exhibition stand electrics: power supplies, transformers and cables.

The total connected load on a stand is the sum of everything running simultaneously: LED luminaires, power supplies, displays and any other consumer. The exhibition organiser allocates a connected load in kilowatts or amps on a single-phase socket; that figure is the hard ceiling the stand must not exceed, because exceeding it trips the circuit breaker on the entire connection.

LED luminaires are the most economical category by load. A spotlight or track fitting for a stand draws far less than an equivalent halogen unit, so the combined luminaire total stays low even on a densely lit stand. Displays and monitors are more demanding and add up quickly across several screens. Computers, cash registers, refrigerators and induction plates at the front desk are consumers that must be declared separately.

A safe approach is to total the rated power of all consumers and order the allocated connection at least a fifth above that sum, because power supplies draw a brief inrush current at startup that exceeds their steady-state draw. Submit the connection request to the organiser under the technical regulations of the fair, typically weeks before opening: booking at stand registration is cheaper and guaranteed, while a late request is often more expensive or simply unavailable.

24 volts DC is the standard operating voltage for LED lighting on Octanorm stands: Octalumina profiles and adapted LED track systems carry this potential, converted from mains 230 V by a power supply unit. The power supply, commonly called a transformer though modern units are switched-mode, accepts mains alternating current and converts it to stable 24 V that LED luminaires require for reliable operation.

The rated power of the supply determines how many LED consumers it can feed. Each luminaire states its wattage in its technical data; the combined load of all luminaires connected to one supply must not exceed its rated output, and in practice staying below four fifths of that rating avoids overheating and extends the life of the unit. For longer LED strips and tracks it is often better to distribute several smaller supplies along the profile than to place one large unit at one end, because voltage drop along the cable reduces the brightness of distant luminaires.

When mounting a power supply on a stand, ventilation must be provided. Switched-mode supplies dissipate some heat that cannot be removed inside a sealed profile or enclosure with no airspace; an overheated unit protects itself by shutting down, which means the lights go out mid-show. Octanorm profiles have longitudinal slots that serve both cable routing and basic air circulation; mount the supply where at least a small opening is nearby.

Three connector types appear on most exhibition stands, each serving a distinct role. IEC 60320 C13 is the standard female connector on the end of a power lead, familiar as the lead for a power supply or monitor; C14 is the matching male inlet, most commonly on the housing of a power supply. Schuko is the standard European socket and plug for 230 V mains; it connects the stand to the organiser supply. PowerCon is a locking power connector that locks by rotation and cannot be accidentally pulled out, making it suitable for cables that must remain connected throughout the event.

The difference between connectors is not only shape but the degree to which the connection is secure. A standard schuko plug can work loose when nudged or knocked; a C13/C14 pair stays in firmly; a PowerCon connector cannot be extracted without a deliberate twist. On a live stand where visitors walk past, it is worth routing lighting and display power through connectors that cannot be accidentally disconnected. At the same time, C13/C14 leads at luminaire equipment are not interchangeable with any schuko lead of the same cable diameter, because the maximum current rating of the contact differs even though both operate at 230 V.

Cable length affects voltage drop and therefore the operation of LED power supplies and luminaires. For 230 V mains runs to the organiser connection the distances are normally short and a standard lead carries the current without a noticeable drop. The 24 V DC side is more critical: because the voltage is lower, the same conductor resistance causes a proportionally larger drop; on longer runs it is worth increasing the conductor cross-section or distributing supply points along the stand. Do not route cables under walkway surfaces without protection and do not fix them to profiles with adhesive tape, because heat loosens the adhesive and the cable falls at an inconvenient moment.

Power distribution on a stand begins at the organiser connection, typically a schuko socket, and branches to each consumer. Extension strips and adapters brought by the exhibitor must be inspected and approved by the organiser; an unchecked stack of sockets without protection is not only a breach of regulations but a genuine fire risk in an enclosed exhibition hall. A distribution unit with individual fused outputs is a more appropriate solution that is easier to approve and to inspect.

Cables must be routed on the stand so they do not lie freely on the floor where visitors walk, trip or scuff them. Octanorm profiles have a longitudinal channel provided specifically for cabling: cables run inside the profile and exit only at the connector or consumer point. Where a cable must cross a floor area, lay a rubber cable protector or route the cable under a raised floor, which has an empty void under its surface for exactly this purpose. A cable lying unprotected across a walkway is a risk that the organiser and the insurer cannot overlook.

Protection against overload is the job of the fuse or circuit breaker at the allocated connection, not of an improvised extension strip. If the connection trips during the event, the cause is that the combined load of consumers exceeds the allocated connection, not a faulty socket. The correct response is to reduce simultaneous load or to order a higher-capacity connection from the organiser. Adding an intermediate distribution unit with a fuse does not protect against overload; it merely adds an intermediate point that trips instead of the one at the organiser connection.

Electrics added to a stand in the final week solve the basics but leave traces: cables visible along profiles, power supplies fixed with adhesive tape, extension leads on the floor and insufficient connected load for everything that needs to be switched on. Electrics planned alongside the structure, by contrast, disappear into the profiles, power supplies have a designated position with ventilation access and the connected load is ordered at the correct figure at stand registration.

In practice this means defining supply points at the same time as the floor plan: where the organiser connection falls relative to the hall layout, how many separate lighting circuits the stand has, where the displays are and whether any furniture includes its own sockets. From that comes how many power supplies are needed, at what rated power and where they sit in the profile. Octanorm profiles accept cabling in every segment; a cable enters at one end and exits at the consumer, leaving nothing visible on the face of the stand.

Once the electrical plan is coordinated with the structural plan, the order to the organiser becomes straightforward: total the rated power of the supplies, monitors and all other consumers, add the headroom and declare one figure in the technical regulations. The organiser allocates the connection at a defined point in the hall, which you account for when laying out profiles and cable runs. On the day of installation in the hall there is no improvisation, because every cable run was anticipated and every power supply has its place.