How to Write a Winning Exhibition Booth Design Brief
A great exhibition stand starts long before the first render or layout. It starts with a clear brief.
For exhibitors, event agencies, and stand builders, a strong booth design brief is the fastest way to align stakeholders, reduce rework, and get to a pitch-ready concept that’s actually buildable. It’s also the key to getting the best results from tools like ExpoBooth.ai—because better inputs lead to better outputs.
Why most booth briefs slow projects down
Many briefs are created under time pressure and end up missing the details that matter. Common issues include:
- Goals that are vague (e.g., “we want a wow stand”) rather than measurable
- Missing functional needs (storage, meeting space, AV, accessibility)
- No clarity on audience and key messages
- Brand assets scattered across emails and folders
- Too many stakeholders with no decision owner
The result: more rounds, more confusion, and less time spent improving the final concept.
What a “good” booth brief needs to include
A winning brief answers five questions clearly.
1) What are we trying to achieve?
Define the primary objective and how you’ll measure success.
Examples:
- Book 40 qualified meetings across 3 show days
- Demo a new product to 200 visitors
- Drive brand awareness in a new market
2) Who is the booth for?
Describe the visitor profile and what they care about.
Include:
- Target roles (procurement, engineers, founders, etc.)
- Pain points and buying triggers
- What would make them stop, engage, and stay
3) What must the booth include?
List non-negotiables and practical constraints.
Include:
- Stand size, open sides, height limits
- Product demo areas, hospitality, meeting rooms
- Storage needs, staff count, lead capture setup
- AV requirements (LED wall, screens, sound)
- Accessibility requirements
4) What should it look and feel like?
This is where brand consistency is won or lost.
Include:
- Brand guidelines (colours, typography, tone)
- Must-use assets (logos, product shots, key visuals)
- “Do not do” list (materials, styles, clichés)
- Reference stands you like (and why)
5) Who decides, and when?
Set the process early to avoid endless loops.
Include:
- Decision owner (final sign-off)
- Review group (who can comment)
- Timeline (concept deadline, build deadline)
- Budget range (even a bracket helps)
Booth design brief template (copy/paste)
Project basics
- Event name + location:
- Dates:
- Stand size + open sides:
- Height limit / venue constraints:
- Build type (custom / modular / hybrid):
Objectives
- Primary goal:
- Secondary goals:
- Success metrics:
Audience
- Who we want to attract:
- Key pain points:
- Key messages:
Functional requirements
- Demo area needs:
- Meeting space needs:
- Hospitality needs:
- Storage needs:
- Staff count:
- Lead capture / tech requirements:
- Accessibility requirements:
Brand & creative direction
- Brand guidelines link / files:
- Must-use assets:
- Must-avoid styles/materials:
- References (links/images) + notes:
Deliverables needed
- Concepts required (how many):
- Renders required:
- Walkthrough / video required:
- Technical drawings required:
Timeline & approvals
- Concept deadline:
- Feedback rounds planned:
- Final approval date:
- Decision owner:
Budget
- Budget range:
- What’s included/excluded:
How ExpoBooth.ai helps once your brief is ready
Once you have a clean brief, ExpoBooth.ai can help you move faster by generating:
- Multiple booth concept directions aligned to your requirements
- High-quality renders for pitching and stakeholder buy-in
- Cinematic content and immersive walkthroughs to reduce ambiguity
- Faster iteration when feedback arrives
