Most first-time exhibitors budget for the stall space and then discover — two weeks before the show — that space is only half the story. This guide breaks down where exhibition money actually goes, so you can plan once and avoid panic spending.
The five buckets of exhibition spend
1. Stall space (paid to the organiser)
Usually the single largest line. Raw space is cheaper per sq.m than a shell scheme, but remember: raw space means you must build walls, flooring and lighting. A shell scheme (octonorm) includes the basics.
2. Fabrication & branding
This is the bucket you control most. Rough planning numbers from our rate card:
- Flex branding on an octonorm shell — from ₹45 per sq.ft
- Vinyl branding (sharper, more premium) — from ₹55 per sq.ft
- Backlit displays and glow signage — from ₹320 per sq.ft for lit boards
- Custom fabrication — depends on structure; get a per-design quote
For a typical 3m × 3m octonorm stall, panel branding runs to roughly 200–280 sq.ft of print area once you count the back wall, side walls and fascia.
3. Print collateral
Brochures, visiting cards, standees, product one-pagers. Small numbers individually, but they add up — and running out mid-show costs you leads. Budget for at least 1.5× the visitors you expect to engage seriously.
4. Logistics & people
Transport, staff travel, staff time, food, and — if your fabricator is from outside Delhi — their travel, freight and accommodation, which quietly lands inside your quote. A local fabricator removes most of this line.
5. The hidden charges
- Electricity & power load — organisers charge per kW; backlit elements need this declared in advance.
- Material entry passes / gate charges at some venues.
- Rush charges — reprints and last-minute changes during build-up cost more if your vendor has to courier from another city. (Local vendors can reprint overnight at normal rates.)
- Dismantling — confirm it is included in your fabrication quote. Ours includes setup and dismantling.
A sane budget split
For a small-to-mid B2B stall, a workable rule of thumb: 45–55% space, 25–35% fabrication & branding, 10% collateral, 10% buffer. If your fabrication quote forces the buffer to zero, simplify the structure before you cut the branding quality — visitors see print quality up close.
Three ways to stretch the same budget
- Spend on one hero element. One backlit feature wall beats four average banners.
- Design for reuse. Keep date/venue text off the main panels so the same prints work at your next show.
- Book printing early, deliver late. Lock rates and design early; a Delhi-based printer can deliver fresh prints right before build-up, so nothing gets damaged in storage.
Want exact numbers instead of estimates? Try the stall cost calculator or send us your stall size — we reply with a line-item quote, not a lump sum.