Short answer: A shell scheme stall is a ready-built booth supplied by the organiser, with standard panels, a fascia name board, flooring, basic lighting and furniture. A custom-built stall is designed and fabricated by your own agency on bare (raw) space. Shell schemes suit first-time exhibitors and tight budgets; custom stalls suit brands that need large products on display, meeting rooms or a stronger presence on the floor.
Every industrial exhibitor faces this choice when booking space at a trade fair. The decision affects your budget, your timeline, how visitors see your company and how much work your team does in the weeks before the show. This guide explains both options in plain terms and gives you a simple way to decide.
What is a shell scheme stall?
A shell scheme is a modular booth that the organiser (or its official contractor) builds for you inside the space you book. The exact inclusions vary from show to show, so always read the exhibitor manual, but a typical package includes:
- Side and back wall panels in a standard system (often octanorm-style aluminium frames with white panels)
- A fascia board above the open side with your company name and stall number
- Carpet or other floor covering
- A few spotlights and a power socket
- Basic furniture such as a table, chairs and a waste bin
You arrive, add your graphics and products, and you are ready. Branding is usually limited to panel graphics, a counter wrap and whatever you can safely fix to the walls within the organiser’s rules.
What is a custom-built (bare space) stall?
With bare space, sometimes called raw space or space only, the organiser gives you an empty, marked area of floor. You appoint a stall designer and fabricator to design, build, transport, install and dismantle the booth. Organisers often set a minimum area for bare space bookings and require structural drawings and approvals before build-up.
Custom stalls can include raised platforms, closed meeting rooms, storage, product plinths sized to your machinery, large backlit graphics, digital screens, hanging structures (where permitted) and a layout planned around how visitors will move through the stand.
Shell scheme vs custom stall: side-by-side
- Cost: shell scheme costs are mostly bundled into the space rate. Custom stalls add design, fabrication, transport, installation and dismantling costs on top of the bare space rate.
- Lead time: shell schemes need only graphics, so a few weeks is often enough. Custom stalls need design, approvals and fabrication, so planning should start months ahead.
- Brand impact: shell schemes look similar across a hall. Custom stalls let you control shape, height, colour, materials and lighting.
- Product display: shell schemes suit catalogues, samples and small components. Custom stalls handle heavy machinery, live demonstrations and large cut sections.
- Meeting space: shell schemes rarely have private areas. Custom stalls can include enclosed rooms for serious buyer discussions.
- Effort for your team: shell schemes are simpler. Custom stalls need a coordinator to manage the agency, approvals and site timings.
When a shell scheme makes sense
- It is your first time at a particular show and you want to test the audience
- Your products are small enough to show on a table or shelf, or you rely on samples and printed literature
- The space you booked is small and a custom structure would add little
- Your timeline is short and there is no time for design and approvals
A shell scheme does not have to look ordinary. Full-height panel graphics with a clear headline, a branded counter, good product photographs and a tidy display can lift a standard booth a long way.
When a custom stall is worth it
- You need to show heavy or large products such as machinery, wire rope reels, pipes or structural sections
- You expect serious commercial meetings and need privacy
- The show is a key event for your sector and competitors invest in their stands
- You are launching a product or a new brand identity and want the stand to carry that message
- You exhibit at the same show every year and can plan a stand that is partly reusable
A simple way to decide
- List your objective. New leads, dealer meetings, a product launch or brand visibility. Each needs a different stand.
- List what must be on the stand. Products, demo equipment, screens, storage, meeting seats.
- Check the exhibitor manual. Note inclusions, height limits, deadlines for approvals and rules for fixing graphics.
- Compare total cost, not just space cost. Add design, fabrication, freight, installation, power and furniture hire for custom; add graphics and any extra hire items for shell scheme.
- Count back from the show date. If there is not enough time for design and approvals, a well-branded shell scheme is the safer option this year.
Upgrading a shell scheme without going fully custom
There is a middle path. Many exhibitors keep the shell scheme structure but add a modular system: fabric tension graphics, a custom counter, display plinths and branded lighting. These parts can often be reused at the next show. Ask the organiser what is permitted before ordering anything that attaches to the panels.
What to prepare in either case
- A single clear message visible from the aisle: what you make and for whom
- High-resolution product images and print-ready graphics sized to the exact panel dimensions
- Product catalogues and company profiles to hand out (see our industrial product catalogue design guide)
- A lead capture method and a follow-up plan (see trade show follow-up for manufacturers)
For a full pre-show planning list, read our exhibition stall design checklist for industrial trade shows.
Frequently asked questions
Is a shell scheme cheaper than a custom stall?
Usually yes, because the basic structure, carpet, lighting and furniture are bundled with the space. A custom stall adds design, fabrication, transport and installation costs on top of the bare space rate.
Can I brand a shell scheme stall?
Yes. Most organisers allow graphics on the wall panels, a branded counter and product displays. Check the exhibitor manual for rules on fixing graphics and whether drilling or painting panels is permitted.
How early should I plan a custom exhibition stall?
Start as soon as your space is confirmed. Design, organiser approvals and fabrication all take time, and approval deadlines are often several weeks before the show opens.
Can a custom stall be reused?
Parts of it can. Modular frames, counters, plinths and fabric graphics can be designed for reuse, which helps if you exhibit at the same shows every year.
Which option is better for heavy machinery?
A custom stall on bare space is generally better, because you can plan floor loading, platforms, access for handling equipment and safe demonstration areas.
ProfitPenny designs exhibition stalls, stall graphics and the printed material that goes with them for industrial and B2B brands. See examples of our work on the portfolio page, or contact us to discuss your next trade show.