Selecting the right size for your portable display system

Choosing the right size display, also called determining display dimensions, means matching the backdrop and accessories to the booth and to your goals. Too small looks lost in the space; too large crowds out furniture and visitors.

This guide is part of the portable display systems series.

How do you measure for a display?

Check the booth's width, depth and height limit in the exhibitor manual. Measure the system's footprint, including feet or bases, and leave around 60–90 cm for walkways and space for furniture.

Which display widths suit common booths?

How do furniture and walkways affect size?

Furniture takes floor depth. A high table and two stools need about 1.5 m square; a counter needs about 60 cm depth plus standing room. Plan the display, furniture and walkways on one scaled sketch before buying.

Should you buy for one booth size or several?

If you attend shows with different booth sizes, choose a system that expands or combines, such as two matching 10 ft walls or a modular kit. See modular display designs.

How does height affect visibility?

Taller walls are seen from further away, but in-line booths usually cap height. Use the maximum allowed height for the header and put detail lower.

Which sizing mistakes should you avoid?

Ignoring height limits, choosing a wall wider than the booth, forgetting that bases stick out and forgetting that cases need somewhere to go.

Which resources help?

The IAEE publishes standard booth guidelines used by many North American shows; see also booth design specifications.

How do you size accessories with the display?

Size everything together. A back wall, a banner stand, a counter, a high table with two stools and a display piece all compete for floor space. On a 10 × 10 ft booth, plan a 60–90 cm clear entrance, a counter or table to one side and the display piece where it can be seen from the aisle.

How do you size for future shows?

List the booth sizes you're likely to book over the next two or three years. If most are 10 × 10 ft with an occasional 10 × 20 ft, buy one 10 ft system and add a matching unit later. If sizes vary a lot, a modular kit is safer.

How do you test a size before buying?

Mark the footprint on the floor at your office, place furniture in it and stand at a distance to judge proportions. Many suppliers publish layout drawings for each system.

Which details are easy to overlook?

Base footprints that stick out, the space needed to open the frame, lighting arms that extend above the wall and storage for empty cases.

How do display size and furniture work together on a 10 × 20 ft booth?

On a 10 × 20 ft booth, a 20 ft back wall leaves room for a counter at one front corner, a room set or display zone in the middle and a high table with stools near the back. Alternatively, two 10 ft walls can form an L if the booth is on a corner. Plan both on the same sketch before buying.

How do you size a display for island and peninsula booths?

Island and peninsula booths need displays visible from several sides. Use a central back wall or tower with graphics on each face, sized to the booth's height limits, and leave generous walkways around it. Portable systems often need to be combined or upgraded to modular kits for these booth types.

How do you size a tabletop display?

Measure the table and leave space in front for literature and a tablet. A display about the width of the table, with the message in its top half, works best.