The most common mistake we see at exhibitions is a booth booked at whatever size the budget allows, then packed with more than it can hold: a big screen, a product display, a meeting table, a storeroom and five staff. The walkways inside the stand turn narrow, and visitors walk past because they can’t see anywhere to stand.
The opposite mistake happens too. A large stand with little traffic looks empty even at peak times, and you pay for every extra metre twice, once for the space and again for the build. Both decisions were driven by one number, the budget, rather than by what will actually happen on the stand.
Here is the method we use with clients before they book: start with the conversations you want, turn them into square metres, then add what you plan to show. It takes fifteen minutes and can save you from a mistake that lasts the whole show.
Start from visitors, not metres
A booth is for conversations first and display second, so start with how many serious conversations you want. That figure comes from your commercial goal: the number of prospects sales needs after the show. What you can afford comes next.
Once you have it, work through four steps:
- Conversations per hour: divide your daily conversation target by the show’s daily opening hours.
- Simultaneous conversations: multiply conversations per hour by the average conversation length in minutes, then divide by 60.
- Conversation space: allow about 4 m² for each simultaneous conversation. That is enough for one member of staff and one or two visitors without blocking anyone else.
- Display and storage: add what the screens, products, meeting table and storeroom need.
Visitors don’t arrive evenly through the day. In our experience traffic bunches up at certain times, often around midday and after the main sessions of any conference running alongside the show. We multiply simultaneous conversations by about 1.5 to cover the busiest hour, then round up.
A worked example
Say a technology company is exhibiting at a three-day show in Dubai that opens seven hours a day. The sales team wants 300 qualified conversations across the show.
- 300 conversations over three days is 100 a day, or roughly 14 an hour.
- A serious conversation averages 10 minutes, so 14 × 10 ÷ 60 gives about 2.3 conversations at once.
- With the peak factor, 2.3 × 1.5 is about 3.5, which we round up to 4.
- Conversation space: 4 × 4 = 16 m².
- A demo counter with a screen and room to stand in front of it: about 5 m².
- A small meeting table for four: about 6 m².
- A small store for brochures, bags and water: about 3 m².
That comes to roughly 30 m², so you would choose a 6 × 5 m plot if one is available, or 36 m² for breathing room. The answer may surprise you, but it rests on what will happen on the stand.
There is a side result too: four conversations at peak means at least four staff talking at once, plus someone greeting visitors. If you can’t staff that, a bigger stand won’t help. We cover preparing that team in our guide to booth staff training.
A quick rule when you have no time to calculate
- Under 10 conversations an hour: 9 to 12 m² is usually enough, and the organiser’s shell scheme package may suit you.
- 10 to 25 an hour: consider 18 to 36 m², ideally on a corner with two open sides.
- More than that, or a large product such as a vehicle or machinery: an island or peninsula.
These rough figures from our projects don’t replace the calculation, but they keep you close on the first call with the organiser.
Booth types: open sides change everything
The same area performs differently depending on where it sits in the hall and how many sides face an aisle. A 36 m² corner stand can draw more visitors than a larger stand closed on three sides.
| Type | Open sides | Suits | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inline | One | First-time exhibitors, tighter budgets, simple displays | Only the front works, so keep counters out of the entrance |
| Corner | Two | Traffic from two aisles at a sensible cost | Often priced higher per metre, so book early |
| Peninsula | Three | Live demos and mid-sized products | The back wall faces a neighbour and usually has height and design limits |
| Island | Four | Large brands, big products, meeting areas | Must work from every side, with more approvals for height and hanging signs |
The exact rules on height, walls and hanging signs vary by show and venue, and you’ll find them in the exhibitor manual. Read it before design starts, not after.
What eats space without you noticing
Every first floor plan looks roomy. These are the items we most often see swallowing metres:
- Large screens: the screen is thin, but viewers need to stand back from it. A big screen on an inside wall can claim two or three metres in front of it.
- Products people walk around: a machine or a car needs a clear path around it, wide enough for two people to pass.
- Closed meeting rooms: useful for big deals, but they steal frontage unless placed at the back.
- Storage: tiny on the plan, essential in reality. Without it, boxes end up stacked behind the counter in full view.
- Coffee bars: they draw people in, and they also create a queue that needs somewhere to stand.
- Columns and service points: some plots include a pillar or floor box. Ask for the detailed hall plan before you book.
- Ramps for raised floors: if you raise the floor, you need a ramp so people of determination can come in, and that takes space too.
Field tip: sketch the stand on squared paper, one square per metre, and draw in people as well as furniture. Once you see four staff and eight visitors in those squares, you’ll know straight away whether the space works.
Location can matter more than size
An 18 m² stand near the main entrance, or on the route to the stage, can outperform 36 m² in a far corner of the hall. Ask the organiser for the full hall plan and check where the entrances, cafés, stages and toilets are: those are your traffic points.
Remember that every square metre costs you more than once: space rental, then build, flooring, power and lighting. When you size up, add the full cost to your event budget, not the floor rent alone. After the show, compare the space with your results using the five numbers that measure exhibition success, so you know whether to go bigger or smaller next time.
Quick checklist before you start
- Agree how many qualified conversations sales needs.
- Work out conversations per hour, then simultaneous conversations, and add the peak factor.
- Allow about 4 m² per simultaneous conversation.
- Add space for screens, products, meetings and storage.
- Check that your staffing matches peak conversations.
- Choose booth type and location after reviewing the hall plan and exhibitor manual.
- Sketch the layout with people in it before you sign for the space.
If you’d like us to check your numbers and layout before you book, send us the details of your stand.
