Use this checklist to
- Start with one comparison baseline
- Check custom stand quote inclusions by work package
- Use four scope statuses—and a separate responsibility field
Start with one comparison baseline
A useful quote comparison starts before the offers arrive. Put the event, venue, build country, stand dimensions, open sides and required handover date at the top of the brief. Identify the drawing revision and the people who can approve design, scope and cost changes.
Keep the baseline unchanged while suppliers respond. If you issue a revised counter design or add a screen, send the same update to everyone and ask which offer version replaces the previous one. Otherwise, an apparent saving may simply reflect an older design.
- Use the same floor plan and dimension units; state whether the area is in square metres or square feet.
- List quantities and specifications for counters, graphics, lighting, furniture and equipment.
- State whether the request includes design development, fabrication, installation, dismantling and return transport.
- Record the currency and ask each supplier to identify taxes, options, validity and payment milestones in its written offer.
Check custom stand quote inclusions by work package
Do not rely on a single line such as “complete booth package.” Break it into deliverables that can be checked against the brief. The list below is a comparison structure; the supplier must confirm the actual inclusion of each item.
| Work package | What to identify | Question to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Design and drawings | Current revision, technical detailing and agreed changes | Which drawings and revisions does the price cover? |
| Fabrication and finishes | Components, quantities, materials and visible surfaces | Are the specified finish and all visible faces included? |
| Graphics and equipment | Finished sizes, files, equipment model and provider | Who supplies the files, screens and other equipment? |
| Transport and handling | Packing, transport leg, unloading and movement inside the venue | Where does the quoted transport responsibility end? |
| Installation and handover | Assembly tasks, working assumptions, cleaning and inspection | Who records and closes outstanding handover items? |
| Venue services | Power, rigging, internet and other required orders | Who orders, pays for and confirms each service? |
| After the show | Dismantling, repacking, return freight, storage or disposal | Which of these are separate options or exclusions? |
Use four scope statuses—and a separate responsibility field
Included means the supplier explicitly covers the item within the stated offer. Optional means it has been offered separately and still needs a decision. Excluded means it is expressly outside that offer. Unspecified means the documents do not answer the question.
Record the person or company responsible in another field. “Client supplied” describes responsibility; it does not tell you whether installation, handling or connection of that item is included. This distinction is particularly useful when a client supplies its own display equipment.
Worked example: three offers, one unresolved comparison
The suppliers and revisions in this example are fictional teaching labels. No figures are market prices or real customer quotations.
| Item | Supplier A | Supplier B | Supplier C | Next action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drawing revision | R03 | R02 | R03 | Ask B to price the common R03 baseline. |
| Counter fabrication | Included | Included | Included | Check dimensions, finish and quantity in all three offers. |
| Installation | Included | Optional | Included | Ask B to identify the required installation option. |
| Dismantling | Unspecified | Optional | Included | Ask A to clarify; separate B’s option from its base offer. |
| Venue power order | Excluded | Unspecified | Excluded | Assign ordering and payment; obtain B’s written answer. |
Send a clarification request that can be answered
Attach the comparison row and the offer page or item number. Ask one precise question: “Does item 4 include dismantling, repacking and return transport, or only removal of the stand?” A broad request to “confirm everything is included” leaves too much room for different interpretations.
Record the answer, date and revised quotation reference. If the supplier confirms a scope change by email, ask how that confirmation is reflected in the final offer. Keep superseded versions for reference, but identify one current version for the decision.
Compare totals after the scope is aligned
Show the base offer, required options and known third-party items separately. Leave unresolved amounts open instead of filling them with invented estimates. Where currencies differ, record the conversion source and date used for your internal comparison, while keeping the original quoted amounts visible.
Also compare the delivery assumptions, payment milestones, offer validity and process for later changes. A comparable price is one input to a supplier decision; it does not establish availability, technical suitability or an agreed delivery commitment by itself.
Turn the comparison into a clearer inquiry
Use the worksheet below to organize your current drawings and offers. The most useful next message contains the common revision, the work you want commissioned and the unresolved rows. You can then discuss the scope through MesseKit’s English quote preparation page.
Exhibition stand quote comparison worksheet
Fill it in here, then copy or download it. Nothing is submitted automatically.
Frequently asked questions
Can I compare suppliers using price per square metre?
Use it only alongside matching specifications, quantities and scope. A rate for fabrication alone is not comparable to one that also includes installation and dismantling.
What if a supplier leaves a service out of the quotation?
Mark it unspecified unless the offer explicitly excludes it. Ask for a written answer and retain the relevant offer version.
Should every optional item be added to the comparison total?
Only add the options needed to meet the agreed brief. Keep optional upgrades separate, and show unresolved items so they are not mistaken for free services.
Does this worksheet generate a formal exhibition stand quote?
No. It organizes the comparison. Each supplier confirms its scope, price and delivery arrangements for the actual project.
Supporting material
Applying the checklist
Use the worksheet to record project decisions. Examples are fictional teaching scenarios, not customer projects or confirmed supplier terms. Agree the actual work scope and responsibilities for your project.
Based on the existing MesseKit quote-scope page and Chinese comparison guide. The example is explicitly fictional; no market prices, tax rates or supplier promises are introduced.
Last reviewed: 16 October 2026References and related guidance
Prepare the next project discussion
Bring the current floor plan, drawing revision and comparison worksheet to the quote-scope page.
Prepare your stand quote brief