CHINA EXHIBITION PRODUCTION PLANNING
A show date is only
the final milestone.
A planning resource for overseas agencies delivering exhibition projects in China — planning backwards from show day through technical development, procurement, fabrication, QA/QC, logistics and installation.
HOW THIS GUIDE WORKS
Three kinds of planning information.
Everything in this guide belongs to one of three classes. They are never mixed.
Official
Requirements
Organizer, venue and government requirements — show dates, submission deadlines, public holidays. Sourced and dated.
JUY guidance
Professional judgement
Practical local project-delivery considerations from JUY methodology. Useful for planning — never presented as regulation.
Project-specific
Your actual project
Depends on the stand, drawings, materials and programme. This guide explains what to prepare; a delivery programme needs your brief.
BACK-PLANNING TIMELINE
Plan backwards from show day.
Show open is the endpoint. A reliable programme is built backwards from it through every stage below. Durations are project-specific — they depend on stand size, complexity, materials, venue and supplier capacity, so this guide does not publish universal day counts.
Design
Brief, concept and design intent. Usually owned by the agency; JUY reviews for local buildability before production planning begins.
JUY guidance
Technical development
Local technical review: materials, construction method, venue rules, drawing development, supplier clarification, agency approval, production release.
JUY guidance
Approvals
Venue and organizer submissions — drawings, rigging, utilities. Deadlines are official and event-specific; they are published on the relevant event pages, not here.
JUY guidance
Procurement
Material confirmation, samples, imported components. Long-lead items are identified and ordered here — not discovered during fabrication.
JUY guidance
Fabrication
Workshop production by work package: carpentry, metalwork, acrylic, graphics, textiles, lighting, AV / LED, furniture, finishes.
JUY guidance
QA / QC
Drawing checks, material and finish approvals, in-process inspection, pre-assembly where appropriate, packing check.
JUY guidance
Logistics
Packing, loading, delivery sequence, venue move-in slots, temporary storage. Venue-specific requirements stay with the event.
JUY guidance
Installation
On-site build: crew access, work sequence, MEP and AV coordination, graphics, lighting, final cleaning.
JUY guidance
Handover
Inspection, punch list, rectification, client handover.
JUY guidance
Show
Show open. On-site support as agreed.
JUY guidance
Dismantling
Dismantling, waste handling, return or storage of reusable components.
JUY guidance
PLANNING AROUND CHINA'S PRODUCTION CALENDAR
Holidays are official. Impact is supplier-specific.
Official public-holiday dates come from the State Council. What those dates mean for your fabrication schedule is a separate question — answered below as JUY guidance, never as regulation.
Official public holiday
National Day · 国庆节
JUY GUIDANCE — Confirm fabrication release, material deliveries and logistics slots before the holiday; do not assume normal supplier response during the holiday week. Adjusted workdays (20 Sep, 10 Oct) operate normally and can absorb scheduling.
Source: 国务院办公厅关于2026年部分节假日安排的通知 · 国务院办公厅 · Last verified 2026-09-28
Official public holiday
New Year's Day · 元旦
JUY GUIDANCE — Allow slower supplier response around the holiday; no special production measures beyond normal scheduling.
Source: State Council General Office — schedule pending · Last checked 2026-09-28
Official public holiday
Spring Festival / Chinese New Year · 春节
JUY GUIDANCE — Actual factory, subcontractor and logistics availability around Spring Festival varies by supplier and may extend beyond the official holiday. For projects fabricating in Q1 2027, confirm supplier closure and restart dates, critical materials, fabrication release and logistics during technical review. Supplier-specific confirmation required.
Source: State Council General Office — schedule pending · Last checked 2026-09-28
Official public holiday
Labour Day · 劳动节
JUY GUIDANCE — Once official 2027 dates are announced, check fabrication and installation windows for May events against the holiday and confirm supplier availability early.
Source: State Council General Office — schedule pending · Last checked 2026-09-28
TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT
From design intent to production release.
What happens when an overseas agency sends a design for local execution in China.
- Agency design intent received
- Local technical review
- Material and construction-method review
- Venue requirement review
- Drawing development
- Supplier clarification
- Agency approval
- Production release
JUY guidance — design ownership remains with the agency unless otherwise agreed.
PROCUREMENT
Decisions that affect the programme.
These choices are made during technical development, because each one can move the production schedule. Not every project needs all of them.
- Locally available material versus custom fabrication versus imported components
- Samples and finish approval before production release
- Special hardware, fixings and connection details
- AV / LED scope, content delivery and integration requirements
- Graphics: artwork freeze, colour expectation, substrate
- Furniture: rental versus custom, quantities, timing
JUY guidance
FABRICATION
Planned by work package.
Fabrication is planned per work package — what must be confirmed, and what can affect the programme. This is a confirmation framework, not a lead-time table.
Carpentry
Confirm: Finish, fire-rating requirement where applicable, visible edges, joint detail, paint / laminate / veneer, transport module size.
Metalwork
Confirm: Finish, colour, sample, welding and visible joints, load requirements, connection detail, transport dimensions, installation sequence.
Acrylic / plastics
Confirm: Thickness, finish, edge treatment, fixing method, transport protection.
Graphics / print
Confirm: Final artwork, colour expectation, scale, substrate, installation method, file freeze.
Textiles
Confirm: Fabric, fire-rating requirement where applicable, fixing and tensioning method.
Lighting
Confirm: Fixture specification, control, power and data, rigging points.
AV / LED
Confirm: Content delivery, resolution, playback, integration scope, power and cooling.
Furniture
Confirm: Rental versus custom, quantities, delivery timing.
Special finishes
Confirm: Sample, applicator, curing and drying needs.
Imported materials / custom hardware
Confirm: Lead time, customs handling, spares.
JUY guidance — where a venue or event specifies a requirement (for example a fire rating), the official event document takes precedence.
QA / QC
Project control, not paperwork.
The checkpoints JUY runs or coordinates on a project. Practical control — no certification claims.
JUY guidance
LOGISTICS
Getting it to the hall.
Local delivery planning considerations.
- Packing and loading sequence
- Delivery sequence and vehicle coordination
- Venue move-in slots and access rules
- Temporary storage where needed
- Waste handling after installation and after the show
- Dismantling, return logistics and disposal
JUY guidance — specific requirements depend on the event and venue; official move-in schedules are published by the organizer.
INSTALLATION
On-site delivery.
Planning considerations for the build on site.
- Crew access and work sequence
- MEP and AV coordination
- Graphics and lighting installation
- Final cleaning, inspection and rectification
- Handover to the agency / client
JUY guidance — manpower and installation duration are project-specific.
PROJECT READINESS
What JUY needs from the agency.
Not every item is required for every project — but the more complete the brief, the more accurate the project-specific programme.
Agency inputs
- Event, venue, stand number, stand dimensions, show dates
- Design package: concept, 3D visuals, technical drawings
- Design status and client approval status
- Brand guidelines and material expectations
- AV, lighting and rigging requirements
- Graphics, furniture and special exhibits
- Budget indication and required local scope
JUY local delivery workstream
- Technical / design development
- Local sourcing and supplier coordination
- Fabrication
- QA / QC coordination
- Local logistics coordination
- Installation and venue coordination
- On-site project management
- Rectification and handover
Venue inputs
- Official exhibitor manual and technical regulations
- Submission deadlines and approval gates
- Move-in / move-out schedule and access rules
- Rigging, power and utilities ordering
Need a project-specific delivery programme?
Event, venue and public-holiday information is sourced from official organizers, venues and authorities where identified. Requirements may change — always confirm final event requirements with the organizer or venue. JUY planning guidance is general project-delivery guidance and does not replace a project-specific programme or official event requirements.