An exhibition wall is judged in the first three seconds, from about one metre away, by someone standing in a hall with 40 other stands. That combination — close viewing, high ambient light, one shot at attention — sets a very specific specification.
Close viewing means fine pitch
Visitors stand closer than at any other event type. At 1 to 2 m, P2.5 shows visible pixel structure and text looks soft. Exhibition walls are usually P1.5 to P2.5, and P1.9 is the common sweet spot.
This is where the pitch calculation differs from a stage build — see P3.91 vs P4.81 for the opposite end of the range.
Ambient light is higher than you think
Halls are bright, with daylight through glazing and dozens of competing stands. A 700-nit wall disappears. Specify 1,500–2,500 nits for hall installations, and always dimmable, because the same wall may also be used at an evening reception.
Build time is the real constraint
Stand build is measured in hours, not days. That drives three choices:
- Rental cabinets over fixed installation, because they are designed for repeated assembly.
- 500 × 1000 cabinets where the wall is large, to halve the piece count — see cabinet size comparison.
- Pre-rigged frames or a flown truss so the wall goes up as a unit rather than cabinet by cabinet.
Weight and floor loading
Exhibition halls have floor loading limits and rigging restrictions. Most stands cannot hang from the hall ceiling, so the wall is usually ground-supported on a stand structure. That makes cabinet weight and the base design a structural question, not a detail.
Ask for the weight per square metre including frame, and check it against the stand builder’s limit before specifying size.
Content for a three-second read
- One idea per loop. Visitors walk past, they do not watch.
- Large type. Assume a 1.5 m viewing distance and a moving viewer.
- Loop length 15–30 seconds. Long loops are never seen from the beginning.
- Seam-aware design. Design at native resolution so logos do not fall on cabinet joints.
Sound and interaction
If the wall carries audio, check the hall’s noise rules. Many venues restrict sound levels, and a wall that needs audio to work is a wall that fails in a loud hall. Design it to work silent, with audio as a bonus.
A realistic specification
| Item | Typical exhibition value |
|---|---|
| Pitch | P1.5–P2.5 |
| Brightness | 1,500–2,500 nits, dimmable |
| Refresh | ≥3,840 Hz (phones, cameras, press) |
| Cabinet | rental, front service, quick locks |
| Mounting | ground-supported frame or flown truss |
| Build target | under 4 hours for a 12 m² wall with a small crew |
Common mistakes
- Specifying stage pitch for a stand. P4.8 at 1.5 m looks like a dot matrix.
- Forgetting the hall lighting. A dim wall in a bright hall reads as faulty.
- Underestimating build time. The wall arrives late and the stand opens unfinished.
- No spare module on site. One dead module is visible from every angle for three days.
- Content made for a 16:9 TV. Exhibition walls are usually custom ratios — see resolution calculation.
Frequently asked questions
Can I rent rather than buy for a single show?
Yes, and for one or two shows a year renting is usually correct. Buying makes sense from roughly four to six shows a year, or when the wall is a permanent part of the stand kit.
How much does an exhibition wall weigh?
Allow roughly 12–14 kg per square metre for cabinet and frame at 500 × 1000 size. A 12 m² wall is around 150–170 kg plus base.
Do I need a technician on site?
For a 12 m² wall built from presets, no. For anything larger, or for a live presentation, yes.
Tell us the stand
Send the stand dimensions, the hall, and whether you can hang from the ceiling. We will specify pitch, size and mounting. See the rental LED range or message us through the contact page.