Exhibiting in Spain: a practical guide for international brands

Every exhibition project begins with the event itself. Before discussing concepts or materials, confirm the practical framework in which the stand will be developed.

Collect the essential information:

• Name of the fair.
• Venue and city.
• Event dates.
• Build-up and dismantling dates.
• Stand location, number and floor area.
• Number of open sides.
• Organiser or venue documentation.
• Exhibitor manual.
• Technical submission and approval deadlines.
• Services that must be ordered directly from the organiser or venue.

The exhibitor manual is particularly important. It normally establishes the technical and operational conditions that affect the project, although the contents and terminology vary from one fair to another. The current edition should always be checked rather than relying on requirements from a previous event.

A project for a fair at IFEMA Madrid, for example, must be planned around the documentation and procedures issued for that specific event. The same applies when exhibiting in Barcelona or at any other venue in Spain. CDA & Co. is an independent studio and is not an official representative or provider of any venue or trade fair.

If your participation is part of a wider event programme, you can also review our approach to event design and production.

The stand should be designed around what visitors and the exhibiting team need to do inside it.

Before deciding how the space should look, define its priorities:

• Holding scheduled meetings.
• Presenting products or collections.
• Running demonstrations.
• Generating and qualifying leads.
• Offering hospitality.
• Providing private conversation areas.
• Storing products, literature or personal belongings.
• Managing queues or periods of high visitor flow.
• Guiding visitors through a particular sequence.

These requirements determine how the available area should be divided. A stand focused on confidential meetings needs a different balance from one built around live demonstrations or high product visibility.

It is useful to identify one primary objective and a small number of supporting objectives. Trying to make every activity equally prominent can produce a crowded space and an unclear visitor journey.

A clear brief allows the design and production team to identify constraints early and develop a proposal around confirmed information.

The initial brief should include:

• Fair: official name of the event.
• Venue: building, hall and city.
• Dates: event, build-up and dismantling.
• Area: total floor space and any height information already available.
• Open sides: one, two, three or island configuration.
• Objectives: what the stand must achieve.
• Audience: who the priority visitors are.
• Products: what will be displayed, demonstrated or stored.
• Meetings: expected format, capacity and privacy.
• Brand assets: current identity guidelines, logos and approved graphics.
• Budget: the working investment range or internal limit.
• Scope: design only or a broader package including project direction, production and installation coordination.
• Exhibitor manual: the latest available version.
• Internal approvals: who reviews design, budget and technical decisions.

If some information is not yet confirmed, mark it as pending rather than estimating it silently. This makes dependencies visible and prevents an assumption from becoming a design or production constraint later.

A successful exhibition space has to work at two levels: it must communicate clearly to visitors and it must be feasible within the conditions of the venue and the fair.

From the visitor’s perspective, the design should consider:

• Visibility from the main approaches.
• A clear entrance or invitation to enter.
• Legible messages at the appropriate distance.
• Comfortable circulation.
• The relationship between public, meeting and service areas.
• Lighting suited to products, graphics and conversations.
• A coherent use of materials, furniture and brand elements.

From a technical perspective, the proposal should consider:

• The dimensions and configuration of the allocated space.
• Height, access and structural restrictions.
• Electrical, lighting and audiovisual requirements.
• Graphic production and installation.
• Materials and construction methods.
• Transport and handling.
• Buildability within the permitted access and assembly conditions.
• Dismantling and removal.

These two perspectives should develop together. A visual idea that cannot be produced, transported or installed within the project conditions is not a resolved design.

For a service-led overview, see exhibition stand design in Spain.

International exhibition projects often involve several teams. Clear responsibilities reduce duplication and make approvals easier to manage.

The client

The exhibiting company normally confirms objectives, products, budget, brand assets, internal approvals and the people responsible for decisions.

The international agency

An existing agency may lead brand strategy, campaign creative, content or the global exhibition concept. Its exact role should be agreed with the local project team.

CDA & Co.

Depending on the agreed scope, CDA & Co. can work on spatial design, project direction and the coordination of production and installation for the physical project in Spain.

Suppliers and contractors

Specialist suppliers may be responsible for construction, graphics, lighting, audiovisual systems, furniture, transport or other defined packages. Their responsibilities should be documented rather than assumed.

The organiser and venue

The organiser and venue establish the procedures, deadlines, technical conditions and services that apply to the specific fair. Required submissions and orders should follow their current official documentation.

Logistics teams

Logistics may include transport, delivery access, handling, return shipments and storage. The party responsible for each movement should be identified before production is completed.

CDA & Co. can collaborate with an international agency or with a client’s internal team. The project scope should state who designs, who approves, who contracts each supplier and who coordinates the work on site.

You can learn more about CDA & Co.’s services and the studio.

There is no single timetable that applies to every fair. The programme depends on the event, the organiser’s deadlines, the complexity of the stand and the agreed scope.

A useful timeline works backwards from the opening date and includes the following stages:

1. Project definition

   Confirm the fair, venue, stand area, objectives, scope, decision-makers and available documentation.

2. Concept design

   Develop the spatial approach, visitor journey, principal functions and visual direction.

3. Review and approval

   Record comments, resolve decisions and obtain the approvals needed to continue.

4. Technical development

   Coordinate dimensions, materials, lighting, graphics, audiovisual requirements and buildable details.

5. Venue or organiser submissions

   Prepare and submit the required project information according to the documentation for the specific fair.

6. Production

   Manufacture physical elements and produce graphics or other agreed components.

7. Transport and access coordination

   Confirm deliveries, access conditions, handling and responsibilities.

8. Installation

   Assemble and check the space before handover to the exhibiting team.

9. Dismantling

   Remove, return, store or dispose of elements according to the agreed plan and applicable venue conditions.

The schedule should include review time, not only production time. Late internal decisions can affect technical development, supplier availability and the opportunity to resolve details properly.

A useful exhibition budget separates the project into categories. This makes scope easier to compare and helps prevent necessary items from being hidden inside a single construction figure.

Depending on the project, categories may include:

• Spatial design.
• Project direction.
• Technical development.
• Stand production.
• Graphics and signage.
• Lighting.
• Audiovisual equipment.
• Furniture.
• Transport and handling.
• Venue or organiser services.
• Installation.
• Dismantling.
• Storage.
• Adaptation or refurbishment for future use.

Not every project requires every category, and some services may have to be ordered directly through the organiser or venue. The proposal should identify inclusions, exclusions, assumptions and client-supplied elements.

CDA & Co. does not publish a generic stand price because the cost depends on the fair, area, specification, technical requirements and scope. A useful first enquiry includes the fair, venue, dates, stand size and required services.

Reuse is most effective when it is considered during the initial design rather than added after production.

Questions to address include:

• Can the layout adapt to different stand sizes?
• Which elements can be modular?
• Can graphics be replaced without rebuilding the main structure?
• Are materials suitable for repeated assembly?
• How much transport volume will the system require?
• Where will reusable elements be stored?
• Who will inspect and maintain them between events?
• Can furniture, lighting or audiovisual equipment be hired locally?
• Which components are likely to change with each campaign?

Reuse does not automatically mean repeating the same stand without alteration. It may involve retaining a structural system, selected furniture or display components while adapting the layout and communication for each fair.

Material, transport and storage decisions should be evaluated together. A reusable component only provides practical value if it can be transported, stored and installed appropriately.

CDA & Co. is a Madrid-based design studio working on physical projects for international brands in Spain.

Depending on the agreed scope, our work can include:

• Spatial design for stands and exhibition spaces.
• Project direction.
• Coordination of specialist production.
• Coordination of installation and dismantling.
• Collaboration with local suppliers and contractors.
• Coordination with the client’s international agency or internal team.

The scope may cover design only or a broader physical project involving production and installation coordination. Each proposal should define responsibilities, deliverables and exclusions for the specific fair.

CDA & Co. focuses on physical exhibition and spatial projects in Spain. The exact design, coordination and production responsibilities are defined for each project and fair.

You can review selected projects, learn more about the studio, or visit the general FAQ.