SBC has appointed Abraxys as the health and safety partner for the event. Abraxys will review all stand plans and the required health and safety documentation as detailed below. Stands which have not obtained the required approval or paid the Stand Plan Inspection fee will not be permitted to commence build.
Submission Deadlines & SPI Payments
Submission Deadlines vary dependant on whether your stand is Complex or Non Complex.
All documentation as detailed below must be submitted by the following deadline:
Complex: 31st July 2026
Non-complex: 14th August 2026
Failure to submit your designs by these dates may lead to your stand not being approved or constructed. You have a legal obligation to build your booth to the required standards of the venue and local authority. To ensure that you are building your booth to the correct regulations, professional scale drawings showing all proposed construction must be submitted and approved.
Payment of your Non-Complex SPI
All exhibitors, whether using a contractor or building their own stand, must pay a Stand Plan Inspection fee. Payment can be made directly via Abraxys's secure online retail site.
Payment of your Complex SPI
The complex fee covers the cost of an independent structural engineer, who will review your plans and be present for final sign-off during setup.
If you're uncertain about whether your stand is complex, consult Abraxys before making any payment.
Wind Resistance Inspection Fee
All stands located outdoors, subject to wind, rain and other natural elements require a wind resistance inspection.
Outdoor Complex stands are exempt from this fee as the outdoor wind inspection is already included in their mandatory complex SPI.
Outdoor Non-complex stands must pay this fee to cover an inspection by a structural engineer before build commences.
Abraxys will make contact via email if payment is required.
Required Documentation and Actions
All documentation must be in English, use measurements from the International System of Units and include stand number and company
Follow the submission rules and stand regulations
Check if your stand is complex and submit the required documentation. It is the responsibility of the stand designer to determine whether the construction is complex or not. Please contact Abraxys if unsure.
Permission To Build will not be issued without payment confirmation of Stand Inspection Fee (SPI)
Complex stands are subject to a Complex Stand Inspection Fee.
Approval for a stand from a previous show will not be accepted as proof of approval and plans must be re-submitted for every show.
Approval must not be assumed until written approval is received from the H&S Team.
When written approval has been received for the original design, no alteration may be made without the approval of the H&S Team. If any alteration is detected onsite, SBC and Abraxys reserve the right to stop build until accurate plans are submitted or build adheres to the submitted plans.
In the case that all provided documentation is correct, the build up of the stand or structure presented shall be authorised. If any deficiency is detected, the resulting non-compliances shall be indicated in order to request that the client or decorator make the appropriate corrections. The build up of the stand or structure shall not be authorised as long as the deficiencies remain uncorrected.
Once the stand plans have been approved a Permission to Build Certificate will be provided.
Documentation | Description |
Professional and technical scale drawings | Present technical scale drawings including all dimensions, weight loads, heights, materials to be used etc. Details must prove the structural stability of the design. Show positions of audio-visual equipment, construction, entry/exit points, location of furniture, exhibits, features, walling, seating must be presented. Show a ground plan and an elevation drawing - including any rigging. Details must prove the structural stability of the design. 3D drawings of all open sides. Include detailed floor loading and make sure designs follow regulations and limitations
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If your stand is Complex you must also submit: Structural Calculations by certified engineer and certificate of stability approved by qualified technicians If you stand has complex rigging (made from materials of bespoke metal/timber banner) structural calculations are required. check rigging
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Risk Assessment | To be completed by the contractor building the stand It is a legal requirement that each exhibitor and contractor undertakes their own risk assessment and fire risk assessment prior to the event, listing the tasks to be undertaken, identifying any significant hazards they present on site, then listing ways to minimise and control those hazards. Complex stands might need a custom evaluation of a special risk assessment. - Click here to download template
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Method Statement | To be completed by the contractor building the stand. The method statement should explain in detail how you intend to build your stand from load in to completion. It should also include all dismantling phases. Click here to download template
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Contractor Insurance | Upload contractor insurance from your designated contractor. |
Waste Management Plan | Ensure you include your waste management plan within your stand plan submissions. Please note, your stand plans will not be approved without a waste management plan in place. If you wish to book waste management via our preferred supplier, please do so via the virtual shop |
Complex Stands
Deadline Complex Stand Submission: 31 July 2026
Complex Stands are custom-built stands on-site or prefabricated. The design is elaborate and normally they are to be checked by a structural engineer. They involve a variety of techniques, equipment, materials and potentially multimedia displays or interactive features. If your stand is complex you will need to pay a complex fee.
Complex stands include:
Stands with a height greater than 4 metres.
Double decker and multi-storey stands with two levels that people can access (Only Permitted on island stands and inside halls 1, 2, 3, and 4)
Stages with a height equal to or higher than 500mm. Check more information in Platforms/Ramps.
Tiered Seating, lighting towers and rigs, suspended structures, marquees and tents, pedestrian and crowd barriers, inflatables, stands subject to external wind forces
Rigged banners: Bespoke metal/timber banner require supporting structural calculations (Lightweight aluminium/fabric style are not complex).
Stands located outdoors—those in FIL Square or between halls 1&2 , 2&3 and 3&4—are exposed to external elements like wind and will be subject to inspection by a structural engineer and associated complex stand fees.
All the above require supporting technical scale drawings, calculations including all dimensions, weight loads, heights, materials to be used etc.
SBC reserves the right to deem a structure ‘complex’ where this has not correctly been determined by the designer. The venue/SBC may authorise the construction of a complex structure in accordance with the regulations established by the venue where the ceiling height and the hall structure allow it.
