The short version
Every show and supplier has its own deadlines, so treat these as typical ranges and replace them with the real dates from your exhibitor manual and your printer.
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| As soon as the space is booked | Read the exhibitor manual, note the deadlines and rules, choose the booth size and hardware. |
| About 10 to 12 weeks before | Set the goal and the one message, get the supplier's templates, brief the designer. |
| About 8 weeks before | First design direction, previewed on the real booth size. |
| About 6 weeks before | Revisions, final copy and approvals from everyone who needs to sign off. |
| About 4 to 5 weeks before | Final files to the printer, proofs checked. Order handouts and cards. |
| About 2 to 3 weeks before | Production and shipping, often to an advance warehouse. |
| Show week | Install, check screens and lead capture, brief the team. |
When the space is booked: read the exhibitor manual
The exhibitor manual is the most useful document you will get. It sets the booth size, height limits, rules for side walls and hanging signs, fire and safety rules, and the deadlines for shipping and services. Note every date in one calendar before any design starts.
Decide the booth size and the hardware now, because the graphics are built to the hardware. The size guides show what each size usually needs.
10 to 12 weeks before: goal, message and brief
Agree what the booth is for: new leads, meetings with existing customers, a product launch or recruiting. Then write the one message a visitor should remember. Everything else on the wall supports it.
Brief the designer with the goal, the message, the booth size, the supplier's templates, your logo and brand files, and the deadline. The contact form is built to collect exactly this.
8 weeks before: first direction
A first design direction shows the layout, the headline and the main visual on the real booth size. Looking at it in 3D, rather than as flat panels, makes it easier for everyone to judge. Booth Studio can show a quick version with your logo in your browser.
6 weeks before: copy and approvals
This is where most time is lost. Collect the final wording, product names, photos and legal checks now, and agree who signs off. One combined round of feedback from the whole team is faster than several separate ones.
4 to 5 weeks before: files to the printer
Send print-ready files, check the proofs carefully and approve them in writing. Printer deadlines often fall several weeks before the show to leave time for production and shipping, so ask for your date early. The artwork checklist covers what the files need.
Order matching print at the same time: flyers, business cards, roll-up banners and table covers, so everything arrives together.
Show week and after
- Set up early, check every panel for damage and alignment, and test screens and QR codes.
- Brief the team on the message, so what they say matches the wall.
- After the show, follow up with leads quickly, pack the graphics carefully and note what to change before the next show.