Subcon, 9 and 10 June 2027, NEC Birmingham
Exhibition stand builder for Subcon at the NEC, a stand that reads like a workshop
T2 Display design and build bespoke exhibition stands from our workshop in Tamworth, Staffordshire, about 20 minutes from the NEC. Custom only, for spaces from 20 up to 100 square metres. To be ready for 9 and 10 June 2027, appoint your builder by early April.
The deadline for Subcon 2027, in plain calendar terms
Subcon takes place on 9 and 10 June 2027 at the NEC Birmingham. Work backwards from that date and the timeline is tighter than most people expect.
- Early April 2027: appoint your stand builder. Design approval and the CDM declaration can take up to six weeks, so a builder should be in place at least two months before the show.
- Mid April to early May 2027: design, 3D visuals, structural detail and sign-off. This is where changes are cheap.
- Around 12 May 2027: finished artwork is needed, four weeks before the show. Logos, part photography, accreditation marks, everything.
- May 2027: fabrication, graphics production, electrical build and a workshop check.
- June 2027: transport, installation, the two show days, then breakdown.
If you are reading this in April 2027 or later, still get in touch. We will tell you honestly what is achievable in the time left rather than take the booking and hope.
What being 20 minutes from the NEC actually buys you
Our workshop is in Tamworth, Staffordshire, about 20 minutes from the NEC Birmingham. That is not a marketing line, it is a set of practical advantages on a two-day show.
- Site visits during design. We can walk your space, check the position of your neighbours, the aisle flow and the service points, then design around what is actually there.
- The crew on site early. No overnight travel before build-up. Our installation team starts the day fresh and gets ahead of the schedule.
- Problems fixed from the workshop, not from a hotel. If a panel is damaged in transit or a last-minute change is needed, we can make the part in Tamworth and have it at the hall the same day.
- Local storage between shows. Your stand comes back to us, gets checked, and goes out again for the next event with new graphics if you want them. Storage is quoted separately.
The NEC is our home venue. We also work regularly at the ICC and Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, Coventry Building Society Arena, ExCeL London, Olympia London and Harrogate, plus international shows.
Parker Knoll
“This experienced and talented team of craftsmen do a first class job, and I would recommend them without hesitation.”
Donna Bellingham, Parker Knoll
A stand that reads as a capable workshop, not a marketing exercise
Technical buyers at a subcontract manufacturing show are not browsing. They arrive with a drawing, a tolerance, a volume and a lead-time problem. The stand has about four seconds to say whether you can help.
What tends to work for machining, casting, fabrication, tooling and supply chain exhibitors:
- Honest materials. Timber, steel, real finishes. A stand built from the same instincts as a well-run shop floor is more convincing than a glossy set.
- Capability stated in plain language. Process, materials, machine envelope, certifications you hold, sectors served. Large, legible, readable from the aisle.
- Light that shows detail. Surface finish, weld quality and machined features disappear under flat lighting. Directional lighting on parts is worth the budget.
- No clutter. One clear message on the front elevation, detail behind it.
We have been doing bespoke design and build since 2001 and we are an ESSA member. More than 75% of our work comes from existing clients, which is the measure we care about most.
Displaying sample parts properly
Sample parts are the whole argument. They need to be at the right height, lit correctly and mounted so a buyer can pick them up without the plinth wobbling.
Our permanent in-house team of carpenters, electricians and fabricators builds the display furniture, so weight and fixing are designed in from the start rather than solved on site.
- Plinths and shelving engineered for real loads. Tell us the weight of your heaviest casting or billet at briefing stage and we design the structure to carry it.
- Handling height. Parts a buyer should touch sit at working height. Parts that are there to impress can go higher, lit from above.
- Secure display where needed. Cabinets, tethering or lockable storage for anything valuable or covered by an NDA.
- Cable management for anything powered. Rotating displays, screens showing CAD or process video, and machine demonstrations all get planned electrics. Electrics and lighting typically run 1,200 to 5,000 GBP, up to 6,000 GBP on larger builds.
We speak the same language as your production team, which usually makes the briefing conversation short.
Somewhere quiet to run a serious buying conversation
A supply chain conversation involves drawings, prices and commitments. It should not happen standing in an aisle.
On spaces from about 30 square metres upwards we usually design in one of the following:
- A semi-enclosed meeting area with a table, seating and acoustic separation from the open front of the stand.
- A raised or recessed zone that signals privacy without shutting the stand off from the aisle.
- Storage built into the meeting space for coats, boxes, literature and the kettle, so nothing sits on show.
- Screen and power provision so you can put a drawing or a process video up mid-conversation.
The open front still needs to work hard, because the meeting area is useless if nobody stops. We design the two together.
Two show days, so build-up and breakdown discipline matters
Subcon runs across 9 and 10 June 2027. A short show concentrates everything into the build-up and the de-rig, and both cost real money.
We handle the full service in-house and by our own crew: design, 3D visuals, build, graphics, transport, installation, breakdown and storage. One team, one point of contact, no handovers between three subcontractors on the morning of build-up.
Indicative costs from our work across UK venues:
- Fabrication and build: typically around half of the total contract value. From 4,000 GBP at the small end, 8,000 to 20,000 GBP mid-range, up to 50,000 to 60,000 GBP on large contracts.
- Graphics and print: 3,000 to 8,000 GBP mid-range. Graphics-led builds can run 12,000 to 18,000 GBP.
- 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 budget for it properly.
A typical mid-range custom build totals 16,000 to 44,000 GBP.
Custom only, 20 to 100 square metres
We build custom stands only, designed and made from scratch for one brand and one space, with no system limits on height or shape. The smallest space we take on is 20 square metres and the largest is 100 square metres.
If you have a small package or shell scheme space at Subcon, we are genuinely not the right supplier and there is no sense in either of us pretending otherwise.
It is worth knowing the difference between the three UK stand categories before you brief anyone:
- Modular is off-the-shelf systems: 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 suits exhibitors doing five or more shows a year on a modest budget.
- Hybrid is a mixture of modular and custom, usually system light boxes combined with purpose-built elements. It is much less common now.
- Custom build is made for you alone.
We explored modular systems many times over the years and invested in the kit. Clients kept coming back asking for more personalisation, greater height and shape, and a more dynamic presence. So custom is what we do. We still use system components such as light boxes inside a custom build where they are the right answer.
Clients we have designed and built for include Soudal, Pinarello, Dentally, Journeo, Software of Excellence and Horiba Mira. We 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.
Your questions, answered.
When do we need to appoint a stand builder for Subcon 2027?
What stand sizes do T2 Display build?
Do you sell modular or pop-up stands for Subcon?
What does a custom Subcon stand cost?
Can the stand carry heavy sample parts?
Can you store the stand between shows?
Exhibiting at Subcon 2027? Let's talk about the space you have booked.
Tell us your stand size, your hall position and what you need to show. We will come back with ideas, a design and 3D visuals free of charge for qualifying enquiries, plus a clear quote broken down line by line. We build custom stands only, for spaces from 20 up to 100 square metres.
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