Signs & Large Format Print
Timeline: what to do when
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 8–6 weeks before | Confirm the stand, download the floor plan and technical rules (heights, fixings, power, build-up times). Set the budget. |
| 6–5 weeks before | Decide on equipment: display wall, roll-ups, counter, modules, lighting. Request a quote and possibly a stand visual. |
| 5–4 weeks before | Design the graphics: wall, roll-ups, counter, flyers, brochure. Gather product photos, the logo as a vector, up-to-date contact details. |
| 4–3 weeks before | Approve the designs and order production. Order multi-page print (brochures) first. Allow extra days for international delivery. |
| 2 weeks before | Collect or receive the materials. Do a trial set-up of the wall and roll-ups at your office. Order name badges for staff. |
| A week before | Pack the stand from the list; check the route, hall access and build-up hours. |
| The day before / build-up | Set up, check lighting and power, lay out the materials. |
If time is shorter, this can be compressed: 24-hour express printing is possible with a correct file delivered by midday. But design and approvals on the client's side take most of the time, not production. The scenario we see most often: design approved on Friday, show on Tuesday, and suddenly it turns out the brochure has an old phone number.
Materials checklist for the stand
A list worth printing and ticking off. Not everything is needed for every show, but it is better to leave something out deliberately than to forget it.
Structure and backdrop
- fabric display wall or SEG frame modules: the stand backdrop,
- roll-ups: at the entrance, on the aisle edge,
- promotional counter with graphics,
- lighting, an LED frame with the logo, extension leads and power strips,
- floor graphics or carpet, if the organiser allows.
Material to hand out
- flyers and leaflets: usually several hundred a day with average footfall,
- brochure or price list,
- business cards for everyone on the stand,
- giveaways: pens, notebooks, bags, lanyards.
For staff
- badges with name and company,
- matching branded T-shirts or fleeces,
- a form or tablet for collecting contacts.
Toolbox
- double-sided tape, scissors, cable ties, hook-and-loop tape, a cloth, spare bulbs or a power supply, plasters, water.
What it costs: print and small items
For reference, a few prices from our list, net:
- business cards 90 × 50 mm, double-sided, matt coated 350 g: 500 for approx. €15, 1,000 for approx. €25,
- DL roll-fold leaflet, 6 pages, coated 130 g: 1,000 for approx. €90,
- A4 stapled brochure, 16 pages, matt coated 170 g: 100 for approx. €220, 500 for approx. €490,
- personalised badges 90 × 50 mm: 100 for approx. €60,
- A4 print on a T-shirt at 20–49 pieces: approx. €3.30 each,
- pens with a one-colour print at 500 pieces: from approx. €0.35 each,
- printed kraft paper bags: 100 for approx. €185.
The cost of the stand itself (wall, roll-ups and counter) is covered separately in how much does an exhibition stand cost.
The most common mistakes before a show
From talking to clients after they return from shows, these are the ones that come up most often:
- No technical rules. A 3 m wall on a 2.9 m wide stand, or a flag taller than the permitted build height: it happens more often than you would think.
- A low-resolution logo. A file from the website looks fine on screen but is blurred on a 3 m wall. A vector logo is essential; more in vector logo for print.
- Too much text on the wall. From the aisle people see it for 2–3 seconds. What counts is the name, what you do and one differentiator.
- Too few flyers or too many brochures. Expensive brochures are best given only to genuine prospects, with a cheaper flyer for passers-by.
- The first set-up in the hall. A wall put up for the first time on build-up day always takes longer. A trial run at the office saves nerves.
- 24 hexpress printing (UV inks need no drying)
- approx. 3 daysstandard lead time
- up to 14 dayslarge and custom projects with installation
Plus courier delivery. Tell us your date — we plan production around it.
Shipping to the show and collection
We can send the materials by courier to your office or, if the organiser accepts deliveries for exhibitors, straight to the hall. In that case you need the exact address with hall and stand number, and to check from when the organiser accepts parcels.
For larger builds we can also come with an installation crew and set up the stand on site, in Poland and abroad, or arrange a partner team in the EU. Installation and travel costs are given in the quote. Our own vans run across Europe every day, which also helps with bulky stand elements.