how to choose a trade fair stand.

The first fork is fundamental: do you assemble the stand from a modular system or build it from scratch for a single event? A modular system such as Octanorm goes together from standard profiles and panels that you take apart and store after the fair, then reassemble in a different layout next time. No welding, no gluing, no waste. The cost spreads across several appearances, so the price per event is far lower.

A custom-built stand is the reverse logic. It is made once, often with bonded panels and fixed elements that cannot be reused afterwards. Visually it can be seamless and fully bespoke, but you pay for every square metre again, every time. It makes sense for a one-off flagship appearance or a permanent showroom build, less so for a company that exhibits every year.

Octanorm builds on aluminium maxima profiles in 40, 80 and 120 millimetre widths. The number is the profile width: 40 millimetres for lighter walls and partition panels, 80 and 120 millimetres for load-bearing structures, mezzanines and larger spans. The same connection logic runs through the whole line, so elements stay compatible and you expand the kit over time.

Size is not only floor area; it is also how many sides the stand is open on. Both drive the layout and how much wall you need.

The layout type is set by the organiser through the hall plan, and you adapt the structure to it. A row stand is open on one side and sits between neighbours: the rear wall carries the load and doubles as the main graphic surface. A corner stand is open on two sides and gives more room to enter. An island stands free on all four sides with no backing wall, so it needs a self-supporting structure and often a tall element or mezzanine to read from a distance.

Once the system is chosen, the stand comes together from a few groups of parts. Each has its job and each is worth thinking through on its own.

Walls are the backbone of the appearance. The maxima and octawall systemic walls carry graphics, shelves and screens while framing the space. Lighting decides how products look: spotlights with a colour rendering index of CRI 90, such as the ERON Pro line, render colours faithfully, with no yellow or grey cast. Flooring lifts the stand above the bare hall: an expofloor platform levels the surface and carries the covering. Counters and bars are where the conversation happens, so place them in clear view by the entrance. Integrated octalumina LED lighting turns walls and lettering into luminous surfaces that pull the eye from across the hall.

The decision is mostly arithmetic and turns on how often you exhibit. If you attend a fair once or twice a year and have no storage, renting the stand is usually cheaper and simpler: the structure arrives ready, you return it after the fair and store nothing.

Buying starts to pay off with regular appearances. After a handful of fairs an owned modular system is cheaper than repeated rental, and you gain control over the look and the freedom to adapt the layout each time. A middle path is to buy the load-bearing structure and rent the graphics and equipment that change between events. With a modular system, buying does not lock you into one shape: you reassemble the same profiles differently every time.

Cost is driven most by floor area, height and structural complexity, the amount of graphics and print, the lighting and any mezzanine. Integrated technology, screens and furniture push the figure up, but are often what sets an appearance apart. A realistic estimate only comes from the floor plan; without it the numbers are guesswork.

The timeline is the second constraint. Graphics and print must be prepared and approved a few weeks before the build, or you risk a rushed job and mistakes. The assembly of a modular stand itself is fast and needs no welding, so the build in the hall runs in hours, not days. The more integrated technology and bespoke elements there are, the longer the lead time, so do not leave the choice to the last moment.

The fastest route to a realistic quote is to send the plan of the stand and the hall. From it we read the layout type, the floor area and the open sides, and propose a system that fits your budget and timeline. If you do not have a plan yet, a rough size and the number of open sides are enough. You can also see the systems in person in the showroom, where they are set up and assembled.