Planning an exhibition or trade show in NZ: venues, floorplans, stand builders, equipment and logistics, step by step.
Exhibitions and trade shows are logistics-heavy: you build a temporary village of stands, then pack it down in hours. Plan in this order.
### 1. Define the show
Confirm exhibitor numbers, expected visitors, and whether it's a B2B trade event or open to the public. That sets your floor area — exhibition halls are sized in square metres and by how many booths, aisles, catering and feature zones they hold.
### 2. Pick the venue
You need a column-free exhibition hall with loading-dock access, adequate floor loading, three-phase power and good ceiling height. Convention centres and dedicated halls are built for this; browse event venues and use capacity search to match floor area.
### 3. Floorplan and stand build
A stand builder turns your floorplan into a working show. MICE lists exhibition specialists such as Peek Exhibition, Brandstand, Expocrafters, Exhibit Group and Exhibition Hire Services, who handle shell scheme, custom stands, signage and furniture. Lock the floorplan before selling booths.
### 4. Bring in an organiser (optional)
For a large or recurring show, a professional exhibition organiser such as XPO Exhibitions manages exhibitor sales, floor management and marketing. A PCO can run the conference programme alongside it — see PCOs & DMCs.
### 5. Power, AV and equipment
Beyond stands you'll need furniture, rigging, signage, AV for a seminar stage and possibly marquees for overflow. Event equipment and AV suppliers cover this; coordinate power and rigging with the venue early.
### 6. Logistics and safety
Build a bump-in and bump-out schedule with the venue, book forklifts and labour, brief exhibitors on move-in times, and complete a health-and-safety plan covering crowd flow, exits and contractors.
### 7. Attendees and programme
Register visitors, plan a seminar or feature programme to draw traffic across the floor, and consider delegate transport and parking for a big gate.
Larger shows are planned nine to twelve months out — venue and stand-build slots go first.
A column-free exhibition hall with dock and loading access, adequate floor loading, three-phase power and ceiling height for rigging — typically a convention centre or dedicated exhibition hall.
They design and construct the stands — shell scheme or custom — plus signage, furniture and the show-floor build. MICE lists specialists including Peek Exhibition, Brandstand and Exhibit Group.
For large or recurring trade shows, an organiser such as XPO Exhibitions manages exhibitor sales, floor management and marketing; smaller shows can be run in-house or with a PCO.
Nine to twelve months for a large exhibition, as venue space and stand-build capacity are booked well ahead.
The scheduled move-in (build) and move-out (pack-down) of stands and equipment — tightly timed windows coordinated with the venue, contractors and exhibitors.
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