How to choose an exhibition stand builder in France: 12 questions to ask before you sign

You have a trade show in Paris, Cannes or Lyon, a raw space on the floor plan and a stand to put on it. You are hiring a contractor in another country, often in another language, under rules you have probably never read.

Send the same brief to three stand builders and you will usually get three proposals that don’t line up: different 3D designs, totals that are hard to compare and, above all, different scopes. One includes transport, the next one doesn’t. So choosing an exhibition stand builder in France starts with making those offers comparable. (In the US you would be looking for a booth builder or an exhibit house. Same job.)

For the wider picture (venues, customs, hotels), read our guide for international exhibitors.

The short answer: five things to check first

Compare these five points before you compare prices. A price only means something once the scopes match.

1. One contractor for the whole job: design, build, transport, build-up and dismantling, ideally storage too. If it isn’t in the quote, it isn’t included.
2. Experience at your venue: stands actually built there (not renders), and a working knowledge of its rules.
3. One named contact who speaks English, from the brief until the last crate leaves the hall.
4. A written, line-by-line quote in euros, excluding VAT, with a list of what is not included.
5. A schedule that works backwards from the show, with a final sign-off date. Ideally, the project starts 16 weeks before opening.

Further down, the 12 questions turn these five points into a checklist you can send to every builder you consult.

One contractor for design, build and installation

In France, an exhibition stand contractor (a standiste) normally covers the whole chain: 3D design, workshop production, transport, build-up on the show floor, dismantling and often storage. If you usually exhibit in the US, one thing changes: there is generally no drayage or union labour to book. Your builder’s own crew delivers and builds the stand within the organiser’s schedule. Power, rigging points, water, internet and forklift handling are still ordered separately, from the organiser or its official contractors, so ask who places those orders.

Some international exhibitors split the job: a design agency at home, a local builder for production and installation. It can work. But someone has to own the technical file, the fire certificates and the build-up, and if the contract leaves that vague, the gap lands on you, in the hall, the day before opening.

The French venue rules your stand builder must know

Every show in France publishes its own technical regulations, and your stand builder applies them.

• The exhibitor manual sets the maximum height, the setbacks from neighbouring stands, the rules for open sides, rigging, and the build-up and dismantling hours.
• The technical file: your stand plans go to the organiser for approval before a deadline written in the manual. Late plans leave less time to deal with the organiser’s comments, and late technical orders often cost more.
• Fire-rated materials: every construction and decoration material (structure, wall coverings, flooring, hanging fabrics) must have the reaction-to-fire rating French rules require for its use, backed by a test certificate. The required rating differs from one use to another. Keep the certificates on the stand: they can be requested during the safety checks before the show opens.
• Structural inspection: double-deck stands, and on many shows tall or suspended structures, must be checked by an approved inspection body. The thresholds are in each show’s regulations, so read them rather than assume.
• Electricity: France runs on 230 V, 50 Hz. Power is ordered from the official supplier, and the stand’s installation must meet French standards.

Being close to the venue helps. Knowing it helps more: the loading docks, the delivery slots, the hall heights, the organiser’s technical team. The venues international exhibitors come to most:

• Paris Nord Villepinte, next to Charles de Gaulle airport, hosts Euronaval, Maison&Objet and SIAL Paris (see the Paris Nord Villepinte calendar).
• Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, inside Paris, hosts EquipHotel, Wine Paris and VivaTech (see the Porte de Versailles calendar).
• Paris Le Bourget hosts the Paris Air Show every two years.
• The Palais des Festivals in Cannes hosts the TFWA World Exhibition, MIPIM and MIPCOM. It sits in the town centre, on the seafront, so check delivery access and slots early.
• Eurexpo in Lyon hosts Sirha Lyon and, in 2027, Global Industrie.

The major Paris shows are in our Paris trade show calendar, and our stand builder in Paris page covers the venues in detail.

Build in France or ship your stand from abroad?

If you exhibit in France once a year, a stand built in France is usually simpler and cheaper than one shipped across an ocean. If you already own a recent stand that fits your floor plan, shipping it can make sense. Compare on these points:

With several European shows a year, a middle route works well: have the structure built in France in modules, store it there and rebuild it from one show to the next. Mostly, only the graphics change.

For a show outside France, ask how the builder works there: shipping from its workshop with its own crews, or producing on site with local workshops and partners. The right answer depends on the country.

The 12 questions to ask before you sign

Send the same list, in writing, to every stand builder you consult, and keep the answers: they are worth as much as the quote.

1. Who designs the 3D, and how many rounds of changes are included? A named designer, a number of revisions in writing, and renders backed by a dimensioned plan and a materials list.
2. What do you make in-house, and what do you subcontract? The answer should be precise, trade by trade. On a large stand, ask whether it is pre-assembled in the workshop before it ships. Subcontracting is common and not a flaw; not knowing who answers for quality is.
3. Can we see stands you have built at this venue or in our industry? Photos of built stands, each with the show and the year. Not renders. And a client you can call.
4. Have you read our show’s technical regulations, and when is the plan deadline? A good builder asks for your exhibitor manual in the first conversation.
5. Who handles the fire certificates and, if required, the inspection body? The answer should be “we do”, with the paperwork listed in the quote.
6. Who builds and dismantles the stand: your own crews, temporary staff or subcontractors? Ask who leads the build-up on site and whether that person knows the stand in detail.
7. Who is my contact from brief to dismantling, and do they speak English? You want a named project manager who will be on site during build-up, not only a salesperson.
8. What is included in the price, and what do we order from the organiser? Transport both ways, furniture, lighting, and who orders and pays for the power connection, rigging, internet and cleaning.
9. Can the stand be stored and reused at our other shows in Europe? A written storage cost, an inventory of parts, and the price of a rebuild versus a new build.
10. What is the schedule, and when is the final sign-off? Written dates for 3D approval, plan submission, graphic files and the start of production, plus what happens if your approval comes late.
11. Which insurance covers build-up, transport and storage? A current certificate of liability insurance, valid on the show dates, sent without chasing. Check what your own policy covers on site too.
12. What happens when something goes wrong, during the show or after it? Spare parts and tools on site, a phone number that answers for the whole show, and a written plan for dismantling and for where each element goes afterwards.

Want our answers to these 12 questions for your show? Send us your brief, with the hall plan and exhibitor manual if you already have them.

What a good quote includes

A good stand builder’s quote makes sense without a follow-up call. Check that it lists:

• Design: 3D, plans and the number of revisions included.
• Production: structure, joinery, flooring and graphics, with materials and finishes.
• Furniture and lighting, kept separate from the power connection ordered from the organiser.
• Logistics: transport both ways, build-up and dismantling, with dates.
• Paperwork: the technical file, fire certificates, and the inspection body when the structure requires one.
• After the show: storage, rebuild or recycling.
• Terms: prices in euros excluding VAT, deposit and payment schedule, validity, cancellation.

Floor space is paid to the organiser and normally does not appear in the stand builder’s quote. As for tax, ask for quotes excluding VAT and check the VAT treatment with your accountant.

For context, our own ranges are public. A premium modular stand costs €420 to €1,000 per m² (Premium and Prestige finishes); a custom stand costs €850 to €2,100 per m² (Prestige and Iconic finishes), with custom projects starting at about €7.5k. These per m² ranges cover the build, transport, build-up and dismantling. On top comes a €2,500 project fee for design, drawings and coordination. All figures are indicative, exclude VAT and floor space, and come before any industry uplift (up to 20%) or options. Our projects start at €5k excl. VAT.

Our stand cost calculator gives a first range in a minute, and our guide to exhibition stand costs in France breaks budgets down by stand size.

Red flags

Slow down before signing if you see:

• A single total, with no line-by-line breakdown.
• An attractive 3D design, but no dimensioned plan and no materials list.
• No question about your show’s technical regulations.
• Renders offered as references, and not one photo of a built stand.
• A price far below the others, with no explanation of the scope.
• A salesperson who speaks English, but no named project manager after signature.
• Pressure to sign before you have even seen a proposal.

One of these signs doesn’t rule a stand builder out. Several at once should.

When to start: 16 weeks before the show

Work backwards from opening day. Ideally, the stand project starts 16 weeks (four months) before the show. The minimum is 10 to 14 weeks for a custom stand and 6 to 8 weeks for a premium modular stand. For 300 m² and more, allow 5 to 6 months.

Add the time to collect proposals, compare them and get internal approval: the consultation starts a few weeks before the project itself. Approvals across time zones tend to take longer, so leave room for them.

An example: Wine Paris opens on 15 February 2027 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. Count back 16 weeks and the stand project should start on 26 October 2026, which means the briefs go out now. For a stand of 300 m² or more at the TFWA World Exhibition, which returns to Cannes in autumn 2027, the 5 to 6 month rule puts the start in spring. Our trade show planning timeline details each step, and the trade show calendar gives the dates of the next editions.

How many quotes, and what to send

Three quotes are usually enough, four at most. A 3D proposal takes days of work: three builders who commit beat eight who skim. Send them all the same brief:

• the show, the stand size and its position (inline, corner or island);
• the hall plan and your exhibitor manual;
• your goals and how the stand will be used (storage, meeting room, bar, demos);
• your brand guidelines;
• a budget range.

Giving a range doesn’t weaken your position. It lets the builder propose the right finish instead of guessing.

How we work

Rockstar Event is an exhibition stand builder and event experience agency based in Villepinte, near Paris. A few facts about how we work:

• Since 2013, we have delivered more than 420 projects. We work on 48 trade shows a year, build stands from 6 to 500 m²+, and 75% of our clients come back to us.
• Our own 1,500 m² workshop at Villepinte, near Paris Nord Villepinte, handles joinery, paint, light metalwork and large-format printing. Stands built there are pre-assembled and checked before they ship.
• In France, our own build-up crews install and dismantle your stand, led by the project manager who has followed it since the design.
• An English-speaking team, with one project manager from brief to dismantling.
• Outside France, we adapt production to the country: built in our workshop and installed by our crews, or produced on site with local workshops and partners.
• Storage and reuse between shows, so the same stand can follow you around Europe.

Our process shows the six steps from brief to dismantling, and our page on exhibition stand design and build in France details the service.

Exhibiting in France in 2027? Tell us about your show: an English-speaking project manager replies within 48 working hours. If you’d rather talk now, message us on WhatsApp or call +33 6 08 54 12 63.