Terms and conditions for an exhibition stand builder

An exhibition stand is built to a deadline set by an organiser, in a hall governed by rules the client has not read, from graphics the client approves late. The terms have to fix design approval, put the venue's rules and deadlines on the client, separate hire from purchase, allocate damage and loss on site, and set a cancellation scale that reflects what a stand costs to abandon. I draft those terms for a fixed fee of £995, delivered in five working days.

Who this is for

Exhibition stand designers, builders and contractors in England and Wales providing custom, modular and hired stands for business clients at trade shows and events in the UK and abroad. These are business-to-business terms.

What matters in exhibition stand terms

Design, approvals and graphics

The terms should provide for a design approved by the client at a stated date, say that changes after approval are charged and may not be possible before the show, and set the deadline for the client's graphics artwork with the client responsible for its content and print-readiness. Late artwork means rush charges or a stand without graphics, and the terms should say which.

Venue rules, organiser deadlines and the client's part

The client books the space and is bound by the organiser's manual, and the terms should make the client responsible for the space booking, the organiser's regulations, health and safety submissions, and for orders through the organiser for power, rigging and cleaning unless the builder is instructed to place them as the client's agent. Changes in venue rules, build times or space are outside the builder's control and any cost they cause is the client's.

Build, breakdown and site conditions

The terms should state the build and breakdown schedule, say that access, floor loading, ceiling heights and services are as the organiser provides and that the builder is not responsible for their shortcomings, and that overnight security of the stand and the client's products is the venue's or the client's. The builder's staff work under the venue's site rules, stand construction is construction work under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 with the builder normally acting as principal contractor for its own stand, and the terms should say that delays caused by the venue or other contractors extend the schedule without breach.

Hire, purchase and damage

The terms should distinguish components hired for the show from those sold to the client, say that hired items remain the builder's and are returned in the condition supplied, that damage and loss on site beyond fair wear are charged, and that graphics and bespoke joinery are the client's to keep or the builder's to dispose of, as agreed. Storage of a stand between shows is a separate service at stated charges.

Cancellation, payment and liability

Stands are built for a date, and the terms should set a cancellation scale that recovers costs committed to design, materials, labour and subcontractors, rising as the show approaches. Payment is staged, with a deposit on order and the balance before the show, and interest and fixed compensation apply to late payment under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. Liability should be capped at the contract price, with consequential loss excluded, tested for reasonableness under the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977, and the builder's public liability insurance should be stated because the organiser will ask for it.

What it costs

Customer or supplier terms and conditions, £995. One set of terms, customer-facing or supplier-facing, drafted for your business. Five working days.

Review of your existing terms, £495. You already have terms and want them checked and brought up to date. Returned marked up with my amendments and an explanation of the changes. Three working days.

Email me at geoffrey@caesar.co.uk with what you need and any documents, and I will confirm the scope and the fee in writing, usually the same working day.

What you get

• A full set of bespoke terms drafted for your business, reflecting the legal requirements that apply to your business and sector
• A note in plain English explaining the terms I have drafted for you
• Liability, payment, termination and IP provisions that protect your position and are drafted to withstand scrutiny from the other side
• Guidance on how to incorporate the terms properly
• Your questions and comments answered by email or phone
• One round of amendments to finalise the terms ready for use

What is not included

• Negotiating your terms with individual customers (I am happy to quote for this as an additional service if required)
• Sector-specific regulatory compliance beyond the contract terms themselves
• Website privacy notice and cookie compliance, which I quote separately
• Terms governed by the law of another country
• Tax advice

Questions I am often asked

The organiser cut our build time in half. Who bears the overtime?

If the terms say organiser and venue changes are outside the builder's control and any cost they cause is the client's, the client. Tell the client as soon as the change is known and record the extra cost.

The client cancelled the show three weeks out. What can we recover?

The cancellation scale in the terms, which should reflect design fees, materials ordered, labour booked and subcontractors committed at that point. A scale stated in the proposal is what makes the recovery undisputed.

Who owns the stand after the show?

What the terms say. Hired components return to the builder; purchased components and bespoke elements are the client's if paid for, or disposed of if the client does not want them stored, at the client's cost.

Related guidance and services

• Terms and conditions drafting, £995, the service this page describes
• Contract review, £495
• Terms and conditions for a print and signage company

This page is general guidance for businesses in England and Wales, not advice on your own circumstances. Last reviewed: September 2026. Email geoffrey@caesar.co.uk.