Modular exhibition stands and reusable display systems

1960s-1970s: Modular Exhibition Stands

A History of Trade Shows

As exhibiting became a regular part of business, companies needed stands that could travel, assemble faster and be reused. Modular and portable systems started to change the economics of exhibiting.

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A History of Trade Shows
1960s-1970s: Modular Exhibition Stands

Exhibitors needed a better way to build the same stand again

By the 1960s, major trade fairs were firmly established and many companies exhibited repeatedly. That created a practical problem: traditional custom stands could be heavy, labour-intensive and expensive to rebuild from one event to the next.

The industry therefore moved increasingly towards systems made from repeatable frames, panels and connectors. These structures could be transported, assembled and reconfigured more efficiently than a one-off build.

This change did not happen in a single year and there was no one 'first modular stand'. Folding panel systems and reusable framed displays already existed before the best-known portable systems appeared.

The important development was the principle: the stand becomes a reusable kit of parts rather than a temporary construction project.

Stands become structured systems

Festo Pneumatic exhibition stand at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne in 1967

Festo, Melbourne 1967

This Festo stand shows the increasingly systemised character of late-1960s exhibition design: defined wall sections, organised product presentation and a repeatable architectural framework rather than a simple table-and-sign display.

Festo trade fair image source - history 13

Branded exhibition display at an international fair in 1966

International fair display, 1966

A 1966 fair display illustrates the same shift from loose product presentation to controlled branded panels and defined display surfaces. The stand increasingly behaves like a designed system.

1966 international fair display image source - history 13

Reuse changes the economics of exhibiting

A reusable system solves several problems at once. Components can be stored after the show, transported to another venue and rebuilt for a different footprint. Graphics can be changed while much of the structure stays the same.

That makes exhibiting easier to budget across a programme of events. Instead of paying for a completely new structure every time, a company can invest in a system and reuse it.

The trade-off is familiar even today: fully bespoke stands offer maximum freedom, while modular systems prioritise efficiency, repeatability and lower long-term cost.

By the 1970s, exhibitors increasingly had another option between a basic shell scheme and a fully custom build.

1975: the self-locking pop-up frame

One specific milestone can be dated confidently. EXHIBITOR Magazine records that designer and inventor Theodore 'Ted' Zeigler launched the first self-locking pop-up display frame in 1975. He called the system Instand and founded Nomadic Display to manufacture it.

Zeigler had been interested in collapsible structures and the geometric principles associated with Buckminster Fuller. His solution expanded into a rigid frame without needing conventional fasteners to hold it open. Flexible graphic panels could then be attached to create a portable back wall.

EXHIBITOR's history of portable displays notes that folding-panel systems already existed, but they were heavier. The pop-up offered a much lighter alternative that could pack into a cylindrical transport case.

This is an important distinction: 1975 is a milestone in portable pop-up displays, not the invention date of all modular exhibition stands.

Read EXHIBITOR's tribute to Ted Zeigler

A stand one person could move and build

The earliest pop-up systems were relatively simple compared with modern portable displays. EXHIBITOR describes the original format as an aluminium frame with cross-bracing, flexible graphic panels and separate cases for lights and shelves.

The breakthrough was not visual complexity. It was logistics.

A display that previously required heavy panels, tools and more labour could now collapse into a compact transport format and be assembled quickly on site.

That opens exhibiting to companies that cannot justify a large custom-build budget or a dedicated installation crew.

The exhibition stand is beginning to become a product in its own right: something standardised, manufactured, shipped and sold as a repeatable system.

Modular does not mean every stand looks the same

The biggest long-term advantage of modular systems is reconfiguration. Frames, panels and accessories can be rearranged for different events, footprints and messages.

That principle became more sophisticated over later decades, with modular walls incorporating shelving, lighting, backlit graphics and integrated displays. But the core idea was established much earlier: a stand can be built from standard components without looking temporary or improvised.

Modern modular exhibition systems still follow the same logic. Use repeatable hardware for the structure, then customise the visible surfaces with graphics, lighting, furniture and accessories.

The infrastructure stays reusable while the brand presentation changes.

Why the 1960s-1970s matter to exhibition history

This period changes the practical side of exhibiting:

Stands become reusable assets.
Standard components reduce the need for one-off construction.
Transport becomes easier and cheaper.
Installation time and labour can fall.
The same system can work across multiple events.
Portable systems make professional exhibiting accessible to smaller teams.

And in 1975, the self-locking pop-up frame takes that portability a major step further.

The next phase follows naturally: if the stand can fold down and travel easily, exhibitions become increasingly accessible to companies that need something even lighter, simpler and faster.

Sources & further reading

Historical note

There is no reliable basis for claiming that modular exhibition stands as a whole were invented in one specific year. Reusable folding-panel and framed systems developed progressively. The well-documented 1975 milestone relates specifically to Ted Zeigler's first self-locking pop-up display, Instand.

Image licensing

The Festo photograph and the 1966 Fortepan image are used according to the reuse terms stated on their Wikimedia Commons file pages. Full attribution and licence details are available through the linked source pages.