The best reusable exhibition stands are modular exhibition stands, built on an aluminium frame system that you or your stand builder can put up, take down and rebuild in a different layout for the next show. Of the suppliers we list, beMatrix, octanorm and Aluvision make the most widely used frame systems, with rental stock and partner builders in many countries. If you want a builder to design and run one for you, vivid publishes the clearest prices, from £425 per m² for its modular range against £525 per m² for a custom build.
Below we compare ten companies behind reusable exhibition stands, all listed on Exhibition Directory: the system makers whose frames reusable stands are built from, and the stand builders who design, store and rebuild them for you. For each one you get what you can hire or buy, what it says about reuse and recycling, and the type of exhibitor it suits.
What makes a modular exhibition stand reusable?
Reusable exhibition stands keep their structure and only change the parts that carry your message. In practice that means three things:
- A modular frame system. Aluminium frames or profiles join with connectors, so the same parts make a 3m x 3m booth at one show and a larger stand at the next.
- Graphics that swap out. Printed fabric (usually SEG fabric with a silicone edge) or panels clip into the frame. When your branding changes, you reprint the graphic, not the stand.
- Somewhere for it to live. Either you or your builder stores the kit between shows, or you hire frames from a rental network near the venue so nothing travels.
A custom timber stand can be reused too, but it is usually built for one space and is harder to change. That’s why most sustainable exhibition stands are modular exhibition stands, and why the environmental claims worth checking are about the frame: how long it lasts, what it is made from and whether it can be recycled at the end.
Reusable exhibition stand suppliers compared at a glance
| Supplier | Type | Hire or buy | Reuse and recycling |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. beMatrix | Frame system maker | Buy, or hire through 10 rental centres | Frames reused repeatedly; ISO 14001 and ISO 20121 |
| 2. octanorm | Frame system maker | Through 100+ ospi partners in 40+ countries | One extrusion used about 750 times; 90% of products recyclable |
| 3. Aluvision | Frame system maker | Buy, or hire through Aluvision Rental | Recycled aluminium frames that stay fully recyclable |
| 4. vivid | Stand builder | Turnkey hire, or buy outright | Modular from £425 per m²; rented, refurbished fittings |
| 5. Duo Display | System maker | Rent or buy | Takes back old graphics and recycles them |
| 6. SYMA | Builder that makes its own system | Rent, modular or custom | 99% of sorted aluminium recycled; take-back of old systems |
| 7. MEMS International | Stand builder | Hire, buy, or reconfigure | Official octanorm partner; stores and maintains stands |
| 8. Skyline Whitespace | Stand builder | Custom and modular programmes | Aluvision Connect Ambassador; stands planned for several events |
| 9. CORE Exhibitions | Stand builder | Modular, fixed-price or self-build | Main structure reused, graphics and layout changed |
| 10. Sodem System | Frame system maker | Buy, or rent the double deck | One universal frame across the whole range |
How we compared these reusable stand suppliers
We used each company’s own website, checked for this guide in November 2026, and only included companies that have a listing on Exhibition Directory. We have not built stands with them, so this compares what each supplier offers and publishes rather than testing the kit.
We ranked them on four things:
- how easy it is for you, or your builder, to get the system near your show, whether by rental stock, a partner network or a local office
- how much evidence they publish about reuse and recycling, such as measured reuse, recycled material and certification
- whether you can hire as well as buy
- whether prices are published, so you can compare a reusable stand with a standard build before you ask for quotes
Nobody paid to be included or for their position. Most system makers sell to stand builders rather than direct to exhibitors, so for those we say how you would normally get a stand built on their frames.
The 10 best reusable exhibition stand suppliers, ranked
1. beMatrix
beMatrix makes the b62 frame, which it says can serve as a wall, ceiling or floor, plus LEDskin LED walls, double deck sets and outdoor structures that all use the same system. Its head office and production are in Roeselare, Belgium, with a second plant in the USA, and the original frame dates from 1993. The big advantage for you is the Global Rental Network: ten of its own rental and service centres, eight in Europe and two in the USA, including a UK centre in Thame. Your builder can hire frames near the venue for at least a week instead of shipping its own stock.
The company says its frames and parts are reused repeatedly, that it greatly reduces or avoids anodising, powder coating and chrome plating, and that it holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 20121 certification.
Best for: exhibiting in several countries without moving the stand, using frames hired near each venue. See the beMatrix listing.
2. octanorm
octanorm has made modular construction systems in Filderstadt, near Stuttgart, since 1969, with UK enquiries handled by OCTANORM UK in Horsham. Its range runs from maxima extrusions and octawall frames to octamax double decks and octafloor raised floors. If you exhibit abroad, its ospi network of more than 100 partners in over 40 countries can build your stand locally from original octanorm parts, and the company says local production cuts CO₂ by up to 65%.
It publishes some of the strongest reuse evidence we found. Its extrusions are made from secondary aluminium, 90% of its products are recyclable, and it points to one extrusion used about 750 times over more than 46 years.
Best for: a stand built locally at overseas shows by a certified partner. See the octanorm listing.
3. Aluvision
Aluvision makes modular aluminium frames and Hi-LED tiles, and says it works with partners in over 60 countries with production in Europe and the USA. Its offices are in Kortrijk, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Milton Keynes and Pune. You get panel, fabric, light and LED walls, signage and displays from one source, and its starter kits are designed as a base you can reuse and extend later. Builders can hire through Aluvision Rental and train through its Academy.
The frames are lightweight recycled aluminium, and the company says they remain fully recyclable because the anodised finish does not affect recycling.
Best for: starting with a small kit and adding to it as your stand grows. See the Aluvision listing.
4. vivid (Global Exhibit Solutions)
vivid, a division of Global Exhibit Solutions in Cannock, Staffordshire, is the clearest place to see what a reusable stand costs. Its modular range starts from £425 per m² against £525 per m² for its custom stands, with sample modular layouts from 2 x 3 m to 10 x 20 m. It presents the modular range as quicker to install and cheaper than a custom build with a similar look, and if you have several events you can ask about buying the stand outright.
It holds modular and custom stock in each location it works in, rents out timber displays and furniture that are then refurbished and reused, and uses PVC-free board, recycled aluminium composite and non-PVC vinyls in place of PVC foam board.
Best for: pricing a modular exhibition stand against a custom build before you brief anyone. See the vivid listing.
5. Duo Display
Duo Display makes modular stands, portable booths, textile displays and LED walls at Lansargues near Montpellier, and says it has 40 years of manufacturing experience. You can rent or buy, and only the graphic changes between shows. Its rental frames are stored across North America and Europe with graphics printed locally. When a graphic is finished, Duo takes it back and says its patented process recycles the polyester into new material. Its Contour portable booth is one that a single person can put up, and it packs into a wheeled bag that fits in a car.
Best for: cutting graphic waste as well as reusing the frame. See the Duo Display listing.
6. SYMA
SYMA, founded in 1961 and run from Kirchberg in Switzerland, says it is the only provider that both builds stands and produces its own system. You can rent, go modular or have a stand individually designed, from 9 m² to more than 10,000 m². It offers a Green Stand concept certified to UZ 75 Exhibition Stand Construction and holds ISO 20121. The company says 99% of sorted-out aluminium is recycled and that you can return systems you no longer need for recycling or reprocessing. It also says solar panels supply 70 to 100% of the power at its sites, which helps if your company scores suppliers on their wider environment record.
Best for: large stands in the DACH region where you want the system maker to build it too. See the SYMA listing.
7. MEMS International
MEMS International in Chessington, Surrey, has built exhibition stands since 1987 and says it has delivered them in more than 160 cities. It is an official octanorm partner through the ospi programme, so it can hire you a branded octanorm stand for a single show, sell panels and components or a complete system, and reconfigure or repair stands built by other firms. Between shows, it keeps octanorm stands in its own storage in Surrey, where it inspects and maintains them, and for shows abroad it says it can source parts locally so you only ship the graphics.
Best for: a UK builder that will store, repair and rebuild your modular exhibition stand. See the MEMS International listing.
8. Skyline Whitespace
Skyline Whitespace, a London design and build company and part of Creaplan Group since 2024, started in 2001 as the UK contracting partner for Skyline US. It formed a partnership with Aluvision in 2014 and is named an Aluvision Connect Ambassador. It focuses on reusable, modular construction, plans stands around venue rules and ceiling heights so one stand can be installed at several events, and works for single shows or programmes across several countries.
Best for: a multi-show programme built on Aluvision frames. See the Skyline Whitespace listing.
9. CORE Exhibitions
CORE Exhibitions in Amesbury, Wiltshire, offers four routes: custom, modular, fixed-price and self-build stands. Its modular stands are aimed at repeat exhibitors, with the main structure reused while the graphics, layout and accessories change from show to show, and you can get an instant online estimate before asking for a full quote.
Best for: a UK exhibitor who wants a fixed price or a self-build system rather than a full design service. See the CORE Exhibitions listing.
10. Sodem System
Sodem System has designed and built exhibition systems in France since 1954. Its STAND UP range uses a single universal frame across the whole profile range, so you can change layout and cladding (fabric, timber slats, plant walls or LED frames) without buying a new structure. Its Design Double Deck adds an upper level spanning up to 6 metres without a middle post, and you can buy or rent it in layouts from 18 to 90 m².
Best for: modular exhibition stands that need a second storey. See the Sodem System listing.
Other sustainable exhibition stand and modular exhibition suppliers
- Full Vision near Stansted builds modular stands under its Full Vision Spaces range and, at ICE 2020, replaced PVC with fabric and reports that 83% of that year’s show signage was recycled.
- Solutions2 in Sutton Coldfield designs either a reusable stand or a one-off custom build, and assembles each stand in its workshop before it goes to the venue.
- VOMO Group near Münster makes lightweight exhibition walls and tables with a paper honeycomb core, which it says forms about 90% of its range.
- LingTong Exhibition System in Changzhou supplies aluminium stand hardware in volume, with more than 3,000 products across 12 systems.
You can see every maker in our modular stand systems section, compare exhibition stand builders by country, or go straight to stand builders in the UK.
Reusable modular or custom design, how the cost compares
A modular exhibition stand usually costs less than a custom one from the first show, and the gap widens every time you use it again. Using vivid’s published starting rates, a 6m x 3m stand starts at £7,650 on its modular range against £9,450 as a custom build. At later shows you mostly pay for new graphics, transport and installation, while a custom stand is often rebuilt or heavily refurbished.
Hiring frames rather than buying makes most sense when you exhibit once or twice a year, or in another country. beMatrix’s short-term hire runs for at least a week, Duo rents frames from stock in Europe and North America, and octanorm’s ospi partners can build from local parts. Our guides to planning an overseas exhibition budget and shipping exhibition equipment abroad cover the rest of the costs.
What to ask about materials, storage and transport
- Which frame system is it built on, and can another builder rebuild it if you change supplier?
- Who stores it between shows, what does storage cost, and who checks and repairs it?
- Can the same kit fit a different stand size or a stand open on more sides?
- What does a replacement graphic cost, and what happens to the old one?
- Is the aluminium recycled, and will the maker take the system back at the end of its life? Ask for evidence rather than a general claim that it is environmentally friendly.
- Can the frames be hired near the venue so you only ship the graphics?
Frequently asked questions about reusable exhibition stands
Where can I buy a reusable exhibition stand in the UK?
vivid, MEMS International, CORE Exhibitions and Skyline Whitespace all build reusable modular stands in the UK. beMatrix has a UK rental centre in Thame, octanorm has a UK office in Horsham and Aluvision has an office in Milton Keynes, and all three supply UK builders.
How do reusable exhibition stand prices compare with standard stands?
From vivid’s published rates, a reusable modular stand starts at £425 per m² and a custom build at £525 per m², so a 3m x 3m stand starts at £3,825 modular or £4,725 custom. Over several shows the difference grows, because you reuse the frame and only reprint the graphics.
Are reusable exhibition stands sustainable?
Reusable exhibition stands cut waste and their environmental impact because the structure is used again, often for many years. octanorm, for example, points to one extrusion used about 750 times. Ask about recycled aluminium, recyclable graphics and take-back schemes too, as these vary by supplier.
Can I hire a reusable exhibition stand instead of buying one?
Yes, and hiring is how many exhibition stands are reused. beMatrix, Aluvision, Duo Display and SYMA all rent their systems, and builders such as MEMS International hire stands built on them for a single show.