Custom exhibition stand contractors since 2001
One contractor for design, build, graphics, transport, installation, breakdown and storage
T2 Display are ESSA member exhibition stand contractors based in Tamworth, Staffordshire, about 20 minutes from the NEC Birmingham. We have built bespoke stands since 2001 with a permanent in-house team of carpenters, electricians and fabricators.
What a full contract with T2 Display covers
We take on the whole job, from first sketch to the empty floor after breakdown. There is one team to call and one contractor accountable for the stand.
- Design and 3D visuals, free of charge for qualifying enquiries
- Fabrication and build in our own workshop by our permanent in-house team
- Graphics and print, applied and finished to the design
- Electrics and lighting, wired and tested by our own electricians
- Transport and logistics to the venue
- Installation on site during build-up
- Breakdown and de-rig after the show
- Storage of reusable elements, quoted separately
We build custom stands only, for spaces from 20 square metres up to 100 square metres. Everything is designed and made from scratch for one brand and one space.
Why an in-house team matters on site
Many contractors subcontract the trades. We do not. Our carpenters, electricians and fabricators are permanent members of the T2 Display team, so the people who make your stand in Tamworth are the people who stand it up in the hall.
That matters when a hall is busy and the clock is running. Changes get made on the spot. Quality is consistent because the same hands do the same work show after show.
We are an ESSA member, so we work to the association's standards for exhibition contractors, and more than 75% of our work comes from existing clients. Clients 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, and built the BSA Guns stand in Hall 6 at The Great British Shooting Show at the NEC Birmingham.
Vanderbilt
“The level of professionalism and quality delivered by Dave, Joe, Martin and all the team has been superb.”
Sam Lord, Vanderbilt
Venues we work at
The NEC Birmingham is our home venue, roughly 20 minutes from our workshop. Short travel means fewer transport costs, easier site visits and quick response if something is needed mid build-up.
We also regularly work at:
- The ICC and Resorts World Arena, Birmingham
- Coventry Building Society Arena
- ExCeL London
- Olympia London
- Harrogate
- International shows
Each venue has its own rules for build-up times, rigging, electrics and health and safety paperwork. We handle that side so you can concentrate on the show itself.
Custom, modular and hybrid: know the difference before you brief
The three UK stand categories are not interchangeable, and mixing them up leads to disappointing quotes.
Modular stands are off-the-shelf systems: pole and panel, pop-ups, aluminium frames with infill panels. They are pre-manufactured to standard sizes at a standard height of about 2.5m. Modular suits exhibitors doing five or more shows a year on a modest budget, and it can be self-built.
Hybrid stands mix modular and custom build, usually system light boxes combined with purpose-built elements. Hybrid is much less common now.
Custom build is designed and made from scratch for one brand and one space, with no system limits on height, shape or materials.
T2 Display build custom stands. We do not sell modular or hybrid stands as a product line, although we do use system components such as light boxes inside a custom build where they are the right answer. We explored modular systems many times over the years and invested in the kit. Clients consistently came back asking for more personalisation, greater height and shape, and a more dynamic presence, so custom is what we do.
What a custom stand contract costs
Fabrication and build is typically around half of any contract value. Honest ranges, so you can budget before you brief:
- Fabrication and build: from £4,000 at the small end, £8,000 to £20,000 mid-range, up to £50,000 to £60,000 on large contracts
- Graphics and print: £3,000 to £8,000 mid-range, and £12,000 to £18,000 on graphics-led builds
- Electrics and lighting: £1,200 to £5,000, up to £6,000 on larger builds
- Transport and logistics: £600 to £2,000
- Installation: £2,000 to £5,000 depending on contract size
- Breakdown: £1,500 to £4,000, because de-rigging takes nearly as much labour as build-up
- Storage: quoted separately
A typical mid-range custom build totals £16,000 to £44,000. Design and 3D visuals are free of charge for qualifying enquiries, so you can see the stand before you commit.
The timeline: appoint your contractor early
Design approval and the CDM declaration can take up to six weeks. That is the single most common reason exhibitors run out of road.
- At least two months before the show: appoint your stand builder. Earlier is better on larger spaces.
- Design and 3D visuals: we work up the concept and revise it with you.
- Approval and CDM paperwork: submitted to the organiser and venue.
- Four weeks before the show: finished artwork needed for graphics and print.
- Build in Tamworth: carpentry, fabrication, electrics and graphics in our workshop.
- Transport and installation: delivered and built during venue build-up.
- Breakdown and storage: de-rigged after the show, reusable elements stored.
If your show is closer than two months away, get in touch anyway. We will tell you straight whether it is deliverable.
Who this suits
This service suits UK marketing managers and business owners who want one accountable contractor rather than five suppliers.
It is a good fit if you have booked a space of 20 square metres or more, want a stand designed around your brand rather than a system, need graphics, electrics and lighting handled together, and want the same team on site at build-up and breakdown.
It is less of a fit if you do five or more shows a year on a modest budget and want a self-built system stand. In that case modular is the sensible answer, and we would rather say so than sell you the wrong thing.
Tell us the venue, the show dates, your space size and roughly what you want the stand to do. We will come back with ideas and a clear quote.
Your questions, answered.
Are you an ESSA member?
Do you subcontract the build?
What size stands do you build?
How far in advance should I appoint a contractor?
What does a mid-range custom stand cost?
Do you supply modular or hybrid stands?
Which venues do you work at?
Tell us about your show and your space
Send us the venue, the dates and the size of your stand space. We will come back with ideas and a clear quote. Design and 3D 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