As much as event organisers and exhibition venues continue to improve accessibility across their halls, if visitors with disabilities or limited mobility cannot physically get onto your exhibition stand, then the event, and ultimately your business, falls short.
For many marketers and business owners, exhibitions are not part of their day-to-day role. Most companies only exhibit once or twice a year, and some may be exhibiting for the very first time. With so many competing priorities, accessibility is often unintentionally overlooked during the stand design process. Yet this oversight can have a significant impact on both visitor experience and business performance.

The hidden barrier of raised flooring
Custom-built exhibition stands are commonly installed on raised floors. This is typically done to hide cables, electrics, and other internal workings, resulting in a clean, polished finish. While visually effective, raised flooring often creates an unintended barrier.
Visitors with limited mobility, including wheelchair users, those using walking aids, or elderly attendees, may find themselves unable to access your stand at all. In effect, these potential customers are excluded before a conversation even begins. In a space designed for connection, networking, and opportunity, that exclusion matters.
The International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) released guidance on making exhibitions more accessible and diverse at the end of 2023. While this focused-on venue-level considerations such as smooth pathways and obstruction-free aisles, there is little formal guidance for exhibitors themselves. As a result, responsibility is often passed down to event organisers or stand designers, with accessibility decisions made by default rather than by design.

Accessibility is a business opportunity
When accessibility is left solely in the hands of stand designers, raised flooring often becomes the default solution simply because it’s familiar and easy. But it is far from the only option.
There are exhibition stand designers dedicated to creating accessible spaces without compromising on quality, creativity, or functionality. Solutions now exist that allow for smooth, level flooring while still accommodating lighting, screens, plug points, and complex electrics.
UK Based exhibition stand designers and builders Quadrant2Design, for example, offers their exclusive Prestige system that hides all cables and electrics within the stand framework itself. This eliminates the need for raised flooring entirely. Paired with their photo-finish flooring, accessibility becomes more than a compliance exercise, it becomes a marketing asset.
These floors don’t just remove physical barriers; they enhance the visual impact of the stand. Photo finish flooring can be fully customised with high-impact imagery, brand messaging, QR codes, and directional graphics, actively drawing visitors onto the stand rather than stopping them at the edge.

Building a more inclusive exhibition industry
Choosing accessible stand design is not only cheaper, more sustainable, and more visitor-friendly, it’s also good for business. An accessible stand welcomes more people, encourages longer and more meaningful conversations, and opens the awareness of your brand to audiences who might otherwise walk straight past.
More importantly, it contributes to a wider cultural shift. Accessibility and inclusion should not be afterthoughts or optional extras. They are fundamental to creating an exhibition industry that reflects modern values, one where everyone feels welcome and respected.
By thinking beyond raised floors and embracing inclusive design, exhibitors can make their stands more engaging, more effective, and more human. It’s a win-win: better experiences for visitors, better opportunities for businesses, and a more inclusive future for exhibitions as a whole.

Please note: This is a promotional feature