Trade fairs and stands
Sound for trade shows and stands
At a trade show, every exhibitor is competing for the same airspace. The goal isn't to be louder than your neighbour: it's to be heard only inside your stand.
- Goal
- Coverage inside the stand, not outside it
- Set-up
- Within the hours set by the venue
- Formats
- Stand, show stage and presentation room
- Duration
- Several days with equipment left in place
The trade show problem
A hundred exhibitors, one hall and only one workable volume
Noise in an exhibition hall builds up: each stand turns up a little to cover the one next door and, by mid-morning, nobody can hear anything and everyone has a headache. Organisers know this and usually set level limits.
Directional sound, not powerful sound
The technical solution is to get closer and aim. Small speakers mounted high and pointing down, within the stand's footprint, cover the conversation area at very low level and can barely be heard three metres away. A big speaker on the floor pointing at the aisle does exactly the opposite: it bothers everyone and improves nothing.
Video with sound and product demos
Almost every stand has a video on loop. If the audio comes through the speaker in the monitor or the LED screen, it gets lost in the hall noise. A small dedicated system at low level is far easier to follow. If there's a product demo with someone talking, you need a headset microphone and a few minutes' sound check with the presenter, because they'll be repeating it fifty times a day.
Stage or talks area
Many trade shows have a shared talks area. There the approach is that of a scaled-down conference: speech microphones, a system aimed at the seating and projection. With the hall's background noise, intelligibility comes before anything else.
Several days in a row
A trade show lasts three or four days. The equipment stays set up and is switched on every morning, so it has to be reliable, secured and packed away at night. We agree with the exhibitor who switches it on and off.
Venue timetables
The venue sets the set-up schedule, not you
Fixed set-up windows
Exhibition centres set specific hours for build-up, with vehicle access via loading dock and pass. Outside that slot there's no entry, so we plan with time to spare.
Accreditation and hall rules
You need an installer's pass and sometimes company documentation. It's best to arrange it with the organisers once the stand has been allocated.
Contracted power per stand
Each stand has a limited power supply, shared with lighting and screens. The audio's consumption has to be counted within that total.
Organiser's level limit
Many trade shows set a decibel cap for exhibitors. A well-aimed set-up complies without giving anything up.
Immediate breakdown at closing
When the show ends, there are only a few hours to remove everything. We plan it just like the set-up, with access and passes.
Secured, safe equipment
Nothing propped against a stand panel and no loose cables in the aisle: lots of people pass through and there are safety inspections.
What we rent out
Typical equipment for a stand
An average stand is covered by a compact two-speaker system, a small player or a computer and, if there are presentations, a microphone. From there you add visuals: monitors, an LED screen or projection. If the exhibitor runs demos with music, a low-level monitor inside the stand lets the presenter hear themselves without turning up the main system.
For larger-format events within the show (product launch, opening cocktail, awards ceremony), the set-up becomes that of a corporate event, with its own stage platform and lighting.
How big is your stand?
With the dimensions, the show dates and what you'll be doing on the stand, we'll propose a set-up that stays within the venue's level limit.
Frequently asked questions
Questions from exhibitors
How do I avoid disturbing the stand next door?
With small speakers mounted high, pointing inwards and downwards, at just the right level for the conversation area. It's counter-intuitive, but close, quiet sound is easier to follow inside the stand than loud sound from a distance.
The organisers set a decibel limit. Can I still have music?
Yes. The limit is easy to meet if the system is well aimed. What you can't do is bring a party rig into an exhibition hall and expect nobody to say anything.
Can you leave the equipment set up for the whole show?
Yes, that's standard. It's set up during the build-up window, stays installed for the whole show and is removed at closing. The rental is calculated on the number of days it's in use.
Do we need a technician during the show?
Usually not. We leave the system configured, with the volume set and explained to the stand staff. For key presentations or the opening day, you can book a technician for specific sessions.
Do you work at Seville's exhibition centre and halls?
Yes, and at the venues around the city that host industry fairs and professional shows. We just need to know the venue's set-up rules.
Quote
Get a quote for your stand
Trade show, dates, stand size, whether there's a screen or demos, and the venue's set-up rules.
How it looks
Set-ups for this type of event
Examples of the equipment and set-up an event like yours usually needs.
