The NEC's local stand builder
Custom exhibition stands built 20 minutes from the NEC
T2 Display have designed and built bespoke stands since 2001, from our workshop in Tamworth, Staffordshire. Permanent in-house carpenters, electricians and fabricators. Design and 3D visuals are free of charge for qualifying enquiries.
Local to Birmingham, local to the NEC
We are based in Tamworth, Staffordshire, about 20 minutes from the NEC Birmingham. That is close enough to matter.
It means our own team loads the van, drives to the hall and installs the stand. If something needs changing on site, the workshop is a short drive away, not a day away.
Birmingham and Midlands venues we regularly work at:
- NEC Birmingham, our home venue
- The ICC, Birmingham
- Resorts World Arena, Birmingham
- Coventry Building Society Arena
We also build at ExCeL London, Olympia London and Harrogate, plus international shows. The same team travels with the stand.
What we build, and what we do not
T2 Display build custom stands only, for spaces from 20 square metres up to 100 square metres.
A custom build is designed and made from scratch for one brand and one space. No system limits on height, shape or finish.
It is worth being clear about the three UK stand categories, because they get muddled:
- Modular is off-the-shelf: pole and panel, pop-ups, aluminium frames with infill panels. Pre-manufactured to standard sizes at a standard height of about 2.5m. It can be self-built, and it suits exhibitors doing five or more shows a year on a modest budget.
- Hybrid is a mixture of modular and custom build, usually system light boxes combined with purpose-built elements. It is much less common now.
- Custom build is made for you alone, from scratch.
We do not sell modular or hybrid stands as a product line. We explored modular systems many times over the years and invested in the kit. Clients consistently wanted more personalisation, greater height and shape, and a more dynamic presence. Where a system component such as a light box is genuinely the right answer, we use it inside a custom build.
No Climb Products
“They have never let us down and have always delivered a quality stand that meets our requirements.”
Stephen Beadle, No Climb Products
Everything under one roof
We are a full service exhibition stand contractor. One team, one point of contact, one invoice.
- Design and concept development
- 3D visuals
- Fabrication and build in our own workshop
- Graphics and print
- Electrics and lighting
- Transport and logistics
- Installation on site
- Breakdown and de-rig
- Storage between shows
The carpenters, electricians and fabricators are permanent employees, not agency labour hired for the week. That is why quality holds steady from one show to the next, and it is a large part of why more than 75% of our work comes from existing clients.
We are an ESSA member.
What a custom stand costs
We would rather give you real numbers than a vague "it depends".
Fabrication and build is typically around half of any contract value. That runs from 4,000 GBP at the small end, 8,000 to 20,000 GBP mid-range, and up to 50,000 to 60,000 GBP on large contracts.
The rest breaks down roughly like this:
- Graphics and print: 3,000 to 8,000 GBP mid-range. Graphics-led builds can run 12,000 to 18,000 GBP.
- Electrics and lighting: 1,200 to 5,000 GBP, up to 6,000 GBP on larger builds.
- Transport and logistics: 600 to 2,000 GBP.
- Installation: 2,000 to 5,000 GBP depending on contract size.
- Breakdown: 1,500 to 4,000 GBP. De-rigging takes nearly as much labour as build-up, so it is never a token cost.
- Storage: quoted separately.
A typical mid-range custom build totals 16,000 to 44,000 GBP.
Design and 3D visuals are free of charge for qualifying enquiries, so you can see the idea before you commit to the spend.
Book your stand builder at least two months before the show
This is the single most useful piece of planning advice we can give a Birmingham exhibitor.
Design approval and the CDM declaration can take up to six weeks. Organisers will not let a stand go up without them.
So a stand builder should ideally be appointed at least two months before the show. Finished artwork is needed four weeks before.
Work back from your show date. If you are exhibiting at the NEC in three months, now is the right time to talk. If your show is sooner, get in touch anyway and we will tell you honestly what is achievable.
Stands we have built
Clients we have designed and built for include Soudal, Pinarello, Dentally, Journeo, Software of Excellence and Horiba Mira.
We have designed and built Lely's key UK event stand at the NEC for six consecutive years. A six year run tells you more about a stand builder than any single photograph does.
We also built the BSA Guns stand in Hall 6 at The Great British Shooting Show, NEC Birmingham.
Repeat work is the pattern here. More than 75% of what we do comes from clients who have already exhibited with us.
How the process works
1. Tell us about the show. Venue, hall, stand size, whether it is space only, and roughly what you want visitors to do on the stand.
2. We design it. Concepts and 3D visuals, free of charge for qualifying enquiries. You see the stand before you spend.
3. We quote it clearly. Build, graphics, electrics, transport, installation and breakdown, itemised so you can see where the money goes.
4. We make it. In our own Tamworth workshop, by our own carpenters, electricians and fabricators.
5. We install, de-rig and store. Our team is on site for build-up and breakdown. Storage between shows is quoted separately, so a good stand can work for several years.
We work on spaces from 20 square metres up to 100 square metres.
Your questions, answered.
Where are you based, and do you cover Birmingham?
How much does an exhibition stand cost?
Is the design really free?
How far in advance should I book a stand builder?
Do you supply modular or hybrid stands?
What size stands do you build?
Who does the actual building and installation?
Exhibiting in Birmingham? Let's talk it through.
Tell us the show, the hall and the stand size. We will come back with ideas, 3D visuals and a clear, itemised quote. Design and visuals are free of charge for qualifying enquiries.
Let's work together
Tell us about your show and your stand space. One project lead will work with you from the first sketch to the final dismantle, and we are always happy to sign an NDA.
In-house design & build since 2001 · ESSA member · 75% of clients come back