Trade show stand checklist: what to order and when
Back wall, roller banners, counter or tablecloth, flyers and business cards: real sizes, prices and turnaround days, with a plan that counts back from show day.
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A trade show stand checklist starts with four things: a back wall (a backdrop, pop-up or fabric wall), one or two roller banners at the front edge, something to stand behind (a promotional counter or a table with a printed tablecloth), and print to hand out (flyers and business cards). Everything else is detail. The part people get wrong is timing, because stand items have longer turnarounds than most print.
Below is the full list with our real sizes, from-prices and working days to dispatch, followed by a worked plan that counts back from the show date.
Before you order anything: get the stand details #
Read the exhibitor manual or ask the organiser for these first, because they decide what fits and shape every other line of your trade show stand checklist.
- Stand size and type. A shell scheme stand has walls already; a space-only stand is bare floor. Note the width, depth and wall height.
- Height limits. Many halls cap how high displays can go.
- Fixing rules. Some shell schemes allow hook-and-loop tape or hooks on the walls; others do not allow anything fixed to them.
- Material rules. Some venues ask for fire ratings on stand materials. If the manual asks for a certificate, contact us before ordering so we can confirm what is available for that product.
- Delivery address and access times. Decide whether stand items come to your office or go straight to the venue, and check the venue will accept a courier parcel before build-up day.
The trade show stand checklist #
| Item | Sizes | From | Standard days to dispatch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Backdrop banner (hemmed, eyelets) | 6 ft 7 in × 6 ft 7 in (2000 × 2000 mm) to 13 ft 1 in × 8 ft 2 in (4000 × 2500 mm), or custom up to 6 m wide | £114.53 | 3 (Express 1) |
| Fabric pop-up display stand | 3×3 or 3×4, graphic and frame | £1109.54 | 6 (Express 5) |
| Straight stretch fabric display wall | 2.5, 3, 4, 5 or 6 m wide | £441.55 | 8 (Express 6) |
| Roller banner | 800, 850, 1000, 1200 or 1500 × 2000 mm | £65.33 | 4 (Express 2) |
| Promotional counter | Oval, rectangle or triangle | £182.18 | 8 (Express 6) |
| Printed tablecloth | Small, Medium or Large | £176.69 | 7 (Express 5) |
| Printed table runner | 600 × 2200 mm or 800 × 2200 mm | £75.22 | 7 (Express 5) |
| Flyers | A7 to A3, including A5 (148 × 210 mm) and DL (99 × 210 mm) | £19.42 | 3 (Express 2) |
| Business cards | 85 × 55 mm, 350gsm or 450gsm silk | £20.00 | 3 (Express 2) |
Not every stand needs every line of this trade show stand checklist: a shell scheme with walls may need only graphics, a table and print. From-prices are the cheapest option on each product page (usually Saver turnaround and the smallest size). The configurator shows the live price for your choices. No VAT is added, as we are not VAT registered.
The back wall: backdrop, pop-up or fabric wall #
The back wall is what people see from across the aisle, so it carries your name and one line saying what you do. There are three ways to do it.
Backdrop banner
A trade show backdrop is a printed banner in 440gsm PVC with hems and eyelets, or 400gsm PVC-free material. It is the lowest cost and the fastest (3 working days on Standard, 1 on Express), but it needs a frame or wall to hang from. The 10 ft × 8 ft (3048 × 2438 mm) and 13 ft 1 in × 8 ft 2 in (4000 × 2500 mm) sizes are over 3 m on one side, so they carry the £15 oversize delivery charge, once per order.
Fabric pop-up stand
A fabric pop-up display stand comes as a graphic and frame together, and forms a curved back wall. A 3×3 suits shell scheme stands about 3 m wide; a 3×4 suits wider stands, but check the stand depth, because the curve takes up floor space.
Stretch fabric wall
A straight stretch fabric display wall gives a flat wall in widths from 2.5 m to 6 m, printed on one side or both. Curved and wave versions are also available. You can buy the graphic and frame, or the graphic only if you already own a compatible frame. Fabric graphics pack small and crease less than vinyl, which helps if the stand travels to several shows.
The front of the stand: roller banners #
Roller banners are 2000 mm tall and 800 to 1500 mm wide, with Budget, Standard Plus or Premium cartridges and a choice of 440gsm banner vinyl or 610gsm blockout PVC. Blockout matters when a banner stands in front of a bright window or light, because it stops the light showing through.
Two roller banners at the front corners of an open stand frame the space and point to the back wall. Keep the main message in the top two thirds, as tables and visitors hide the bottom. Our roller banner buying guide compares widths and cartridges in more depth.
Where people talk: counters and tablecloths #
A counter gives you somewhere to stand, a surface for a laptop or samples, and a printed front that carries your logo at table height. Our promotional counters come in oval, rectangle and triangle shapes, as a graphic and frame or a graphic only for replacing an old wrap. Use the front for your logo and one short message.
If the venue supplies a table, a printed tablecloth turns it into branded space and hides boxes stored underneath. Measure the table before choosing Small, Medium or Large so the cloth drops to the floor at the front. A table runner (600 or 800 × 2200 mm) is a cheaper option when the table already has a plain cloth.
Print to hand out #
Keep this part of your trade show stand checklist realistic: a visitor walking a busy hall will take a flyer and a card far more readily than a heavy brochure they have to carry all day. A single A5 flyer on 170gsm or 250gsm silk, with one clear offer and your contact details, does more work than a thick pack. Our flyer vs leaflet guide explains when a folded leaflet is worth it instead.
Business cards go to anyone who asks for a follow-up. Bring more than you think you need, as they are cheap and quick to reprint for the next show. Flyers and cards are both 3 working days to dispatch on Standard.
Plan it back from the show date #
Working days to dispatch count Monday to Friday, not bank holidays, from when your order and artwork are confirmed. Courier delivery is usually 1 to 3 working days after dispatch. Here is a worked example for a show on a Thursday, with a fabric wall, two roller banners, a counter, flyers and cards, all on Standard:
- Longest item first. The fabric wall and counter are 8 working days to dispatch. Add up to 3 days for delivery and a day or two of slack, and you need their artwork confirmed about three working weeks before the show.
- Middle items. Roller banners (4 days) can be ordered a week or so later, but ordering everything together is simpler and gives one delivery.
- Short items last if needed. Flyers and cards (3 days) are the ones to hold back if an offer or price is not final.
- Check delivery. Delivery to the UK mainland is £7.95 per order, free when the goods total is £99 or more.
If you are late, Express cuts the time on most items: backdrops go down to 1 working day to dispatch and roller banners to 2. A trade show stand checklist with the order dates written next to each item stops the last-week rush.
On the day: a short packing list #
Tick off this last part of the trade show stand checklist the night before you travel.
- Every graphic, frame and base, checked at home before you travel.
- Cable ties, scissors, hook-and-loop tape (if the venue allows it) and a small toolkit.
- Extension lead and phone chargers, if your stand has power.
- Flyers, business cards and a way to collect contact details.
- The exhibitor manual, your stand number and the organiser’s contact.
The HSE event safety pages cover the organiser’s duties at events. Your own stand rules come from the exhibitor manual, so treat that as the final word on sizes and materials.
Not sure what fits your stand? Send us the stand size and show date through get a quote, or call 0161 315 1151, and we will help you work through the trade show stand checklist item by item.
