Three bids for the same exhibition stand, three totals that sit far apart. The reason usually lies in the tender document rather than with the bidders. Describe precisely what you expect to receive, and the offers that come back can be laid side by side, line by line.
The specification: what a stand builder needs to know
A contractor prices what the contractor has read. The more complete the basis, the more reliable the figure at the end.
Basic show data. Event and year, hall and stand number as soon as allocated, floor space in square metres, stand type (in-line, corner, peninsula, island), open sides, neighbouring stands, permitted build height according to the technical regulations, plus build-up and dismantling windows.
How the space is used. This drives the price more strongly than the styling does. Name the zones with their function and approximate size: reception, number of meeting positions, enclosed meeting room, storage in square metres, kitchen or catering point, exhibit areas with dimensions, weights and connection requirements.
Brand and graphics. Existing corporate design guidelines, the graphic surfaces you want, and who owns artwork and print data.
Technology. Number and size of screens, LED wall yes or no, network, lighting level, special requests such as audio systems or interactive stations.
Service. Build-up and dismantling, on-site support during the show, cleaning, storage afterwards, and whether reuse is planned.
Budget range. State it. An openly communicated corridor keeps every bidder designing at the same level. Leave it open, and the concepts scatter until comparison loses its basis. Our overview of exhibition stand costs gives a first orientation on the usual line items.
Why totals drift apart
Almost always the same blank spaces are what make three bids incomparable.
Build crews, travel and accommodation, a technician on standby, daily stand cleaning, waste charges, consumables, rented furniture, structural calculations and the submission for stand approval, graphic production, transport insurance, storage after the show. Each item is small on its own. Together they explain most of the difference.
Equally important is the line between contractor and organiser. Floor rental, connections for power, water and internet, and mandatory contributions normally run directly through the exhibition company. Define who orders these items and who pays for them. Otherwise the block appears inside one bid and sits outside the next.
The third classic is the procurement model. A purchase price for stand material and a rental rate for the same structure otherwise face each other as apparently equivalent numbers. Ask for both variants separately while the decision is still open.
A pricing sheet that enforces comparability
The most effective lever is a prescribed bid structure. Give every bidder the same breakdown and ask for a subtotal per block:
- Concept, design and 3D visualisation, including the number of revision loops covered
- Structure and stand build, split into purchased and rented portions
- Graphic production and print
- Furniture and fittings
- Media technology
- Lighting
- Logistics, build-up and dismantling
- Support during the show
- Storage and reuse
- Options, each priced individually
Add two details that reveal a great deal in stand construction: a schedule with milestones up to the approval submission, and a named project contact plus deputy. Where reuse is intended, also ask for the cost of the second and third deployment. Only that view shows which offer works out cheaper across three shows.
Set the evaluation criteria before you send
An evaluation matrix belongs to the phase before the tender goes out, otherwise it quietly follows whichever presentation looks the prettiest. Five to seven criteria with disclosed weighting have proven workable: design concept and brand impact, coverage of the specification, price, sustainability and reusability, references from comparable projects, project organisation, and certainty on schedule and capacity.
Sustainability deserves precision as a criterion. Ask for verifiable statements: share of reused components, system build instead of single-use construction, take-back and storage, transport distances, handling of residual materials. A general declaration of intent is hard to score, a concrete description scores easily. Our article on sustainable exhibition stands sets out what carries weight here.
Evaluate as a team, yet separately at first. Everyone scores alone, discussion follows afterwards. That keeps the group from settling on a favourite too early.
Public authorities, associations and public-law bodies additionally operate under procurement law with its own procedure types, thresholds and deadlines. Those values are revised periodically, so alignment with the responsible procurement office belongs at the very start of the project.
Fair procedures produce better concepts
Three or four invited bidders are plenty. Every additional participant lengthens the evaluation and reduces the care each house can invest.
Everyone receives the same briefing at the same moment. Questions run through one central window and the answers go to all bidders. For a stand concept including visualisation, several weeks of working time are appropriate, especially in the months before the major shows.
If you want to see designs, pay for that work. A concept fee keeps the level high and clarifies the rights position at the same time: design and visualisation stay with the contractor as long as usage rights are agreed and remunerated separately. And give the unsuccessful houses a short debrief. The effort is small, the effect on their willingness to take part next time is considerable.
How a well built tender shows its worth
You notice it on evaluation day. The bids arrive in the same structure, contain the same line items, and the differences can be explained through concept, material and service instead of room for interpretation. That is the moment when the committee decides about quality and about the price that quality is worth.
The path there starts long before the document goes out, with clarity about objectives, use of space and budget. Doing that groundwork shortens the evaluation considerably. A short conversation is often enough for a first reality check: an informal enquiry quickly reveals which details your specification still deserves.