a beach flag in a few minutes, and a fabric wall quickly takes two people half an hour to an hour, depending on the width. Factor that into your build-up day, together with dressing the counter and the trade fair clothing that needs to be ready.
Store everything dry and complete between fairs. Only pack prints away once they’re truly dry, because damp fabric in a closed case causes stains and odours. Keep the instructions, bolts and spare parts in that same case and write on the outside what’s inside. Otherwise you’ll be searching for that one piece at the next fair.
Finally, bear in mind that large-format printing takes longer than small promotional items. Prints are printed, cut and stitched, and frames sometimes come from the manufacturer’s stock. In spring and autumn the trade fair calendar is full, so ideally send your final files a few weeks before your build-up day. That leaves room for a correction and for relaxed transport.
After you approve the design, large-format printing and frames usually need a few more weeks before everything is delivered. If you’re still designing yourself, or someone internally still needs to give their blessing, add that time on top. In busy trade fair periods lead times increase. Give us your exact fair date and we’ll give you a latest order date in writing.
Preferably vector, meaning AI, EPS or PDF, as it stays sharp at any size. If you’re working with photos or images, supply a TIFF or high-resolution PDF calculated at actual size. Convert your fonts to outlines and supply in CMYK. If in doubt, we’ll send you a template per product.
Standing outdoors during the day is no problem, as long as you use the right base. A ground spike in grass or soft ground, a filled water tank, or a cross base with weights on hard surfaces. In strong winds and at night it’s best to bring the flag in. That way the pole doesn’t bend and the flag doesn’t fray.
Yes. If you only have a logo and an idea, we’ll develop it into a print-ready design in your house style. If you work with your own designer or a design agency, we’ll supply templates with the right dimensions, bleed and safe zone. Let us know what you already have and we’ll build on that.
With most systems, yes, and that’s why we recommend investing in a sturdy frame. With a fabric frame you pull off the print and slide in a new one. With a roll-up you usually replace the cassette with the print and keep the base. With a beach flag the pole and base stay, only the flag is new. Tell us which system you have and we’ll check whether it’s interchangeable.
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