In short: before ordering a stand, ask the company what kind of company it is, how it develops and delivers its projects, whether the same team will be there from start to finish, which sectors and shows it has worked for, how it works outside Spain and how it fits your budget. And ask to see finished projects and, if possible, a real build.
Maribel Rodríguez is sales director at noisySTUDIO and looks after clients when they first call about a stand. We asked her what people ask in that first contact and what anyone should ask before deciding.
What does a client usually ask the first time?
The first questions are almost always the same: what kind of company we are, what services we offer and which sectors and clients we work for. They are the right questions, and any stand company should be able to answer them clearly.
1. What kind of company are you?
The first thing is to know whether the company only builds or also designs. We are a creative design and architecture studio, specialised in temporary spaces and exhibitions: stands, trade show marketing, interior design, retail and workspaces. We offer a full service: design, drawings, construction, build-up and dismantling.
2. How do you work, and who will run my project?
Ask how the company works, who will design your project, who will manage it and who will be at the show during the build, and whether they will be the same people from start to finish. At noisySTUDIO, once we have all the client’s information (the brief, the show floor plans…), we carry out a first internal analysis with our art direction and technical project direction teams, to study the project and its feasibility.
From that first day, every project has an assigned designer and project manager. Both are there from the first meetings to the build, and they don’t change. It’s one of our greatest strengths: the client always talks to the same people, who have known the project since the brief.
Behind them is the rest of the team: architects and building engineers, with partner engineers when the project calls for it. We supervise production at the workshops and direct the build on site.
3. Which sectors and shows have you worked for?
Ask for examples from your sector or your show. That way you’ll know whether the company already knows the venue, the deadlines and what works for that kind of stand. We have been building stands for more than 27 years: at international shows for clients such as Irizar, Soraluce (Danobat Group) or Infrico, and at shows in Spain such as FITUR for ALSA, Europcar, Paradores de España or Air Europa.
4. Can I see finished projects? And a build?
Look on the company’s website at the projects it has designed and built, and the awards it has received.
And, if you can, ask to see a build on video. It’s the best way to know how a company works at the show: how it organises itself, how it coordinates the different trades and how it takes care of the details.
5. How do you work outside Spain?
If your show is in another country, ask who will build and set up the stand there and who will supervise it. We work with highly trusted suppliers in each country, above all in Europe, and our own project team travels to direct the build. The big advantage is having resources close at hand: materials, workshops and staff near the venue. If something is missing during the build or a piece needs changing, it’s solved on the spot, without waiting for shipments from Spain. It also lets us adjust costs and achieve very good results far from home.
6. How do you fit my budget?
Ask whether the company designs to a set budget or shows you an idea first and the price afterwards. We always ask the client for a target budget before starting, and we design within it from the first sketch.
Then we analyse in depth why you are going to the show: to make your brand known, to launch a product or to look after your client relationships. And we concentrate the investment on that part of the stand, so that it stands out and fulfils its purpose, instead of spreading it evenly. That’s how a design stand, one that aims to stand out, meets its budget and is competitively priced.
We also work all year round with the same suppliers, great professionals we know well, and we know which items can push a budget off course. That’s why we control it from the start.
7. What do you do about sustainability?
More and more clients ask, and rightly so. Ask which materials will be used, whether they can be reused, how much waste will be left at dismantling and what will happen to the stand when the show ends. In our studio, design is backed by constant research into sustainability and energy efficiency.
One example is the Paradores stand at FITUR 2025, which won the Most Sustainable Stand Award. The walls were made of straw bales, with fire-retardant treatment, and recreated the walls of the Parador de Sigüenza. All the materials were reusable and low-impact, with a commitment to zero waste at dismantling and a carbon-neutral footprint. And the stand was designed for a second life: after the show, its materials went to build a space for urban gardens and neighbourhood activities in Madrid.
Maribel Rodríguez, sales director at noisySTUDIO.
Choosing a company for your next show? Write to us at noisystudio.com and we’ll show you projects from your sector.
Related: How far in advance should you order a trade show stand? · How much does a trade show stand cost?
