Getting Your Stall Design Approved by the Organiser
How to get a bare space stall design approved first time: what drawings to submit, the usual reasons designs come back, and how to plan around approval dates.
If you book bare space, the organiser will usually ask to see your stall design before build-up. Approval comes quickly when the drawings are complete, dimensioned and clearly within the rules in the exhibitor manual. It slows down when drawings are vague, heights are missing, or the design closes off open sides or crosses a boundary.
So the work starts before the drawings. Put the manual's construction rules into the design brief, design inside them, and submit a package that answers the reviewer's questions before they ask. Here is what that package usually contains and where designs typically get stuck.
What a submission usually contains
The exact list varies by show, so confirm it in the manual. Most organisers ask for some combination of the following, sent as PDFs with the stall number and exhibitor name on every sheet.
- Plan view showing the stall boundary, open sides, aisles and every element with dimensions.
- Elevations of each side with heights marked, including fascia, towers and any hanging element.
- 3D views so the reviewer can see the overall form quickly.
- Electrical layout with the location of the distribution board and the total load.
- Material specification, especially for timber, fabrics, carpet and anything that needs fire-retardant treatment.
- Structural details and an engineer's certificate where the manual asks for them, typically for double-decker stalls, tall structures or rigging.
- Contractor details, registration and insurance.
Why designs come back
Most rejections fall into a short list of reasons. Knowing them means your designer can avoid them on the first draft rather than fixing them in a hurry.
- Height over the limit, or tall elements placed too close to a neighbour where a lower height applies.
- Walls that close too much of an open side, which affects aisle visibility for others.
- Elements crossing the stall boundary, such as a fascia that overhangs the aisle.
- Back walls facing neighbours shown unfinished, where the manual asks for a clean finish.
- Covered ceilings or upper decks without the required structural paperwork.
- Rigging shown without going through the organiser's approved process.
- Missing or unclear dimensions, which forces the reviewer to ask instead of approve.
How we prepare drawings that pass
We read the manual's construction section before the first concept and note the height limits, setbacks and open-side rules on the brief. The design then stays inside those lines from the start, so approval becomes a check rather than a negotiation.
On the drawings we mark heights on every elevation, show the boundary clearly, and list materials with their finish and treatment. Each version carries a date and number, so if the organiser asks for a change, everyone knows which drawing is current. Because our stalls are built in our own factory, the same drawings go straight to the shop floor, and what is built matches what was approved.
When a design needs special approval
Double-decker stalls, very tall structures, heavy hanging banners and live demos with heat or sparks usually need more than a standard check. Shows such as METEC India 2026, from 30 November to 2 December 2026 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, attract foundry and metallurgy exhibitors with heavy and hot exhibits, so the manual may ask for extra paperwork. Start these conversations early and ask the organiser what they need.
Planning around the approval date
Submit well before the deadline and expect one round of comments. A simple order of work keeps production moving while approval is pending.
- Freeze the layout and heights first, since these are what the organiser reviews.
- Submit the drawing package and keep a copy of the submission email.
- Start work on parts unlikely to change, such as the base platform and standard wall frames.
- Hold back elements under question, such as an extra-tall tower, until approval arrives.
- Once approved, release graphics and finishes for production.
Each venue adds its own context. If you are building for the Bombay Exhibition Centre, for example, check whether the organiser's rules for your hall differ from the general rules in the manual.
Who should submit
Decide early whether your team or your fabricator will submit the drawings. Either can work, but the organiser's comments must reach the person who can act on them. When we handle the submission, comments come straight to the designer who drew the stall, and a revised set can usually go back the same day. When the exhibitor submits, forward every organiser email to the fabricator as soon as it arrives, with the full thread, so nothing is lost between inboxes.
What to ask the organiser before you submit
- Which file formats and sheet sizes they accept, and whether a single combined PDF is preferred.
- Whether your stall location has any special limits, such as a lower height near an entry or a pillar inside the space.
- How long review usually takes and how comments will be sent.
- Whether the contractor must be registered before the drawings are accepted.
Changes after approval
If you change the design after approval, assume you need to resubmit. A taller logo, a moved wall or a new hanging element can all trip an on-site inspection, and organisers can ask for changes on site before the show opens. Fixing it during build-up costs more than a quick resubmission.
Keep the approved drawings printed and on site with your crew. If an inspector has a question, the answer is in the folder, signed off and dated. It is a small habit that saves a lot of argument on the night before opening. You can see the kind of stalls we build on our exhibition stalls page.
Planning a stall?
Share your stall number and the exhibitor manual, and we will design within the rules and prepare the approval package. Plan your project, or WhatsApp or call +91 70190 58391.