Booth builders lose more deals to vagueness than to price. When an exhibition manager receives three proposals and one of them omits the electrical load, the lighting count or the rigging spec, that proposal becomes the riskiest option — even if it is the cheapest. Procurement teams reward clarity, not bravado.
After reviewing thousands of proposals across the European, US and Middle Eastern circuits, the pattern is consistent: winning proposals cover 30 or more booth specifications upfront. Below is the field-tested checklist Exphora bakes into its proposal module, and the reasoning behind each block.
Block 1 — Footprint and structure (6 specs)
- Booth size in m² and ft² (always both — exhibitors mix systems).
- Stand type: modular, custom, hybrid, double-decker.
- Number of open faces (1–4) and corner status.
- Maximum height and any rigging height limit from the show.
- Floor type: raised platform (with height), carpet, vinyl, parquet, polished concrete.
- Total weight and floor load per m² for venues with limits.
Block 2 — Electrical and utilities (5 specs)
- Total electrical load in kW with a 20% safety margin.
- Number and type of outlets (220V / 110V / 380V three-phase).
- 24-hour power loop for fridges, screens or aquariums.
- Water supply and drainage if catering or product demos require it.
- Compressed air connection for live demos that need it.
Block 3 — Lighting (4 specs)
Lighting is where amateur proposals collapse into "good lighting will be installed." Enterprise proposals quantify it.
- Lighting plan with fixture count by type: spotlights, track lights, LED strips, gobo projectors, neon edges, backlit panels, hanging pendants.
- Color temperature in Kelvin (typically 3000K for warm hospitality zones, 4000K for product showcases).
- Dimmability and DMX control if the design includes scenes or shows.
- Total lighting load and how it sits inside the electrical envelope.
Block 4 — Audio-visual and multimedia (5 specs)
- LED walls with size in meters and pixel pitch (P2.5, P3.9, P4.8).
- Touch screens with size, resolution and content-management approach.
- Projectors with lumen output and surface (rear-projection film, wall, floor).
- Sound system: speaker count, zones, microphone setup, content source.
- Special effects: holograms, AR mirrors, kinetic ceilings, scent diffusers.
Block 5 — Furniture, meeting rooms and hospitality (6 specs)
- Furniture inventory: counters, bar stools, lounge sofas, café tables, chairs.
- Meeting rooms: count, size in m², seating capacity, AV per room, lockable doors.
- Kitchen and back-of-house: fridge, dishwasher, espresso machine, sink, prep counter.
- Storage room with door, lock and shelving.
- Lounge zone with soft seating, planters and acoustic treatment.
- Catering: coffee, water, alcohol service, hostess count and shifts.
Block 6 — Branding, graphics and visuals (4 specs)
- Hanging banner or rigged sign with dimensions and rigging method.
- Printed graphics: tension fabric, rigid panels, vinyl, with print specs.
- 3D render images attached to the proposal — Exphora supports up to 10.
- Brand-asset deliverables: logos, fonts, color codes, photography rights.
Block 7 — Logistics and timeline (4 specs)
- Build-up start and finish dates and times per show regulations.
- Dismantle window with crew size.
- Storage between shows if the stand is reusable.
- On-site supervision: project manager presence, crew size during show days.
Why structured proposals win
When all 30+ specs are on paper, three things happen. The exhibitor trusts the builder more, because the proposal reads like an engineer wrote it. The builder protects margin, because every change request is now a documented variation. And the legal team has a contract scaffold ready — most clauses simply reference the proposal sheet.
Exphora's proposal module enforces this checklist by default and uses Claude AI to draft the prose around it, so a 30-spec proposal that used to take 6 hours now takes 25 minutes. That speed advantage compounds: builders who ship same-day proposals win disproportionately, because they hit the exhibition manager's desk before the competition has even started typing.