The Ideal Home Show returns to the RDS Simmonscourt Pavilion in Dublin 4 from 16 to 18 October 2026, with the spring edition following on 23 to 25 April 2027 (official show site). This checklist covers the practical work of exhibiting there: booking and budgeting, stand graphics, delivery and setup, staffing, lead capture and follow-up. It is written for the Irish show at the RDS, so every date, rule and access detail points back to the organisers' own exhibitor information rather than general trade show advice.

What do I need to know before you book an Ideal Home Show stand?

Summary: stands are requested through the organisers' stand enquiry form. Ask about cost, format and inclusions in writing before you commit.

Start with the stand enquiry form and ask the organisers about availability, cost and the booking deadline for the section you want. Enquire early, because the best positions go first.

Before you sign anything, get clear answers on:

Total stand cost, VAT treatment, deposit and the cancellation terms if your plans change
Whether the stand is shell scheme (walls, fascia, name board) or space only, where you build everything yourself
What is included as standard: furniture, lighting, power socket, Wi-Fi access and exhibitor passes
Public and employer liability insurance levels the organisers require from you
Whether your business will be listed in any printed or online exhibitor listing, and how to check the entry

Size and position matter as much as cost. Corner and aisle-end positions give you two or three open sides and a much wider approach, which usually carries a premium. Stands near the main entrance, a stage, a seating area or a feature display catch dwell traffic that inner aisles never see. Ask for the current floor plan, then check which brands sit either side of you and what stand numbers they hold, because a window company beside an insulation specialist pulls the same visitor twice.

Choose your position on visitor intent, not on where there happens to be space. Check the current floor plan for how the show is grouped, because a visitor planning a kitchen browses differently from one looking at gardens. Then build a budget that covers the whole exercise, not just the floor space.

Budget line	What it covers	Easy to underestimate
Stand hire	Floor space, shell scheme, power	Extra sockets and lighting
Graphics and print	Backdrop, banners, boards, signage, handouts	Reprints after a late artwork change
AV and technology	Screen hire, media player, card terminal, Wi-Fi	Cables, stands, secure overnight storage
Transport and access	Delivery, van hire, exhibitor parking, trolleys	Waiting time in the build-up queue
People	Staff hours across three days, meals, accommodation	Setup and breakdown days, not just show days
Stock and giveaways	Samples, demonstration units, promotional items	Replenishing after a busy Saturday
Follow-up	Quoting time, site visits, CRM work	The week after the show, when nobody is free

What should be on my Ideal Home Show stand checklist?

Summary: work back from the show date in four blocks, and give every line an owner. An unallocated packing list is how banners end up in someone's boot in Naas on setup morning.

Read the organisers' exhibitor manual before you order a single graphic. It carries the rules and regulations, the access schedule and the shell scheme details, including the dimensions and fixing methods your artwork has to respect.

When	What to do	Typical owner
8 to 12 weeks before	Confirm stand number and format, set objectives and targets, agree the show offer, brief stand design and artwork, book AV and any hired furniture	Marketing lead
4 weeks before	Sign off print artwork, place the print order, book delivery and parking, build the staff rota, prepare the lead capture form and GDPR consent wording, start pre-show promotion	Marketing lead and ops
Final week	Brief and train staff, test the card terminal and QR codes, print passes and insurance documents, pack and label everything, confirm access times	Stand manager
Setup day	Build, hang and light the stand, check power, test devices, stage stock and samples, clear packaging and trip hazards	Stand manager
Each show morning	Restock leaflets and samples, charge devices, wipe surfaces, straighten graphics, set the day's demonstration times	Duty lead
Breakdown day	Dismantle only when permitted, pack reusable graphics properly, label collections, log damage and missing items	Stand manager

Alongside the timeline, pack the boring things that save the weekend: exhibitor passes, insurance certificates, organiser-approved extension leads, chargers, cable covers, a basic tool kit, cleaning materials, lidded storage boxes, pens and notepads, water and staff snacks. Add a contingency box too, holding spare printed material, backup devices, paper lead forms for when the Wi-Fi drops, replacement cables, first-aid and duty manager contacts, and a spare copy of any graphic that would be hard to replace.

If you are exhibiting in October

With the autumn show under four weeks out, the planning sequence compresses rather than changes. Lock your artwork this week, confirm the print delivery date before you finalise the design, and choose formats that are quick to produce and easy to carry. Anything that needs a new stand build or bespoke hardware is realistically an April 2027 project, so spend the time you have on graphics, staff briefing and the lead process instead.

Which display graphics and printed materials should you bring?

Summary: build one visible hierarchy that reads from the aisle. A headline in a few words, one concrete benefit underneath, proof beside it, and an obvious next action at eye level.

Most visitors decide whether to step in from three or four metres away, mid-conversation, carrying a coffee. Design for that distance first and check it at arm's length second. Say what you do and who you do it for, not just your company name. Kitchen suppliers, energy upgrade contractors and garden designers all compete on the same aisle, so a stand that reads "Attic and cavity insulation, grant-supported, Leinster" beats a stand that reads only a logo.

Format	Best for	Stand space needed
Pull-up banners	Headline message, flanking a stand entrance, quick swaps between shows	Minimal, sets up in seconds
PVC banners	Wide backdrops and fascia runs where you have a frame or fixing points	Wall space, fixings per the manual
Foamex display boards	Before-and-after photography, product specs, price-free feature panels	Wall mounted or on easels
Corriboard signs	Lightweight directional and information signage you can update between days	Very little, easy to carry
Counters and display stands	Demonstrations, consultations, lead capture, discreet storage underneath	A metre of floor, ideally set back
Printed tablecloths	Turning a hired trestle into a branded surface	None, covers what you already have

Adhesive floor and panel graphics are worth asking about only after you have checked what the venue and your stand contract permit. If sustainability is part of your pitch, our eco-friendly range includes PVC-free banner and display options that reuse well across both editions of the show.

Before anything goes to print, check the final dimensions against your stand drawing, supply artwork with bleed and generous safe areas, confirm image resolution at full size, specify brand colours properly, scan every QR code on a phone that is not yours, and proof the contact details out loud. Then confirm the delivery date and any organiser restrictions on height, fixings and fire-rated materials.

Screens support printed graphics, they do not replace them. If the screen fails, is blocked by a queue or cannot be heard over the noise of the hall, a visitor should still understand your offer from the boards alone.

How should you organise delivery, setup, staffing and breakdown?

Summary: the public hours are only part of your day. Build-up, access and breakdown times come from the exhibitor manual, and they are the times that decide whether your stand is finished before the doors open.

Public opening hours at the RDS are Friday 10am to 5pm, then Saturday and Sunday 10am to 6pm (RDS event listing). Exhibitor access, build-up and breakdown follow the access schedule in the exhibitor manual, so take those from the current manual or confirm them with the organisers rather than assuming a fixed hour before opening.

Artwork approved and print ordered with a delivery date that leaves a buffer day
Delivery slot, loading access route and exhibitor parking confirmed in writing
Build sequence agreed: structure, then graphics, then lighting, then stock
Stock storage and daily replenishment planned, with packaging removed from the stand
Waste removal and post-show collection booked before you arrive

Staff the rota for the busy middle of Saturday, not the average. Three days at a consumer show is tiring, and quality of conversation falls off fast without breaks. Give each shift a defined set of roles: someone greeting from the aisle edge, someone qualifying, someone demonstrating, someone recording leads and watching stock. On setup day, walk the stand as a visitor and check graphics alignment, lighting, every socket, Wi-Fi, screen and sound level, QR codes, the card terminal, lead forms, and anything anyone could trip over.

At the end, do not start dismantling before the organisers allow it. Early breakdown irritates the visitors still walking the aisles and usually breaches the exhibitor terms. Roll graphics rather than folding them, label every collection clearly, and note damage while you remember how it happened.

How can you attract more visitors and generate useful leads?

Summary: one message, understood in about three seconds, beats a stand that lists everything you sell. Then give your team a conversation that ends in a specific next step.

Run scheduled demonstrations at set times and advertise them on the stand, so visitors have a reason to come back
Offer short consultations or quick quotes, booked into a diary rather than promised vaguely
Show before-and-after work from real Irish projects, which does more than any product shot
Use samples, a competition or a show-only offer, keeping activity inside your stand and clear of the aisle

Give staff a simple structure: welcome, one qualifying question, listen for the need, demonstrate the relevant solution, agree the next step. Capture name, company or address, contact permission, area of interest, rough budget or timescale, and the agreed action. Tag each lead hot, warm or cold as you write it. A short list of qualified leads with notes is worth far more than a long list of contacts nobody can place afterwards.

Promote before the doors open. Email your database about three weeks out, post your stand number across social media, open a booking link for consultations, and if the organisers list exhibitors online, check your entry is accurate. During the show, keep posting from the stand with the stand number in every caption.

How will you know whether exhibiting was worth the cost?

Summary: decide what success looks like before you go, then measure the full cost against revenue that follows, not just sales taken at the stand.

Measure	Set before the show	Review after
Qualified leads	Target number and what qualifies	Count, quality and how many converted
Booked consultations	Diary slots available	Attendance and quote value
Sales at the show	Revenue target and payment method	Actual revenue and average order value
Cost per lead	Total budget divided by lead target	Total spend divided by real leads
Stand performance	Location, size, print used	What to change for the next edition

Count everything: stand hire, print, AV, travel, parking, accommodation, stock, giveaways and the staff hours across setup, three show days and breakdown. Compare that with revenue booked in the following quarter, because home improvement buying cycles rarely close in a weekend. Contact hot leads within one or two working days, using your notes from the conversation and a real next step, not a generic thank-you email.

For a smaller Irish business, the decision usually comes down to average sale value and sales cycle. If one won customer covers the cost of exhibiting, the maths is forgiving. If your average order is small and your team cannot spare three days plus follow-up, a smaller stand or a single edition is the sensible test. Hold a short review within a fortnight covering lead quality, conversion, cost per lead, location, which printed items actually got used and what the staff would change.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Ideal Home Show, and when and where is the next show in Ireland?

It is a home, renovation, interiors and lifestyle exhibition held twice a year at the RDS Simmonscourt Pavilion in Dublin 4. The next editions are 16 to 18 October 2026 and 23 to 25 April 2027. Confirm dates and hours on the official site before you book travel or print anything dated.

How many visitors and exhibitors does the show attract?

The organisers' published figures show 27,112 visitors and 224 exhibitors at the spring 2026 edition, and 26,980 visitors with 203 exhibitors in autumn 2025 (show statistics). Plan your print quantities against the conversations you can realistically have across three days, not against total attendance.

Can I arrange AV rental for an Ideal Home Show stand?

Ask the organisers first. Check the exhibitor manual and confirm whether screens and sound equipment are allowed, and check approved suppliers, power requirements, delivery access, sound level restrictions and overnight equipment security. Book early, and bring your content on a tested backup format such as a USB drive as well as in the cloud.

Do exhibitor tips written for home shows in other markets apply here?

The principles travel well: one clear message, live demonstrations, trained staff, a proper lead process and fast follow-up work at any consumer home show. The specifics do not. Dates, venue, approved suppliers, booking terms, stand formats and build rules differ by show, so take all of those from idealhome.ie and the current Irish exhibitor manual.

What should you do next to get your stand ready?

Copy the checklist table above into your own document, put a name and a date beside every line, and confirm your stand specification with the organisers so your artwork is drawn to the right dimensions. Then set three hard deadlines: artwork sign-off, print delivery and staff briefing.

Confirm stand number, format, dimensions and power with the organisers
Lock artwork and order print with a buffer before delivery
Brief and rota your team, and test the lead capture process end to end

When you know your sizes and quantities, talk to us about a quote for banners, display boards, signage, counters and branded tablecloths. Tell us your stand dimensions, the formats you need and the date they have to land, and our production team will work back from it. We have over 20 years' experience in large-format print and display, and we check and proof your artwork before anything is printed.

Ideal Home Show Stand Checklist