Exhibition Stand Builders for Northern Restaurant & Bar Manchester

Exhibitor sectors and visitor profile

According to the organiser's visitor pages, exhibitors at NRB cover areas such as:

• Alcoholic drinks and soft drinks
• Foodservice products, ingredients, desserts, confectionery and cakes
• Kitchen equipment and catering technology
• IT, payment and booking systems
• Interior design, signage, furniture, lighting and tabletop
• Sustainable packaging

The organiser describes its audience as independent and group operators — restaurants, cafés, street-food businesses, pubs, bars, late-night venues and hotels — plus wholesalers, distributors and contract caterers, most of them from the North of England. Visitor figures and the sector split are published on the exhibit page and change every year, so ask the sales team for the latest breakdown.

A working bar counter

Drinks brands and distributors often build their stand around a serving counter with back-bar shelving, ice wells and glass storage. Give your stand builder the counter length you need, the number of taps or bottles on display and where staff will stand, so the bar is deep enough to serve and wide enough to keep a queue out of the aisle.

Sampling, food safety and waste

According to the organiser, the exhibitor manual includes compulsory health and safety tasks and a food safety audit. If you plan to pour or plate samples, design a hand-wash point, a clean preparation surface, covered bins and a route for empties from the start, and keep tasting separate from the area where you take orders.

Seating that feels like a venue

Furniture, lighting and tabletop suppliers are effectively selling an atmosphere. Small stands can still show a booth, a high table or a terrace corner; choose flooring, wall finishes and light temperature that match the setting you sell into, and let visitors sit down to try the product.

Kitchen equipment and live demonstrations

Ovens, combi steamers, fryers and dishwashers need power, sometimes water, and a safe distance from visitors. Check in the exhibitor manual what is permitted for cooking and extraction, list every appliance with its rating for your stand builder, and allow for a demonstration counter that the audience can see from the aisle.

Tech and payment demos

EPOS, booking and ordering systems are easier to sell when an operator can hold the handset or tap through the app. Plan a counter with screens at standing height, cable management, secure storage for devices overnight and a reliable connection — order a wired line rather than relying on the hall Wi-Fi.

Shell scheme or space only

The organiser's exhibitor brochure lists both shell scheme and space-only stands. A shell scheme comes with walls, carpet and a fascia name board; space only is bare floor where your own contractor builds a custom stand. Space only suits brands that need a bar, a kitchen or a fitted seating area, but it also means drawings, risk assessments and services must be submitted on time.

Build-up at Manchester Central

Manchester Central's own guidance says build-up and breakdown are run under the CDM Regulations, that high-visibility clothing is required in the halls during those periods and that some tasks, such as work at height or hot works, need a permit to work. Deliveries are booked through the venue's vehicle booking system, which opens about 30 days before build — make sure your stand builder plans for it.

• Hall, stand number, dimensions, open sides and whether the stand is shell scheme or space only
• Bar counter length, back-bar shelving, taps, ice wells and glass storage
• Sampling plan: what is served, hand-wash point, preparation area and waste handling
• Kitchen or demonstration equipment with power ratings and any water needs
• Seating, tables and the type of venue setting you want to recreate
• Screens, devices and internet for any tech or payment demonstrations
• Storage for stock, glassware and personal items
• Graphics, signage, lighting and branding guidelines
• Budget range and deadlines for design sign-off, exhibitor manual submissions and build-up

Selection criteria

• Experience building bars, counters and seating areas for drinks, food and hospitality brands
• Experience at Manchester Central and with its vehicle booking and permit-to-work procedures
• In-house joinery and graphics production versus subcontracting
• Ability to prepare the drawings, risk assessments and other documents the organiser and venue require
• Plans for reusing the stand at other hospitality shows
• Photos and references from comparable food and drink stands

What is included — and what is not

Before comparing prices, check each quote for:

• Design, 3D visuals and revision rounds
• Construction, flooring, walls, bar counters and storage
• Graphics and signage
• AV, screens and LED walls
• Furniture hire, including bar stools and tables
• Electrics and lighting within the stand
• Fridges, ice machines and glass washers — supplied, rented or not included
• Transport, build-up and breakdown labour
• Venue and organiser services ordered separately, such as the power connection, water, rigging, internet and cleaning