The stage-by-stage checklist we hand organising committees before a multi-hall exhibition.
This is the checklist we walk organising committees through before committing to a show date — grouped by phase rather than by department, because exhibition planning fails most often at the handoffs between phases, not within any single task.
Pre-sale phase
Confirm venue and hall availability, define the exhibitor category mix you're targeting, and set stall pricing tiers before opening sales. Decide early whether stall sales will run through your own team, a production partner, or a mix — this affects how quickly halls fill and how much lead time you have for floor design.
Exhibitor onboarding
Every exhibitor needs a clear move-in window, a power and rigging spec sheet, and a single contact for logistics questions. Standardising a basic stall fabrication option — even if premium exhibitors opt for custom builds — speeds up move-in across the board and reduces day-one chaos.
Marketing and footfall generation
Footfall doesn't happen by default — it needs a visitor marketing plan running weeks ahead of the show, aligned with what exhibitors were promised when they bought a stall. Pre-registration systems help both with footfall forecasting and with giving exhibitors usable lead data afterward.
On-ground operations and wrap-up
A daily operations briefing with the full crew, a visible rapid-response desk, and a clear move-out schedule prevent the final day from becoming as chaotic as move-in. After the show, a footfall and exhibitor-feedback report closes the loop and informs the next edition.
