YOUR CART IS CURRENTLY EMPTY
Published
You have booked a stand. The organiser has sent you a floor plan, a stand number and a size in metres, and now you have to work out what actually goes in it.
This guide covers the three questions that come up every time: what the standard Australian stand sizes are, what the shell scheme gives you (and what it doesn't), and what physically fits inside each size once the structure is accounted for. Every measurement below is a real size we make.
The common exhibition stand sizes in Australia are 2x2m, 2x3m, 3x3m and 3x6m, sold in whole square-metre modules. Floor plans quote metres; artwork briefs want millimetres (a 3x3m stand is 3000mm by 3000mm). The size on your floor plan is the floor you have paid for, not the space you can fill: walls, corner posts, the fascia and any open side all take a bite out of it. A shell scheme usually gives you the walls, a fascia sign with your name, carpet and basic lighting, and not much else.
| Stand size (metres) | Stand size (millimetres) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 2 x 2m | 2000mm x 2000mm | Small shell scheme stand, single exhibitor |
| 2 x 3m | 2000mm x 3000mm | Compact stand with room for a counter and screen |
| 3 x 3m | 3000mm x 3000mm | The most common shell scheme size for small to medium exhibitors |
| 3 x 6m | 3000mm x 6000mm | Larger presence, suits product displays and a meeting space |
| 6 x 6m or larger | 6000mm x 6000mm+ | Custom or space-only stands, often open on several sides |
Mixing the two units up is an easy way to order the wrong graphics. Brief artwork in millimetres, against the wall you actually bought, not the one you had last time. Wrong-size artwork is the most common cause of a reprint.
Almost every portable display wall we sell is 2.25m high. That is not an accident. It is sized to stand inside a standard shell scheme without fouling the fascia board above your stand.
If a venue applies a lower height limit, which is common in shopping centres, there is a 1.5m version of the SuperWall built for exactly that. Confirm the limit with your organiser before you order anything, because a wall you cannot use is an expensive lesson. Our guide to stand rules at Australian convention centres shows where to find each venue's figure.
The quoted stand size is the footprint you have booked. A shell scheme wall, corner posts, fascia signage and any shared structure all reduce the practical area inside. Open sides change how the space is used too: an open side usually can't carry back-of-stand storage or tall structure without the organiser's approval.
Your floor plan shows the stand number, the quoted dimensions, which sides are open (usually marked with a different line style or shading), nearby pillars or fixed structure, and where power and other services come in. Confirm all of this against the organiser's own documents rather than assuming a standard layout, because venues vary.
"Shell scheme" is one of those exhibition terms everyone nods along to until it's their first stand. Knowing what's included avoids the two most common surprises: paying for something that was already provided, or discovering on bump-in day that something essential wasn't.
A shell scheme usually includes:
It usually does not include:
Get the organiser's exact inclusion list in writing and compare it with what your stand needs to function. Packages vary between venues and exhibitions. If you plan to attach graphics to the walls, check the fixing rules first; our guide to attaching graphics to shell scheme walls covers what venues allow, and shell scheme panel sizes gives the measurements for the artwork.
Shell scheme gives you a ready-made structure with limited design freedom, which suits exhibitors who want a straightforward set-up without commissioning a custom build. Space-only gives you an empty floor footprint with complete design freedom, but every element, from walls and flooring to power and lighting, has to be arranged and approved separately. It usually means more planning time and a larger budget. If you're weighing the two, start with how to choose between a shell scheme, modular or custom stand.
Two metres of back wall. That is a single 2.4m wall trimmed by the structure, or two pull-up banners side by side, plus one small table or plinth. There is no room for a counter and a seating area, so choose one.
At this size the honest advice is to keep it to a strong back wall and one clear thing for visitors to walk up to.
Three metres of back wall along the long side, which is where a 3m SuperWall or a 2.7m pop-up stand sits neatly. That leaves the two-metre depth for a table, a plinth and room for two people to stand without blocking each other.
This is the smallest size where a stand starts to feel like a stand rather than a table with a banner behind it.
The most common size, and the one most of our portable exhibition kits are built around. A 3m wall fills the back exactly. Add a counter, a plinth or a branded table, and you still have floor left for visitors to stand in.
Three 3m walls can also be combined to enclose the whole stand on three sides if you want a room rather than a backdrop.
A practical note on weight: a 3m SuperWall is about 12kg in its bag and one person can stand it up in around five minutes. You do not need a crew or an on-site contractor for a stand this size.
Six metres of back wall is available as one piece, which matters because a join down the middle of a graphic is the first thing people notice. The SuperWall runs to 6.1m in a single wall, and hire walls go up to 9m in one piece.
Above this, or where you want a roof, a locking store cupboard or a curved section, you are into Brandframe territory. It is modular aluminium, made to whatever size the space needs, and sections can be added or removed to suit a different stand next time.
The gap between what the shell scheme gives you and what a working stand needs is the reason these kits exist. Rather than pricing a wall, a table and a banner separately, each kit is one price for a co-ordinated set that travels in bags and cases you can carry.
There are twelve kits in all, and any of them can be mixed and matched. If one is close but not right, tell us what to swap. Prices are ex GST.
Walls, flooring, counters and shelving can all be hired. Hire kits are bundled for 3x3m and 3x4m stands, and there is a 6x6m kit set up for food and beverage sampling. For a single show, hire usually costs less than owning something that then lives in a cupboard for a year.
Yes, 3 metres by 3 metres is 9 square metres of floor space, though the usable area will be smaller once the shell scheme structure is accounted for.
Usually yes, with a careful layout. It depends on the size of each item and how much open floor you want to keep for visitors.
Usually not. Furniture is ordered separately, either through the event's official supplier or brought in yourself, depending on the event's rules.
It varies by event. Some include a single outlet; others charge separately for any power connection. Confirm before assuming it's covered.
Often yes, within the organiser's guidelines. Confirm the fixing method, since some events restrict what can be attached to the panels.
Send us your floor plan with the open sides marked, and we can tell you what fits before you order anything.
Real people. Straight answers. No runaround.
