Gifted: The Contemporary Craft & Design Fair runs from Wednesday 2 to Sunday 6 December 2026 at the RDS, Hall 1, Merrion Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 (RDS event listing). Five trading days, more than 30,000 Christmas shoppers and over 400 designers, makers and artisan food producers (giftedfair.ie). This is the practical checklist for exhibitors: what to send the organisers, what to order and when, what to pack, and what to do each morning of the fair. If you want display ideas and a realistic view of what a first outing delivers, read our exhibitor’s guide to Gifted alongside it.

When is Gifted 2026 and what are the hours?

Summary: Gifted 2026 opens on Wednesday 2 December and closes on Sunday 6 December, with late 9pm trading on the first three days. Confirmed hours are published on the official visitor information page.

Day	Date	Visitor hours
Wednesday	2 December 2026	10am to 9pm
Thursday	3 December 2026	10am to 9pm
Friday	4 December 2026	10am to 9pm
Saturday	5 December 2026	10am to 6pm
Sunday	6 December 2026	10am to 6pm

That is 49 hours of trading before you add set-up and breakdown. Three eleven-hour days in a row is the part first-timers underestimate, so plan cover before you plan anything else. Build-up times and exhibitor access hours are not published publicly, so confirm them with the organisers when you book.

How do I apply to exhibit at Gifted?

Summary: there is no public online application form. The official route is to contact the Gifted team directly for booking application information, then work from the exhibitor pack they send you.

Get in touch by email at [email protected] or by phone on 01 6702186 (exhibit at Gifted). Selection criteria, deadlines, stand sizes and stand fees are not published, which is exactly why early contact matters. Over 95% of exhibitors are Irish businesses, so your product photography and your maker story carry real weight in the enquiry.

Have this ready before you email:

Ten to fifteen strong product photographs, current season, plain backgrounds.
A short business description: what you make, materials, where you make it, price range.
Your trading history, including other fairs, stockists and your own retail or online sales.
Rough stand size you have in mind, and whether you need power.
Business name, registration details, VAT number and your public liability insurance certificate.
Social handles and website, so the organisers can see your work online.

The admin side is where trade stand application management earns its keep. Keep one folder with the application, the confirmation, the exhibitor pack, your insurance certificate and every email thread, and put the organisers' deadlines in a shared calendar the day you receive them. Ask the organisers, in writing, for: your stand number and dimensions, what the stand includes (shell scheme, walls, table, lighting), the rules on fixings and fire-retardant materials, power supply and certification requirements, build-up and breakdown times, and exhibitor parking arrangements. Every graphic you order depends on those answers, so get them before you order anything.

What should I do eight weeks before the fair?

Summary: eight weeks out is for decisions, not printing. Lock your stand layout, your stock plan and your budget, so the four-week print deadline is a formality rather than a panic.

Read the exhibitor pack end to end and note every rule that affects your display, especially fixings, height limits and material requirements.
Draw your stand to scale, including the table, storage, the wrapping area and where you will stand.
Map customer flow. Shoppers should be able to step in, browse and step out without blocking the aisle, because a queue in the aisle costs you sales.
Decide your hero products and where they sit at eye level.
Calculate stock for five days of trading, then add a buffer for the weekend.
Set your budget: stand fee, power, display, insurance, stock, staffing, parking, accommodation if you are travelling to Dublin.
Confirm who is working each shift, including the late nights, and brief them.
Book accommodation now if you are coming from outside Dublin. December in Ballsbridge fills early.

Choose display kit that works after December too. A stretch fabric display wall gives you a full-width branded backdrop with no fixings in the venue walls, and it packs into a bag for the markets and pop-ups you will do in spring.

What should I do four weeks before?

Summary: four weeks out, artwork is finished, files are with us, proofs are approved and your stand has been built once in your kitchen or workshop.

Order and approve everything printed at this point. Our banner design checklist covers the file basics, and the short version is: supply print-ready PDFs at the correct finished size with 3mm to 5mm bleed, CMYK, text converted to outlines or fonts embedded, and images at 100 to 150dpi at final size for large-format work. We check every file before it goes to press and send a proof for approval.

Item	What it does at Gifted	Order by
Printed tablecloth	Brands your table and hides stock boxes underneath	4 weeks out
Pull up banner	Name and logo readable from down the aisle	4 weeks out
Fabric backdrop wall	Full-height brand presence with no wall fixings	4 to 6 weeks out
Lightbox	Lifts jewellery and fine detail under general hall lighting	4 weeks out
Branded lanyards	Tells shoppers instantly who works the stand	3 weeks out

Then do a dry build at home. Set up the whole stand in a taped rectangle the size of your confirmed stand, price everything, photograph it, and time yourself. You will find the missing extension lead now rather than on build-up day.

What should I pack for build-up day?

Summary: pack in groups, label every box, and load the van in reverse build order so the backdrop comes out first and the stock comes out last.

Group	Pack
Display	Backdrop and frame, banners, tablecloth, risers and plinths, lightbox, shelf units, mirror
Tools	Scissors, cable ties, gaffer tape, velcro pads, spirit level, step stool, multi-tool, spare bulbs
Power	Extension lead, four-way block, phone chargers, battery pack, PAT-tested equipment only
Sales	Card reader and charger, float, receipt book, order pad, pens, calculator, backup card reader or phone app
Packaging	Bags, tissue, boxes, ribbon, care cards, business cards, bubble wrap, bin bags
Stock	Priced stock in labelled boxes, restock list, price gun or tags
Paperwork	Exhibitor pack, stand confirmation, insurance certificate, parking details, organiser phone numbers
You	Water, food, flat shoes, layers, paracetamol, plasters, hand cream, a chair cushion

Bring a trolley, and bring a second one if anyone else is helping. Build in order: backdrop, lighting and power, table and tablecloth, large display pieces, stock, price cards, then a final tidy with the aisle view checked from ten metres away.

What should I check each day of the fair?

Summary: the same twenty-minute routine every morning keeps the stand looking like day one on day five.

Arrive at least 30 minutes before doors and check the organisers' exhibitor access time, which may differ from the published visitor hours.
Restock gaps from last night, front-facing and priced.
Test the card reader with a small transaction and check the float.
Check lighting and cables, and tape down anything crossing the aisle.
Note yesterday's sellers and move the strongest items to eye level.
Top up bags, tissue and business cards.
Post a stand photo and your stand number to social before 10am.
Agree break cover with your team for the 9pm nights.
Last thing: count takings, log the day's bestsellers, list what needs restocking tomorrow.

Collect email addresses all week, with permission and a clear reason to sign up. It is the single asset that keeps paying after the fair closes.

What should I do at breakdown and after the fair?

Summary: photograph before you dismantle, pack in reverse build order, and get your follow-up out while shoppers still remember your stand.

Photograph the finished stand before Sunday close for next year's planning and your website.
Wait for the organisers' clearance before dismantling, and follow the stated breakdown times.
Pack fragile stock first, then display pieces, then the backdrop and frame.
Check the floor, the table and behind the walls for tools, chargers and stray stock.
Leave the space clear and take your rubbish with you.
Within 48 hours, email buyers with care instructions and your online shop link.
Log the numbers: total sales, best days, bestsellers, sell-through, and total cost including travel and parking.
Note repairs and replacements for display kit while the damage is fresh.
Email the organisers to thank them and register your interest for next year.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I park at Gifted at the RDS?

Visitor car parking is in the Simmonscourt Arena Car Park on Simmonscourt Road, with a free shuttle bus to the fair entrance (Gifted visitor info). RDS event parking costs €10 a day and is limited at busy times (RDS getting here). Exhibitor parking arrangements are not published, so confirm your arrangements with the organisers before build-up day.

Are exhibitor hours the same as visitor hours?

No. Visitors are admitted 10am to 9pm Wednesday to Friday and 10am to 6pm on Saturday and Sunday. Plan to be on your stand well before doors open. The exact access and clearance times come from the organisers in your exhibitor pack.

Do I need insurance to exhibit at a design fair?

Assume yes. Public liability cover is standard for trade stands at Irish venues, and organisers generally ask for a certificate before build-up. The required level of cover for Gifted is not published, so ask the organisers what they need and have the certificate in your stand folder and on your phone.

Should I take card payments at the fair?

Yes, and bring a backup. Many shoppers pay by card or phone, and a dead reader on a Saturday afternoon is an expensive hour. Carry a charged reader, a second reader or a phone payment app, a charged power bank, and a small cash float for the few who still bring notes.

How much does a stand at Gifted cost?

Stand sizes and fees are not published. Contact the Gifted team by email or phone for booking application information (exhibit at Gifted). For context on the visitor side, tickets are €15 for adults, €12 for OAPs, and under-16s go free with a parent or guardian (Gifted tickets).

Ready to order your Gifted stand graphics?

With over 20 years' experience in large-format print and display, we can take your stand from artwork to delivered kit in Dublin or anywhere in Ireland. Send us your stand dimensions and your logo files and we will come back with options and a quote.

Send your stand size, power details and any organiser restrictions.
We recommend the kit, check your artwork and send a proof.
Approve the proof, and we print and arrange delivery ahead of build-up.

Contact our team for a quote and get your December stand sorted well before the four-week deadline.

Gifted Contemporary Craft & Design Fair Stand Checklist