Plan your exhibition stand backwards from the organiser’s deadlines, not only from the show’s opening day. Design submissions, service orders, artwork approvals and the build-up window may all need attention before visitors arrive. The right starting date depends on your stand’s scope and the builder’s confirmed production schedule.
If you are planning a custom exhibition stand in South Africa, use the sequence below to turn the event date into a workable project plan. It applies whether your exhibition is in Cape Town, Johannesburg or Durban; the actual deadlines must come from your organiser and project team.
Start with the dates you cannot move
Ask the organiser for the current exhibitor manual, stand floor plan and service-order forms. Record the deadline for submitting a stand design, the dates for ordering event services, and the times when contractors can access the venue.
Keep opening day, installation and dismantling as separate calendar entries. “The exhibition starts on Thursday” does not tell your builder when installation must be finished or when the stand can be removed.
Venue information can help you prepare. For example, the CTICC exhibition venue specifications describe hall facilities and access. Confirm the current requirements for your particular event rather than relying on a previous show’s instructions.
Agree a schedule around the decisions that unlock the next stage
A useful plan shows what must be approved before work moves forward. Ask your stand builder to map the milestones below to actual dates, including any dependencies that could affect delivery.
| Milestone | What needs to be confirmed | Who should own it |
|---|---|---|
| Brief agreed | Event, footprint, goals, essential features and budget | Your approval contact and builder |
| Concept approved | Layout, brand presentation and included features | Your approval contact |
| Event submissions complete | Documents required by the organiser and venue | The agreed project contact |
| Artwork signed off | Final logos, copy, images and print-ready files | Your brand or marketing contact |
| Production confirmed | Approved scope, materials and any outstanding decisions | Your stand builder |
| Installation and handover | Access, delivered items and checks before opening | Your builder and on-site contact |
| Post-show close-out | Dismantling, return transport and any agreed storage | The parties named in the quote |
These are planning checkpoints, not a promise that every project can be completed in a fixed number of weeks. Ask the builder to confirm what is feasible for your event.
Prepare the brief before comparing designs
Explain who you want to meet and what should happen on the stand. Product demonstrations, sales meetings and a launch presentation require different layouts. Give the stand dimensions, open sides and details of any equipment you will bring.
Use our exhibition stand design brief checklist to gather the inputs. Separating essential features from preferences makes it easier to decide what to keep if timing or budget is limited.
Give approvals a clear owner
Choose one person to consolidate feedback and agree when stakeholders will review the concept. Keep approval of the design, the quotation and the final artwork distinct: signing off a layout does not necessarily mean that every printed message is ready.
If feedback changes the scope, ask what that means for the schedule and cost before confirming it. Small-looking additions can require new artwork, different components or changes to installation arrangements.
Confirm the practical arrangements before build-up
Check who is arranging transport, installation, power, connectivity, furniture and any specialist event services. Record the responsibilities in the proposal or project plan so that your team and the builder are not each expecting the other to handle an item.
Our guide to exhibition stand cost factors explains why quote inclusions matter. Timing and budget should be considered together: a plan is incomplete if an essential service has neither an owner nor a budget.
Plan for opening day and the work afterwards
Agree how the stand will be checked before handover. Your own team should also know the product demonstration, main message and process for recording enquiries. A finished stand gives you the setting for conversations; lead qualification and follow-up still need people and a plan.
Before the show, decide who will contact prospects afterwards and how enquiries will be recorded. Keep the operational close-out separate: confirm who dismantles the stand, what is returned and which components may be kept for future use.
What if your exhibition is already close?
Send the event details, floor plan, budget and essential requirements immediately, then ask for a realistic feasibility check. Be prepared to simplify the scope. Avoid treating a rushed concept or an available photograph as confirmation that a particular build can be delivered on your dates.
Exhibition planning questions
How far in advance should I contact a stand builder?
Contact the builder before the organiser’s submission and service-order deadlines. Share the scope and event dates so the team can confirm a workable schedule. There is no single lead time that suits every custom stand.
Can an existing stand be reused at another event?
Possibly, depending on its design, condition and the new footprint. Share photographs, dimensions and the next event’s requirements early so adaptation and logistics can be considered.
Should my marketing team be involved in the project plan?
Yes. Give them responsibility for brand assets, messages and artwork approvals, and connect those deadlines to the builder’s production plan.
Start planning your stand with 369
369 provides exhibition stand design, manufacturing and installation. Share your event date, venue, stand dimensions and objectives to start a conversation about the scope and schedule.
