Questions to Ask a Stall Fabricator Before You Sign

Before you sign with a stall fabricator, find out who actually builds the stall and where, exactly what the quotation includes and excludes, who will be on site during build-up and the show, how they handle organiser approvals and deadlines, and what happens if something goes wrong. The answers tell you far more than a 3D render, because most stall problems come from the build and the site, not the design.

Ask the same questions to every vendor you are considering and write down the answers. Clear, specific answers are a good sign. Vague ones usually mean the work will be passed to someone else.

Who builds the stall, and where

1. Do you have your own workshop or factory, or do you subcontract the build?
2. Where is the stall built, and how does it travel to the venue?
3. Will the stall be assembled in full before it ships, so problems are caught early?
4. Can we visit the workshop or see photos of our stall during the build?
5. Who are the carpenters, painters and electricians: your own people or hired per job?

Many companies that sell stalls are design studios that pass the build to local workshops. That can work, but you lose control of quality and timing, and the person you deal with may not be the person fixing problems at the venue. A fabricator with its own factory and crew can answer for every stage.

We build every stall in our own factory in Bengaluru and dry-assemble it before packing. If you want to see your stall before it ships, we can show it to you there.

What the quotation includes

Two quotations for the same design can differ widely because one includes things the other leaves out. Go through each line and ask for anything unclear in writing.

• Design and revisions: how many rounds are included?
• Materials and finishes: are they specified, or just described as standard?
• Graphics: printing, material and installation, and who supplies the artwork files?
• Lighting and electrical work inside the stall, and the wiring to the organiser's supply point.
• Furniture, screens, plants and other hired items: included, or extra?
• Transport to the venue and back, and any loading or handling at the venue.
• Installation, on-site support during show days, and dismantling.
• Taxes, and any charges payable to the organiser that the fabricator expects you to pay.

Also ask what is excluded. Power orders, contractor registration fees, rigging and venue services are often paid to the organiser directly. Knowing this upfront avoids surprises close to the show.

On site: build-up, show days and dismantling

1. Who leads the crew at the venue, and will we have their number before build-up?
2. Is the installation crew the same team that built the stall?
3. Does someone stay at the venue during show days in case a light fails or a panel is damaged?
4. How do you handle a delay in power connection or a late change from the organiser?
5. Who dismantles the stall, and how quickly can it be cleared after the show closes?
6. What happens to the stall after the show: storage, reuse or disposal?

The last question matters if you exhibit more than once a year. A fabricator who offers storage and reuse can bring the same stall back for the next show, refreshed with new graphics, instead of building again.

Organiser rules and approvals

Every show has its own exhibitor manual with rules on height, setbacks, materials, electrical work and approvals. Ask how the fabricator works with these.

• Will you read the exhibitor manual and tell us what applies to our stall?
• Will you prepare and submit drawings for organiser approval, if needed?
• Do you handle contractor registration for your crew?
• How do you calculate the power load so we can order the right supply?
• Have you built at this venue before, and what did you learn there?

Experience at the venue helps but is not everything. A careful fabricator who reads the manual for your specific show is safer than one who assumes last year's rules still apply. Our venue guides cover the halls we build in most often.

Timing, payment and risk

Ask how much lead time they need for your show and what they need from you by when. Our own lead times are 3 to 4 weeks for Karnataka, 4 to 6 weeks for the rest of South India, and 6 to 8 weeks elsewhere. A fabricator who promises much less for a distant show should explain how.

• What is the payment schedule, and what is each payment tied to?
• What happens if we change the design after approval?
• What happens if the stall is damaged in transit or at the venue?
• Who is responsible if the stall fails an organiser inspection?
• Can we see photos of recent stalls at the same scale as ours, and speak to a past client?

Red flags to watch for

• A quotation with one total and no breakdown.
• No clear answer on where the stall is built.
• Reluctance to put inclusions and exclusions in writing.
• A design far beyond the budget, with no explanation of what drives the cost.
• No named person on site during build-up.

Planning a stall?

Put any of these questions to us. We design, build, install, stay through the show and dismantle with our own crew. You can see how we work on our exhibition stalls page. Start with Plan your project, or WhatsApp or call +91 70190 58391.