Custom Booth Design Process: Decisions, Scope and Handover

A custom booth design process turns an agreed exhibition brief into coordinated design, production and installation information. The useful checkpoints are decisions with named owners: what the stand must do, which concept meets the brief, what is approved for production and how the finished work will be handed over.

Start the custom booth design process with a usable brief

Confirm the event, booked plot, open sides and current organiser documents. Describe the audience, products, demonstrations, meetings, storage and staff tasks. Include actual product dimensions and weights, service requirements, brand files, budget scope and the people who can approve decisions.

The AUMA briefing guidance provides a reference for agreeing objectives, resources and responsibilities. Identify unresolved inputs so the designer can distinguish a requirement from an assumption.

Agree the decision stages and deliverables

Stage	Decision	Record
Brief agreement	What must the stand support?	Requirements, priorities, exclusions and outstanding inputs.
Concept selection	Which layout and design direction should develop?	Selected option, reasons, cost scope and conditions.
Design development	How will products, materials and services work together?	Coordinated drawings, specifications, samples and responsibilities.
Production release	What may be made and ordered?	Approved revisions, required submissions and change controls.
Handover	Has the agreed deliverable been provided?	Checks, operating information and unresolved items with owners.

Compare concepts through the same activities

Check where visitors arrive, inspect products, join demonstrations and meet staff. Include furniture, equipment, door movements and usable storage. Compare options against the same brief and cost categories rather than choosing the most flattering rendering.

Use checked plans and dimensions alongside 3D views. The 3D exhibition stand design guide explains useful inputs and review questions. A model assists communication; it does not establish structural suitability or replace technical review.

Specify materials, graphics and reuse

Agree the actual substrate, finish, fixing method and acceptance evidence for relevant elements. Review physical samples and print proofs where appearance matters. Allocate responsibility for artwork, approvals, production files and replacement graphics.

For environmental objectives, define the claim and evidence needed: material origin, certified scope, actual reuse, repair or disposal route. Bamboo, aluminium or recycled plastic is not automatically the lowest-impact choice for every application. Assess the complete assembly and programme rather than relying on a material label.

If the stand will be reused, confirm which components can fit the future plots, how they are packed and who owns, stores, maintains and adapts them. Include these tasks in the offer and programme.

Coordinate production and event requirements

Identify the applicable event rules, submission requirements, service orders and deadlines. IFEMA’s regulations directory distinguishes locations and organiser arrangements; use the documents for the actual event instead of a generic country checklist.

Ask production and installation teams to review buildability, transport dimensions, access and assembly requirements before release. Clarify who performs specialist work and required inspections. In-house production or subcontracting alone does not establish quality; assess competence, evidence and responsibility.

Manage changes and handover

When a request changes scope, record the affected revision, cost, schedule and approval implications. Issue the authorised update to all affected suppliers. Do not assume a small digital change has no effect on ordered materials or services.

At handover, check the agreed presentation and operating tasks with the responsible contractor. Technical sign-offs belong with the appropriately competent people. The exhibitor’s visual walkthrough is useful for spotting issues but cannot certify structural or electrical safety.

Record missing items, defects and required responses, including who will resolve them and when. Confirm event support, dismantling, return and storage arrangements before the project team leaves.

Frequently asked questions

Who should make the final design decision?

Name the client approver and distinguish design, commercial, technical and organiser approvals. Gather specialist input without leaving ownership of the final decision unclear.

What does production approval cover?

It should identify the documents, specifications and scope being released. Confirm any conditions and required technical or organiser permissions rather than treating a presentation image as complete approval.

How can we compare suppliers?

Give them the same brief and compare deliverables, responsibilities, exclusions, evidence and complete costs. Ask for relevant project references and a documented change and handover process.

Share your brief and approval schedule with Adam Expo Stand and request a written design and production scope.