Custom Exhibition Counters, Lecterns & Podiums

Internal storage varies by model, so check it explicitly rather than assuming. Some counters are effectively a printed fabric shell over a frame with open access from the rear, which is ideal for hiding bags, coats and stock but is not security; others include an internal shelf or a door. Ask us which applies to the model you are considering if lockable storage is a requirement, and we will tell you before you order. Whatever you buy, never leave laptops, phones or valuable samples on stand overnight.

Counters in this range, including the SEG Fabric Light Box Display Counter and the Non-Lit SEG Fabric Display Counter, are listed at 1m high, which is the working height for a conversation between two people who are both on their feet. That matters more than it sounds: a desk-height surface forces your team to look up at visitors and quietly changes the balance of the conversation. Standing height also keeps staff visible over a crowd. If anyone needs to sit, add a stool at the same counter rather than dropping the height.

Plan it that way from the start, because the counter is the most-used surface on any stand. Keep the top clear enough for a laptop, a sample or a product to be picked up and handled, and put literature on a separate stand instead of covering the counter with it. The Integrated Monitor Fabric Display Table and the Rectangular Fabric Display Counter with Acrylic Triple Shelves are worth considering when demonstration is the main job. A counter buried under leaflets and coats stops being a selling tool by mid-morning.

Round and oval counters read as approachable and suit an open position where people arrive from several directions, because there is no visual "back" to them. Rectangle and triangle counters give a defined front and a clear staff side, which works against a wall or in the corner of a stand. Triangles are useful for awkward corners that would otherwise be dead space. On an island stand, placing a round or oval counter off-centre keeps people circulating around it instead of queueing at one face.

A pop-up or velcro counter, such as the Fabric Velcro Pop Up Counter, uses a collapsing frame with fabric attached over it, so it packs very small and suits a team that travels light and sets up alone. An SEG counter uses a rigid frame with a silicone edge graphic tensioned into a channel, which gives a flatter, sharper face and a more substantial feel on stand. If packing size and speed are your priority, choose pop-up; if looking like a purpose-built stand matters more, choose SEG.

A backlit counter such as the Backlit Premium Fabric Counter Display or the SEG Fabric Backlit Pop Up Counter lifts the front of your stand at eye level, which is effective under the flat overhead lighting most halls use. It does need a mains supply at the counter position, so order power from the organiser in advance and decide the cable route before you fix the counter's position on the plan. Keep the artwork simple, as fine detail loses impact when light passes through it. At evening receptions, such as those held at Olympia London, it earns its place easily.

The Integrated Monitor Fabric Display Table is built for exactly this and removes the usual problem of a screen perched on top of a counter with a visible cable and a wobbling stand. If you are fitting a device to a standard counter instead, check the fixing point first, run the cable inside the counter rather than across the top, and secure tablets so they cannot be lifted while your team is talking to somebody else. Remember the eye line: a screen at 1m counter height is read by a standing visitor looking down, so keep text large.

Curved and round counters need artwork built for the wrap, because a design laid out flat will distort where the panel bends and a logo sitting near a seam will bend with it. Tell us the model you have chosen and we will supply the correct template, with free artwork assistance and free 2D mockups so you see the finished counter before it prints. Keep logos and key text on the flattest part of the face, well away from joins. Send files to support@backdropsource.co.uk or call +44 1628 904 188.