What is an exhibition stand?

What is an exhibition stand: an exhibition stand is the space a company occupies at a trade fair or congress to present its offer, connect with visitors and generate business. Stands can be modular, custom built in carpentry, or mixed, and they adopt different floor types such as island, peninsula, corner or inline.

In this post, we explain what a trade show booth is and its role at an event. From boosting brand visibility to creating business opportunities and facilitating networking, a well-designed booth can make all the difference.

Plus, we share key tips to make your booth effective, from its location to design and visitor engagement.

What is an exhibition stand at a trade fair

If you are wondering what is an exhibition stand, think of it as your brand’s temporary branch inside the venue. It is a space designed to be useful from minute one.

Build visibility and brand recall
Demonstrate products or services with clarity
Capture leads and schedule meetings with an agile process
Look after clients and partners in a comfortable setting
Sell, when the format allows it

At Servis we always start from your objective. We define what you want to achieve and how we will measure it. Form, materials and technology come after that.

Stand types

Island stand

Open on all four sides. It offers the highest visibility and allows traffic from any aisle. Ideal for launches or brands with heavy footfall. It requires a 360 degree concept and usually implies a higher investment per usable square metre.

Peninsula stand

Open on three sides with one shared back wall. It delivers a strong balance between impact and cost. You can create a powerful main front and supporting areas on the sides. Very versatile for mid sized spaces.

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Corner stand

Two open fronts. The key is to orient the reception on the diagonal and keep access clear to invite people in.

Inline stand

One open front with neighbours on both sides. Here you need a very clear front, strong graphics, careful lighting and an uncluttered entrance. It works well for compact spaces.

Important:every organiser and venue defines maximum heights, setbacks and technical requirements. Before you finalise a design, review the exhibitor manual for your fair.

Construction systems: modular, custom carpentry or hybrid

Modular

Modular stands use reusable and standardised structures that allow fast installation with tight cost control. Personalisation is lower than in a fully custom build, although there are modular solutions with a very attractive creative look.
Advantages: very good value for money and a smaller environmental footprint thanks to reuse.
When it makes sense: a busy calendar of fairs, the need for quick builds, or a stronger sustainability focus.

We also have a dedicated article that goes deeper into modular stands.

Custom carpentry

Stands designed and built from scratch, generally with wood and other premium materials.
Advantages: total customisation, strong visual impact, finishes that convey your brand identity.
When it makes sense: strategic fairs, product launches, or when you want a stand that will not go unnoticed.

Mixed or hybrid

Increasingly common thanks to the flexibility of some modular systems. You combine a modular skeleton to optimise resources with carpentry elements to highlight specific features.
Advantages: a good balance of personality, costs and reuse.

If you want to compare all the options, we have a specific post that covers the types of exhibition stands and how to choose the right one.

Key elements of a professional stand

Architecture and visibility: volume, heights and long distance legibility
Branding and messages: clear, short and with hierarchy so your promise is readable from five metres away
Lighting: general lighting plus accents on products or demos, avoid shadows at the reception
Audiovisual and interactive: screen content planned for real aisle flow
Flooring and acoustics: comfort, hidden cabling, accessible platforms, treat echo in open spaces
Furniture and flow: visible reception, routes without bottlenecks, comfortable meeting points
Storage and back of house: essential for daily operations
Accessibility and safety: ramps when there is a platform, width of passage, certified materials
Commercial operations: lead scanning, meeting agenda and service script

At Servis we design with operations in mind. It is not only about how it looks. It has to work.

Can a stand be sustainable?

Yes. A stand can be sustainable when it is designed for reuse, uses recyclable or certified materials and is managed with a clear plan.

Many venues already ask exhibitors to follow these criteria. IFEMA Madrid, for example, considers stands sustainable when they use recyclable materials or materials with recycled content, such as certified wood, aluminium, melamine or new generation vinyls. Fira de Barcelona recommends prioritising reusable and recyclable materials and certifications like FSC or PEFC.

Sustainability also relies on eco design. Plan for several fairs with modular systems, easily removable parts and documented recycling at end of life. Add efficient lighting with dimmable LED and consumption control. Optimise logistics with returnable packaging, consolidated transport and nearby storage.

There are recognised frameworks that help you measure and reduce impact, such as ISO 20121 and the Net Zero Carbon Events initiative. In Spain, certification schemes like Eventsost provide independent validation for resources and builds that meet these criteria.

If you need more detail on sustainable stands, you can read our dedicated blog post on the topic.

FAQ about exhibition stands

Are stand and booth the same thing

In Spanish we usually say stand. In English booth is common. In international exhibitions both terms are used as equivalents. Choose the term that fits your audience.

Which stand type offers the most visibility

The island stand, because it is open on four sides. If your budget is tighter, a well planned peninsula stand can also deliver high impact.

What regulations do I need to follow

Those of the venue and the organiser. Maximum heights, setbacks, permitted materials, suspended loads and accessibility. Always check the technical manual before production. Your stand supplier may helps you with that.

What is an exhibition stand and what is it for

An exhibition stand is the space a company occupies at a fair to present its offer, create opportunities and interact with its audience. Depending on objectives, budget and calendar, it can be modular, custom or mixed.