The Ultimate Exhibition Checklist: everything you need for a successful event
There’s a moment before every event – a mix of ambition, pressure, and anticipation. You’ve committed to showing up. Now you need to make it count.
You’ve probably got big goals: connect with the right people, showcase your brand, walk away with results that move the needle. But with exhibitions, every detail matters. And without a clear plan, it’s easy to feel one step behind when the doors open.
As event specialists, we’ve guided first-timers from “Where do I even start?” to walking away with leads, momentum and confidence. This exhibition checklist by our team at Tecna is your blueprint for showing up boldly and getting results that last long after pack-down.
Ready to raise the bar? Let’s get into it.
Planning a successful exhibition: what should you do first?
Before you think about banners or giveaways, you need direction. Success starts with putting the right foundations in place. Here’s how to start planning for your exhibition:
• Choose the right trade show
Pick an event where your target audience will be, not just the biggest or busiest one. Make sure the show and its specific theme align with your industry and brand overall.
• Define your objectives
Decide exactly what you want to achieve – leads, demos, sales, awareness – and build everything around those goals.
• Create a full, detailed budget
Include space hire, stand build and installation and dismantle costs, as well as any other related expenses like logistics or marketing. Always add a contingency for any additional costs.
• Book your exhibition space early
The best stand locations go fast! Get in touch as early as possible to ask for the floor plan and book the right place for your stand to make its full impact, whether that’s a high-traffic entrance spot or a corner plot with extra visibility.
Want to scope this out further? Get the full details on these first steps in our exhibition planning checklist.
The next step: your exhibition stand checklist
Once you’ve locked in your space and set your goals, it’s time to bring the experience to life.
Designing your exhibition stand
Start with a clear creative brief. Who is your target market? What do you want them to remember? What action do you want them to take? Keep your messaging focused and your layout functional, because clarity always beats clutter when it comes to exhibition stand design.
Next, you can start layering in design elements:
• Lighting guides attention, builds atmosphere, and helps your key features shine. Think warm tones for hospitality, spotlighting for products, or colour washes for bold branding.
• Display screens bring movement into the mix. Use video to tell your story, showcase customer testimonials, or display product use cases in action.
• Meeting zones matter. Whether it’s a high table, lounge chairs, or a semi-private space, design for real conversation and build in comfort – people stay longer when they feel welcome.
• Interactive elements create a connection. Think touchscreens, live demos, or competitions with prizes. Anything that gives visitors a reason to engage, not just observe. For example, if you’re targeting the tech or SaaS market, interactive screens are ideal for showcasing software features, product workflows, or real-time dashboards.
Stuck on the design stage? Head to our blog post on how to design an exhibition stand for a full, step-by-step guide.
Selecting a stand contractor
This is your build partner, so choose wisely. Look for an experienced provider who understands more than just logistics. You want someone who can translate vision into space, and solve problems before they appear.
Review portfolios. Ask to see case studies. Read the testimonials. You’re looking for creativity, reliability, and results under pressure.
Understanding safety, paperwork & insurance
This part isn’t glamorous, but it’s critical. You’ll need to:
• Review venue health & safety requirements
• Arrange public liability insurance
• Submit all order forms and technical paperwork on time
Logistics and technical planning
It’s one thing to design the stand, but it’s another to make sure it runs smoothly from delivery to breakdown. Make sure you plan for:
• Shipping schedules
• Utility requirements
• Waste management
• On-site storage
• Dismantling and return logistics
Some stand partners, like Team Tecna, take care of every logistical detail for you. From shipping to set-up to storage, we keep things moving so you can focus on showing up and standing out.
Your checklist for preparing your exhibition team
At it’s core, your exhibition stand is powered by people. The right team, well-prepared, will turn passing interest into real opportunity. Here’s how to get them ready.
On-site rules & stand training
Set the tone before the show starts. Your team should know what’s expected, from how they show up to how they engage. Outline the dress code, break schedules, and lead collection process well in advance, and set rules around things like mobile phones.
And if your team’s new to exhibiting? Give them the tools to own it. Encourage them to approach customers and engage them with open-ended questions that hit their pain points. Outsourced training works well to set your team up for everything from talking to visitors and clients to managing busy periods, and keeping the stand flowing smoothly.
Allocating team roles
Assign responsibilities before the event so no one’s left guessing. Who’s greeting? Who’s demoing? Who’s qualifying leads or capturing data? You might even need someone capturing content or running live social media.
Play to people’s strengths. A confident product expert shouldn’t be stuck on data entry, and your best client host shouldn’t be hidden behind a tablet.
Planning for data capture
Whether it’s leads, product interest, or customer feedback, you need a system that makes collecting and organising data simple and structured. Choose a method that suits your team: dedicated apps, tablets with custom forms, or even manual entry, as long as it’s consistent and reliable.
Make sure it’s GDPR compliant and don’t stop at capture – have your follow-up system ready to go. Note down what each visitor was interested in so that you can personalise the follow-up, and set triggers for post-event emails, call-backs, or nurturing campaigns so you don’t lose momentum.
Travel & accommodation logistics
Get your logistics locked in early. Not just to save budget, but to keep stress off your team.
Book hotels close to the venue, confirm transport well in advance, and make sure everyone has what they need in hand: travel documents, schedules, venue access and emergency contacts. You can exhibit anywhere in the world, as long as you have a solid plan in place.
Wrapping up your exhibition checklist: Don’t miss these last points
The final stretch matters just as much as the big ideas. These details ensure your exhibition runs smoothly from build to breakdown.
Final sign-off
Before anything gets produced, review everything – visuals, dimensions, accessories, lighting, tech. Confirm any finishing touches with your contractor and sign off only when it’s 100% clear.
Check production timelines, delivery dates, and contingency plans. A small miss now can mean a big headache later. Ensure you do a final sight sign off on build day to have time to correct if anything is missed.
Confirming your bookings
It pays to check your bookings. Let’s say your furniture hire slips through the cracks. The stand arrives, the team arrives – but there’s nowhere to sit, demo, or meet. You’re on the back foot before the doors even open.
We always recommend confirming:
• Transport to and from the venue
• Hotels for your team
• Stand install and breakdown slots
• Equipment and furniture hire
• Your floor space at the venue
Packing for your exhibition
Yes, you need the stand and the team – but it’s the small, easily forgotten items that keep everything running smoothly when things get busy.
Make sure you’ve got:
• Pens, scissors, and tape
• Chargers and plug adaptors
• Bin bags
• First aid kit
• Business cards, marketing materials, and lead forms
Sending out a press release
A well-timed press release helps you generate buzz weeks before the doors even open. It gives journalists, media contacts, and prospective visitors a reason to come find you on the show floor. Include what you’re showcasing, why it matters, and where they can find you at the event.
Distribute it through your PR channels, share it with the organiser’s media team, and publish it on your website and social platforms. It’s a powerful tool for positioning your brand, attracting attention, and giving your exhibition presence a head start.
Using social media in real-time
Sharing updates in real time extends your reach beyond the venue – putting your brand in front of those who couldn’t attend, and drawing others back to your space for a second look.
Capture a mix of content that shows the energy on your stand: behind-the-scenes moments, live demos, conversations in motion, or quick wins with your team. Keep your posts focused and relevant, and use the event’s official hashtag to join the wider conversation and boost visibility across the show’s digital audience.
It’s a simple way to amplify your presence and turn one event into something much bigger.
Keeping the momentum up after the event
The stand’s packed down, the doors are closed, but the real work isn’t over. What you do in the days following the event is where momentum turns into results.
Internal debrief & review
Gather your team and discuss the event while everything’s still fresh. What worked? What didn’t? What would you do differently next time?
Capture feedback from everyone involved: sales, marketing, logistics, even external contractors. Small wins and major fixes both matter.
Document it all and create a quick debrief summary and save it for your next planning cycle. Great events don’t just come from good ideas, they come from learned experience.
Evaluate ROI and plan ahead
Now it’s time to compare results with the goals you set.
• Did you meet your KPIs?
• How many leads converted?
• What kind of engagement did you drive?
• Was the investment worth the outcome?
Use the data to guide your next steps and explore how to go bigger, smarter, and bolder at future exhibitions.
In conclusion: be thorough, be early, be strategic
Exhibitions are more than just a date in the diary. They’re a launchpad for visibility, growth, and connection, and when you plan with purpose, the results speak for themselves.
This checklist is your foundation – use it to stay ahead of deadlines, sharpen your team, and deliver an exhibition experience that turns heads and drives action.
Making your next exhibition one to remember
Partner with Tecna – and take the pressure off. We don’t just design your stand. We bring it to life, deliver it to the venue, build it, fine-tune every detail, and pack it all away when the show’s done.
Need storage until the next event? Sorted. Need it rebuilt in a new location? No problem.
From the first conversation to the final dismantle, we handle everything with creativity, clarity, and confidence. So you can focus on showing up, standing out, and making every moment count.
Push the possible with an exhibition stand from Tecna.
