Focal Exhibitions

Focal Exhibitions designs and builds custom stands from its UK design and build headquarters at Hazel Grove, near Stockport, and says more than 60% of its projects each year are completed outside the UK. If your show calendar spans several countries, that is the main reason to look at it. It is one of the stand builders listed here and one of the stand builders in the UK.

Stands in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America

You can use Focal for shows in mainland Europe, the Middle East, the Far East and North America, as well as in the UK. Projects are run from the UK headquarters with a network of trusted international partners and global logistics, and it gives both a UK and a US phone number. It says it delivers more than 300 projects a year and offers a 24/7 global service, and its FAQ says it produces stands across four continents and is used to annual programmes that cover several events.

Long-running clients and shows abroad

Its case studies show why clients keep it for years. Focal has run Colgate’s UK and European show calendar for more than 25 years, and has represented Penguin Random House for more than 25 years at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, the Frankfurt Book Fair and The London Book Fair. It also manages Fischer Connectors’ full event calendar in the UK and Europe. For Starkey at EUHA 2023 in Germany it built a 360 m² stand, and for Davanti Tyres at Autopromotec in Bologna a 150 m² stand with a raised VIP deck and self-supporting structures 5 metres high, so no venue drop wires were needed. KnowBe4 asked for a modular design that could be adapted to stand spaces across the UK and the EU, starting at Infosecurity Europe at Excel London.

What it takes on

Focal usually works on stands of 25 m² and above, judged case by case, and its projects range up to 800 m², with modular options for smaller conference shows. Design, graphics (from an in-house studio), construction, project management, transport and storage stay with one company. It handles compliance paperwork and coordination with venue staff, sends project managers on site from the first day of build, and brings components back to its premises after the show for storage. All stand structures are made to be reused. For freight and budgeting, see our guides on shipping exhibition equipment abroad and planning an overseas exhibition budget.

Other UK builders with a large share of overseas work include Equinox Group and MEMS International.

Source: focalexhibitions.co.uk/about-us, focalexhibitions.co.uk/faq, focalexhibitions.co.uk/portfolio, focalexhibitions.co.uk