Frequently Asked Questions

If your organiser allows it, we can do it for you no less than 30 days before the exhibition begins. Before you get in touch with us you need to confirm whether your name board is editable with your organiser. Some organisers stipulate that the name boards must be uniform throughout the show.

If you need a bigger - or smaller – stand, your exhibition organizer will be able to help you arrange something new.

Your build-up schedule will be in your exhibitor manual, the length of time needed depends on the build length of the show you are attending. Only orders which have been paid for will be installed during build-up.

No, you would need a reinforced wall panel to help your booth support the weight – or a TV stand. A reinforced wall panel is a 5mm thick wooden panel which provides support to anything you want to hang on the wall. Exhibition system wall panels can hold a hanging item of up to 2kg in weight.

Yes, at an additional cost. Let us know what you need us to do and we’ll get you a quote.

No, for health and safety reasons you’re not allowed to expand beyond your stand area.

You can apply vinyl stickers or double sided tape directly to your wall, but no permanent fixings such as hooks, screws, nails or paint. All of our panels are reusable so we need to make sure they’re in top condition for the next exhibitor to use them. If you want to install a completely seamless graphic panel, talk to our graphics team.

You can remove the ceiling grid and fascia of your exhibit system. However it’s worth keeping in mind that you cannot have one without the other: If you don’t need your ceiling grid then we will need to remove the fascia as well, and vice versa. Also, if you remove your ceiling grid, you cannot have spotlights. If this is what you need, let us know at least 10 days before build-up begins.

Your exhibition manual will tell you what kind of exhibit system booth you have.

Yes, just visit our service desks during build-up. All on-site orders are subject to availability and on-site charges. Stock is limited once the build begins so we recommend arranging all your exhibition needs before you arrive.

If you do order something on-site, we’ll get it to you as soon as possible but please be aware orders placed pre-show will be priority. We have a lot of orders to fulfil so we would strongly advise you place all order pre-show. You can check item availability at the Service Desk.

On-site payments can be made by credit or debit card (2.5% surcharge for credit cards) and we take Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, Solo, Delta, Electron, JCB and Maestro Switch (please note our system will not take Maestro Cards without a 3 Digit Security Code). We do accept cash, however we carry very limited change and due to the nature and location of exhibitions, we may not accept cash for larger orders. Please pay by card if possible.

If you booked a exhibit system booth with the organizer this normally includes flooring. Space only areas do not have flooring included. Specifics about what’s included in your booth are in your booth contract.

Your exhibitor manual will tell you everything you need to know. Your booth contract will also detail exactly what you have.

You can indeed! If you change your flooring to another colour within the same range, we’ll only charge you £2.75m2 for the change. If you choose a different range of floor covering then this will be charged at full price.

Our furniture brochure can be found on event order page. Alternatively, if you use our online ordering system, you can view our entire range of furniture along with prices and dimensions.

We can provide you with items not in our catalogue, just let us know the specifics of what you’re looking for. Out-of-catalogue items are quoted separately and you’ll need to confirm and pay for the order before we can provide it.

Use Contact GES to get in touch about any items you might be interested in receiving a quote for.

Invoice: Your order can be placed through our online ordering system: Expresso. You can also give us a call or email us. Alternatively, you can use the order forms which can be emailed, faxed or posted to us once filled out. When the order has been processed the invoice will automatically follow by email.

Bank transfer: You can use the bank details provided at the bottom of our invoices or card authorisation form, this is normally page 3 of the order forms.

Cheque: All cheques need to be posted to the address on the order form or the invoice - and be received, by us, before build-up begins.

Credit Card: GES Canada accepts American Express, MasterCard, Visa, Debit Card payment. PAYMENT SCHEDULE: Payment for all services must be pre-paid in full. GES will not provide Material Handling, In-Booth Forklifts, or Installation and Dismantle Labour Services without your company’s CREDIT CARD AUTHORIZATION FORM on file.

You will receive notification that your order has been placed. When you receive the notification depends on the method you used:

• Online: You will see an on screen confirmation after you submit your order
• Email: When your order reaches us, an automatic response will be sent
• Fax and post: You’ll receive an invoice once your order has been processed

Don’t panic. All you need to do is follow the error messages shown online and if the issues continue contact our ServiCentre team on +44 (0)2476 380 180.

We always aim to process orders within 1 working day, however, during our busy periods, this may be slightly longer. If you haven’t heard from us after 5 working days, get in touch quoting the name of your exhibition.

If your payment is sent with your order, the payment will be reflected in your invoice once the order has been processed. If you would like confirmation for a payment made after an invoice has been issued, you can check by emailing creditcontrol@ges.com.

Sockets come with tiered levels of power supply to save you money. To find out what type of sockets you need, check out our Electrical Service Myth-buster guide.

All of our sockets are standard UK 3-pin sockets. Unless you need a mains supply with a CEE Form plug of course.

Low power appliances (laptops, phone chargers etc.) with a cumulative power consumption of 500w or less can be plugged into a 500w socket. Appliances that use more than 500w will need their own direct power supply. You cannot plug more than one item into a socket with a power supply greater than 500w.

No, venue regulations limit you to only using an extension lead on 500w sockets.

Yes, all you need to do is send us a diagram showing both the orientation of your stand along with your desired socket positions.

Electrical services are one of the first to be installed, however we can’t give a fixed time for when your electrical items will be installed an energised. If you arrive on-site and your electrics have not been installed, let our team on the service desk know and they’ll send you the first available electrician.

Power will be shut off within 30 minutes of the show closing. If you need continued power after the show closes, ask our electrical services team about ‘build-up/break-down power’.

There is a basic key and template included at the bottom of the grid plan which you can use to create your diagram. Ensure that any stand items are shown in the positions you want them (shelves, special walling, lights etc.) along with specific measurements like at what height you’d like your shelf set.

Diagrams for electrics to be returned to the team in each office handles the event. please use find your show

Diagrams for shell scheme extras to be returned to Contact GES

For space only design briefs, go to Contact GES

Details of your stand package are sent to you by the organisers, they may also be stated in your stand contract. The best place to start looking for this information is your exhibitor manual.

This information will be in your stand contract. If you’re struggling to find the information you need, your exhibition organiser will be able to help you.

Not always. If you purchased a package from the organiser you’ll find everything that is included within your stand contract.

Absolutely! The most popular way is to use our online ordering system

This is the area between exhibition stands that visitors walk on.

This is the point in an exhibition that the organiser has set for exhibitors and contractors to dismantle their stands and leave the venue. This is also sometimes called ‘tear-down’.

Also sometimes called ‘bump-in’, build-up refers to the scheduled days and times that the organiser has set for exhibitors and contractors to install their stand at the exhibition.

The centre frames on the ceiling of a shell scheme stand that support the location of lights and makes the stand structurally sound.

Whatever term you see referring to your exhibition, they all mean the same: The gathering you’re attending to present yourself or your company. The terms mean more to visitors than anything else, they let visitors know what kind of gathering they’re going to look at. As a general rule: exhibitions are open to the public and trade show are for industry members only.

Whether you’re exhibiting alone, or as part of a bigger company, the term used in most organiser and supplier communications for whoever holds the stand is ‘exhibitor’.

This is an online (and sometimes printable) guide that holds all of your exhibition information and details exactly what you need.

A fascia (or name board) is the top part of a shell scheme and is where your company name and stand number is printed. It usually sits horizontally along the front of the stand to be visible to visitors in the aisle. To change your name board, you’ll need to submit a form to the official show contractor. The open sides of your stand will determine the location of the fascia(s).

The diagram that shows the position and orientation of stands within an exhibition. Visitors will usually get a copy of the plan to help them navigate to stands they really want to see.

A type of diagram that you can send to us to illustrate where you would like items positioned around your stand. Most grid plans are completed using a birds-eye-view, or top down, perspective.

A hall is usually the large room within a venue where your exhibition is taking place. Exhibitions can be very big, so they’re usually divided into halls to make them easier to navigate. If you’re taking part in a large exhibition, it would be worthwhile telling potential visitors both your hall name and your stand number before they arrive on-site.

The company that the organiser has selected to build and supply your exhibition (usually, that’s us). After you’ve rented your stand from the organizer, contact your supplier to get your stand made.

For exhibition suppliers and organizers; an exhibition is a working environment and often resembles a building site during build-up and breakdown. For this reason you may often hear the term ‘on-site’, which is just another word for venue. For example: hire your furniture and it’ll be on-site when you get there.

The number of sides that a stand is open to the aisle on. Exhibitions are usually designed in a grid format, similar to city blocks. So the amount of sides open to the aisle will be either 1, 2, 3 or 4.

• A 1 open side stand has 3 walls and is sometimes called a ‘terrace stand’.

• A 2 open side stand has 2 walls, usually both of the open sides are next to each other – creating a corner. Therefore it’s sometimes called a ‘corner stand’.

• A 3 open side stand usually backs onto either the venue wall or another stand – thus it has at least one wall. You may hear the term ‘peninsula stand’ when referring to a 3 open sided stand.

• A 4 open side stand is often called an ‘island stand’ because it has no walls and is completely surrounded by aisle walkways. Sometimes these are also called ‘free spaces’.

The company hosting the exhibition and who you’ve booked your stand with. Your exhibition organiser will provide you with all your vital information; like your exhibition manual and list of suppliers.

A standard set of exhibition supplies, usually furniture and/or electrical items, which are provided as part of a shell scheme stand. These items are pre-selected by the exhibition organiser from the exhibition supplier’s stock, who installs them on your stand. These items cannot be substituted or swapped, you can upgrade them however.

The service desk is where an exhibitor would go to ask questions and purchase additional exhibition services while on-site during build-up. We use only our best service teams at the service desks and they are there to help. If you need a service we can’t provide; visit the organiser’s office which will be clearly sign posted.

This type of stand makes up the majority of stands at an exhibition. Made from aluminium frames and customisable panels, shell scheme stands offer a simple and effective way to exhibit. Shell scheme stands have a fixed height, but you can rent as much floor space as you like. After an exhibition, the stands are taken down and reused on other exhibitions.

The scheduled days that the organiser has set for visitors to attend the exhibition.

A space only is an empty plot of space on an exhibition floor, nothing else is included. What you choose to do with that space is up to you, although most exhibitors choose to commission a custom stand (through us for example).

The area you can rent at an exhibition. Usually you’ll get the choice between a exhibit system or a space only booth.

This is the information that identifies your stand on the exhibition floor plan, if you have a shell scheme stand this information will also be printed on your fascia board. Your exhibition organizer will assign your stand a number, which you can find in your exhibitor manual. You will be asked to send the name you want associated with your booth so the organizer can display it in the floor plan and show guide too (it helps visitors find you).

A computer generated image of your stand. Stand visuals are usually used to illustrate modifications you can make to your stand.

This usually refers to exhibit systom booth, which will usually have at least one side of walling. exhibit system walls are made up of customizable panelled sections – from special panels to display products, to complete graphic print.

A exhibit system is the very technical term for the kind of shell scheme stand you have. Shell scheme can be made using 4 different types of aluminium frames, called systems. Some names you may come across are Edge, Sodem, Octanorm and our brand new GES Complete. Each system has slightly different panel measurements, so make sure you check before getting any artwork printed!

This is the name of the building your exhibition will be happening in. ADNEC and the Dubai World Trade Centre are examples of major exhibition spaces. Within a venue, an exhibition usually takes over a certain amount of halls.