How to use this checklist
Timings below are a general guide. Every show has its own deadlines for stand approval, service orders and badges, and they are all in the organiser’s exhibitor manual. Read it early, copy the key dates into your calendar and work back from them.
Give each item an owner. Exhibiting involves marketing, sales, logistics and finance, and many tasks slip because everyone assumes someone else has them. A single coordinator who holds the manual, the deadlines and the supplier contacts makes the whole process calmer.
The most common causes of last-minute stress are predictable: stand drawings submitted after the approval deadline, power ordered too late or at the wrong capacity, graphics files that are not print-ready, badges not registered and shipments stuck on the way. Each of them has a place in the phases below.
You can also download the printable checklist on this page, share it with your team and tick items off as you go.
90 days or more before the show
- Set clear goals for the show: leads, meetings, launches or brand awareness, and how you will measure them.
- Agree the overall budget, including space, stand, services, travel and hospitality. Our stand cost guide explains what to include.
- Book your space and get the floor plan and plot number.
- Download and read the organiser’s exhibitor manual; note every deadline.
- Choose your stand builder and share the brief, plot size and open sides. The stand types guide helps you decide the format.
- Decide which products, demos and messages the stand must carry.
- Plan travel and accommodation for staff if the show is in another city.
60 days before
- Sign off the 3D design after revisions. You can start one yourself with our 3D stand planner.
- Submit stand drawings for organiser approval before their deadline.
- Order power, water, internet and other services through the organiser.
- Confirm screens, lighting and AV needs and start preparing screen content.
- Plan shipping of exhibits and samples, including any customs steps.
- Arrange insurance if the organiser requires it.
- Start marketing: tell customers your stand number and invite them to book meetings.
30 days before
- Send final, print-ready graphics files to your builder in the agreed formats.
- Register staff and order exhibitor badges.
- Confirm stand furniture, storage and any rented items.
- Prepare brochures, samples and promotional giveaways.
- Set up lead capture: a badge scanner, a form or an app, and decide what data you need.
- Book hospitality if you plan to offer catering or coffee on the stand.
- Confirm build-up and breakdown times and vehicle access with your builder.
The final two weeks
- Hold a staff briefing: goals, key messages, who covers which shift and how to log leads.
- Confirm shipping has arrived or is on schedule.
- Prepare a stand kit: chargers, extension leads, tape, cleaning items, stationery and first aid.
- Check that all badges, service orders and approvals are confirmed in writing.
- Share a contact list: builder, organiser contacts and the on-site team lead.
- Send reminders to customers and prospects who booked meetings.
Build-up days
- Have someone from your team on site to meet the builder and answer questions.
- Check the stand against the approved design: dimensions, graphics, logos and spelling.
- Test power, lighting, screens and content before handover.
- Unpack and place products, samples and brochures.
- Know where storage is and keep the stand clear of boxes.
- Sign off the handover and note anything to fix before opening.
Show days
- Start each morning with a short team briefing on goals and the day’s meetings.
- Keep the stand clean, tidy and staffed at all times, especially at opening.
- Log every lead with notes on what they need and the agreed next step.
- Take photos and video of the stand and activities for later use.
- Follow the organiser’s rules on noise, aisles and safety.
- Keep the builder’s on-site contact close in case anything needs attention.
After the show
- Follow up every lead within 48 hours while the conversation is fresh.
- Sort leads by priority and pass them to the right salespeople.
- Arrange breakdown and return of exhibits; confirm what is stored for reuse.
- Review results against your goals and costs.
- Write down what worked and what to change for next time.
- Check the upcoming shows calendar and set alerts for your next show.
If you want one team to handle the stand from design to breakdown, see our exhibition stands service, including shows in Riyadh, or book a consultation call.