Update 2026
Are you planning to participate in a trade show or public exhibition in the Netherlands or abroad
and are you working on a budget or cost estimate? You can choose to build your exhibition stand yourself,
but you can also completely outsource this to a professional stand builder who will take care of the
process for you from A to Z. A frequently asked question is: what exactly does an exhibition stand cost
and how are these costs structured?
The price of booth construction depends on several factors. On this page
we explain in a clear and practical way which components influence the cost
of your exhibition stand and how you can get a grip on this yourself.
Of course you can also leave this to us and request a quotation without any obligation.
When renting an exhibition stand, you usually pay one all-in fee per exhibition participation.
This fee includes the use of materials such as walls, floors, lighting,
visuals, AV equipment and furniture, as well as the cost of set-up and take-down.
The big advantage is that you do not have to make an investment upfront and are completely relieved of any worries.
If you regularly participate in trade shows or have specific branding
or technical requirements, buying your own trade show booth may be a strategic choice.
In that case, the booth can be placed by your own team or outsourced to
a booth builder. Based on our experience, purchase is often more advantageous when you visit
more than eight trade shows per year.
Because King of Exhibition Stands works with modular frame systems and interchangeable visuals,
it is also possible to combine purchase and rental. This hybrid solution offers flexibility
in format, appearance and budget, depending on the fair and location.
Many exhibition organizers and venues offer standard booth construction (shell scheme).
At a fixed price per square meter, you usually receive a basic package consisting of:
In 2026, the average cost for standard stand construction is between
€165 and €295 per m², excluding the cost of the bare exhibition space.
For smaller stands (around 24 m²), this is often the most economical solution,
because external stand builders usually work with a minimum project value.
To illustrate, our minimum order value is
€10,500 per exhibition stand per event.
For larger stands, we always recommend requesting a comparative quotation.
In many cases a more luxurious and distinctive stand
can be realized for a similar budget.
Custom booth construction in 2026 is usually possible from around
€340 per sq. m., including designer furniture.
The booth construction market will continue to be under pressure in 2026. The continued demand for trade shows,
combined with limited availability of professionals and logistics capacity,
makes early planning essential. Securing a booth builder early,
prevents surcharges and last-minute concessions.
Prices of materials such as flooring, construction and prints have stabilized compared to previous years
but are still higher than before 2020. In addition, labor costs continue to rise
due to inflation and collective bargaining agreements.
Compared to the pre-2020 period, total cost levels are now
on average 20-30% higher.
Our advice is to include enough room for this in your trade show budget.
Of course, we are happy to think along with you about smart, modular solutions
to get the maximum return from your trade show participation.
Please feel free to contact us for a no-obligation consultation
We will gladly provide you with clear advice and a transparent cost overview.