12-Week Exhibition Checklist for Exhibitors at UAE and Saudi Shows in 2027
November 10, 2026
By Lazulite Team. Last updated: 10 November 2026. Show facts checked on 10 November 2026.
An exhibition checklist for exhibitors turns one opening date into weekly tasks covering space, stand design, approvals, freight, staff, invitations and follow-up. Twelve weeks is a workable window for most UAE and Saudi shows in 2027. What fills each week depends on your venue, your sector's rules and where Ramadan falls.
Freeman's pre-event Trends Report, published in October 2026, found that 54% of attendees start planning their onsite time three or more weeks out. So invitations and meeting bookings sit inside this timeline, next to the stand build.
No 2027 exhibitor manual for these shows was public on 10 November 2026. Confirm exact dates in your organiser's exhibitor portal.
What is a 12-week exhibition checklist?
A 12-week exhibition checklist is a week-by-week plan that runs from twelve weeks before opening day to the week after the show closes. It lists every exhibitor task in order, from the space contract and stand design to approvals, freight and staff passes. Invitations, lead capture and follow-up sit in the same plan, each with a named owner.
Twelve weeks suits most custom stands. Lazulite typically needs six to ten weeks to design and build a custom exhibition stand, and three to five weeks for a modular one.
The 12-week exhibition checklist, week by week
Work backwards from opening day in twelve weekly blocks. Weeks 12 to 9 set goals, design and paperwork. Weeks 8 to 5 lock visas, invitations and approvals. Weeks 4 to 1 cover contractor registration, freight, staff briefing and build-up. Crowd-pull tasks run in their own column, so they start long before the stand is finished.
| Week | Stand, approvals and logistics | Crowd pull, meetings and leads |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Sign the space contract. Get portal access and name one manual holder. Set the budget. | Agree a qualified meetings target with sales. Build the target account list. |
| 11 | Brief your stand builder. Read the manual's sector rules and official supplier list. | Choose one crowd-pull idea that suits your buyers. |
| 10 | Approve the stand concept. Check each travelling person's visa route. | Write four qualifying questions. Pick a lead capture method and consent wording. |
| 9 | Brief the freight forwarder. List products, samples and demo units. | Write invitation copy. Set up a meeting booking page. |
| 8 | Submit visa applications. Book hotels. | Send the first invitation. Register for the organiser's meeting tools. |
| 7 | Finalise drawings and graphics. Submit the catalogue entry. | Start booking short stand meetings. |
| 6 | Submit the stand design for approval as early as the manual allows. | Send a second invitation with the stand number. Brief the crowd-pull supplier. |
| 5 | Order power, water, rigging, internet, furniture and AV. | Build game or photobooth content and its sign-up step. |
| 4 | Register the contractor with method statement and risk assessment. Order badges. | Confirm booked meetings. Test the lead capture app and a backup form. |
| 3 | Send graphics to print. Dispatch sea freight. | Share the staff rota. Invite unbooked targets once more. |
| 2 | Dispatch air freight. Pack the stand kit. | Send reminders with venue, hall, stand and meeting time. |
| 1 | Build-up, power tests, snag list. | Test every screen, game and scanner. |
| Show days | Check the stand each morning. | Run booked meetings and note context after each one. |
| Post-show week | Break down and return freight. | Follow up hot leads within 24 to 48 hours. Report cost per qualified meeting. |
Interactive games with a sign-up step and an AI photobooth that emails each guest their photo pull a crowd and collect an opt-in during play. Book either by week 6.
What a real DWTC deadline calendar looks like
A public 2026 manual shows the usual order of deadlines at Dubai World Trade Centre. The WETEX 2026 exhibitor manual asked for contractor details, design approval, method statement and risk assessment about four weeks before build-up. Use it as an example only, because each show publishes its own rules.
Utility, visa and graphics forms followed days later, and sea freight had to arrive ten working days before the show. The manual quotes four different design deadlines in different sections, so plan for the earliest.
When does the 12-week countdown start for each 2027 show?
For WHX Dubai and IDEX, the 12-week countdown started on 2 November 2026. Gulfood's starts on 21 December 2026 and LEAP's on 18 January 2027. GITEX Global and ADIPEC had not announced 2027 days on 10 November 2026, so count back twelve weeks once each organiser publishes them.
| Show | Opens | Venue | Week 12 | Week 8 | Week 6 | Calendar note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WHX Dubai | Mon 25 Jan 2027 | Dubai Exhibition Centre and DWTC | 2 Nov 2026 | 30 Nov 2026 | 14 Dec 2026 | Year-end holidays in weeks 5 and 4 |
| IDEX and NAVDEX | Mon 25 Jan 2027 | ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi and ADNEC Marina | 2 Nov 2026 | 30 Nov 2026 | 14 Dec 2026 | Guest registrations need approval |
| Gulfood | Mon 15 Mar 2027 | DWTC and Dubai Exhibition Centre | 21 Dec 2026 | 18 Jan 2027 | 1 Feb 2027 | Ramadan expected weeks 5 to 1; Eid week 1 |
| LEAP | Mon 12 Apr 2027 | Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center, Malham | 18 Jan 2027 | 15 Feb 2027 | 1 Mar 2027 | Ramadan expected weeks 9 to 6; Eid week 5 |
| GITEX Global | 2027 to be confirmed | 2026 used DWTC and Dubai Exhibition Centre | TBC | TBC | TBC | 2026 edition runs 7 to 11 Dec |
| ADIPEC | November 2027, days to be confirmed | ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi in 2026 | TBC | TBC | TBC | Organiser lists Abu Dhabi |
Weeks start on Mondays. Ramadan and Eid dates depend on the moon sighting.
What if you start late for WHX Dubai or IDEX 2027?
If you read this in November 2026, a January show is about ten weeks away. Cut scope, and keep every approval on time. Choose a modular or rented stand if needed, start visas this week and send invitations before the year-end holidays.
- Confirm portal access today. At WHX, check you are in the right venue's Customer Centre. At IDEX, open the eZone task list.
- Pick the stand route by weeks left. With six or more weeks before build-up, a custom stand is realistic. With fewer, go modular.
- Start visas now. GITEX's organiser warns that visa processing can take up to six weeks. Use that as your planning figure.
- Submit the design within two weeks. The 2026 DWTC manual above charged extra fees for late designs.
- File sector paperwork first. IDEX exhibitors complete the End User Certificate. WHX exhibitors check product approval wording on graphics.
- Send invitations before 21 December. Weeks 5 and 4 cover the year-end holidays, when overseas buyers may be on leave.
- Rent the crowd-pull kit. Rented games and photobooths need less lead time than custom builds.
Is a 12-week checklist the same for every show?
Every show shares the same task list, yet the dates, approvals and paperwork change from show to show. All of them need a space contract, design approval, contractor registration, freight, badges and follow-up. The venue sets approvals and official suppliers. Your sector adds rules, and Ramadan moves the calendar for Gulfood and LEAP.
GITEX Global
GITEX Global splits across two venues on different days, so check which days and halls you need before booking staff and hotels. In 2026 the Summit runs on 7 December at DWTC. The Expo runs from 8 to 11 December at Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City Dubai.
GITEX 2027 dates were not announced on 10 November 2026. Deadlines sit in the GITEX exhibitor portal once space is booked. The organiser warns that visa processing can take up to six weeks, so overseas staff apply by week 8. Live demos and interactive games suit this audience.
IDEX and NAVDEX
IDEX and NAVDEX need the longest lead time of these shows, because defence paperwork and guest approvals both take weeks. The 2025 IDEX and NAVDEX exhibitor portal guide lists an End User Certificate as a mandatory task for local and international exhibitors.
Exhibitors list their display items, and the Operations Team approves them. Follow the security and export paperwork your manual sets out. The IDEX visitor FAQ says every attendee must pre-register online, with no onsite registration, and approval can take days or weeks. Send invitations from week 10.
NAVDEX also uses ADNEC Marina, so plan vessel logistics with the organiser. Pre-booked meetings, private rooms and scale models suit defence delegations.
Gulfood
Gulfood adds food safety tasks and a two-venue map to the standard checklist, and Ramadan falls inside its last five weeks. The 2027 show runs from 15 to 19 March at DWTC and Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City Dubai. A free shuttle links the two venues every 15 minutes. For invitations and promotion, see these pre trade show marketing ideas for Gulfood 2027.
The Gulfood exhibitor manual for 2027 was not public on 10 November 2026. The organiser's admission policy says Dubai Municipality rules strictly prohibit removing unlicensed and perishable items, including samples, from the halls. Under Gulfood's 2022 guidelines, the Dubai Municipality Food Code 2020 covered sampling, and food-preparing stands needed hand-washing facilities.
Tell buyers your venue and hall once allocated. The organiser lists its Big Deal Hub for 2027, which in 2026 let buyers book meetings before the show. Check its 2027 rules in your portal. For ways to draw buyers onto the stand once they arrive, see Lazulite's booth ideas that use interactive technology.
WHX Dubai
WHX Dubai runs from 25 to 28 January 2027 across Dubai Exhibition Centre and DWTC, and your product sector decides your venue. Each venue has its own Customer Centre. The organiser says it holds every manual, form and deadline for your stand, so confirm which WHX Dubai exhibitor portal is yours.
Visitor badges are digital only, inside the WHX Events App, so every invitation should tell guests to download it. Check the manual's rules on product approval wording, live demonstrations and radiation-emitting equipment. Hands-on device demos, booked by clinical department, suit this audience.
LEAP
LEAP adds cross-border freight, Saudi visas and a separate data protection law to a UAE exhibitor's checklist. The 2027 show runs from 12 to 15 April at Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center, Malham. No exhibitor manual was public on 10 November 2026.
Lazulite estimates that road freight from Dubai to Malham takes about a week from dispatch to build-up, with customs papers ready before dispatch. Check the current Saudi visa route for each staff member in week 10.
According to DLA Piper's guide to the Saudi PDPL, the law came into force on 14 September 2023 and SDAIA supervises it. Badge scans and lead lists are personal data, so agree consent wording and storage before the show. This is general information, not legal advice.
In 2026, visitor hours ran from 1pm to 9pm, so plan rotas for late finishes. That edition also moved from April to August, so re-check dates before travel.
ADIPEC
ADIPEC 2027 is set for November in Abu Dhabi, with days to be confirmed. Its online exhibitor manual has one practical difference. Only one person per exhibiting company can access it, so name that person in week 12 and route every form through them.
How the checklist changes by show
The table below compares each show's venue, lead time, extra approvals, early tasks and crowd-pull fit. Use it to adjust the generic 12-week timeline before week 12 begins. Every row reflects show facts checked on 10 November 2026, and exact deadlines still come from each exhibitor manual.
| Show | Venue | Typical lead time | Extra approvals | Start earlier | Crowd-pull fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GITEX Global | Summit at DWTC, Expo at Dubai Exhibition Centre in 2026 | 12 weeks; 2027 dates to be confirmed | Visas up to six weeks | Visas, hotels | Live demos, games |
| IDEX and NAVDEX | ADNEC Centre and ADNEC Marina | More than 12 weeks | End User Certificate; ADNEC drawing review | Certificate, guest invitations, vessels | Booked meetings, scale models |
| Gulfood | DWTC and Dubai Exhibition Centre | 12 weeks; Ramadan in weeks 5 to 1 | Dubai Municipality food and sampling rules | Approvals and invitations before Ramadan | Sampling, buyer meetings |
| WHX Dubai | Dubai Exhibition Centre and DWTC, by sector | 12 weeks; window opened 2 Nov 2026 | Venue-specific portal; product approval wording | Graphics wording, app registration | Hands-on device demos |
| LEAP | RECC Malham, Riyadh | 12 weeks plus a week of road freight | Saudi visas, customs, PDPL | Visas, freight, consent wording | Live demos, investor meetings |
| ADIPEC | ADNEC Centre in 2026 | 12 weeks; days to be confirmed | One manual holder per company | Naming the manual holder | Technical models |
How does Ramadan 2027 affect exhibition preparation?
Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin on about 8 February, subject to moon sighting. The National reported this from UAE Astronomy Centre projections. That places Ramadan across Gulfood's final five weeks and LEAP's weeks 9 to 6. Eid al-Fitr is expected around 9 to 11 March 2027.
For Gulfood, submit the stand design, visas and first invitations before 8 February. Eid falls in the week before opening, so build-up may follow it closely. For LEAP, place utility orders before Eid in week 5. Keep promotion respectful throughout the holy month.
How do venue rules change the checklist?
Each venue runs its own approvals and official suppliers, so the same stand design follows a different route at each one. Before week 6, check your manual for who approves drawings, who supplies power and rigging, and how internet is ordered. Venue rules apply on top of the organiser's own.
- Dubai World Trade Centre: utilities go through Event Plus, DXB Live is the sole top rigging provider, and DWTC supplies broadband.
- Dubai Exhibition Centre: confirm suppliers in each show's manual rather than assuming DWTC's apply.
- ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi: at other ADNEC shows, drawings pass the organiser and then ADNEC. Capital 360 is the venue's services arm.
- RECC Malham, Riyadh: ask the LEAP organiser for contractor registration rules.
Exhibition checklist template you can copy
Copy this trade show checklist template into a shared sheet, then add an owner and a due week to each line. Swap week numbers for your show's dates from the countdown table. It doubles as an exhibition preparation checklist for the stand team.
Paperwork and stand
- Space contract signed and one manual holder named
- Sector paperwork filed, such as an End User Certificate or sampling plan
- Stand design approved by organiser and venue
- Contractor registered with method statement and risk assessment
- Power, rigging, internet, furniture and AV ordered
Travel and freight
- Visas submitted by week 8 and hotels booked
- Freight booked, with customs papers ready before dispatch
Crowd pull, meetings and leads
- Qualified meeting target agreed with sales
- Three invitation waves sent with venue, hall and stand number
- Crowd-pull feature booked and tested
- Lead capture app, backup form and consent wording tested
- Hot leads contacted within 24 to 48 hours of close
Exhibition checklist FAQs
How far in advance should you start preparing for a trade show in the UAE?
Start about twelve weeks before opening for a custom stand at a UAE trade show. That leaves six to ten weeks for the build, plus time for design approval, visas and invitations. A modular stand can work from about five weeks. Defence shows such as IDEX need longer because of End User Certificate paperwork.
What is an exhibitor manual?
An exhibitor manual is the organiser's rulebook for building and running a stand at one show. It lists deadlines, design rules, official suppliers, order forms, badge rules and freight instructions. You get access after booking space, usually through an online exhibitor portal. At ADIPEC, only one person per exhibiting company can open it.
When are stand design approval and contractor registration due at Dubai shows?
Each show sets its own dates, so check your manual. For example, the 2026 WETEX manual at DWTC wanted contractor details, design approval, a method statement and a risk assessment four weeks before build-up. Visa, utility and graphics forms were due a few days later.
What extra paperwork do IDEX exhibitors need?
IDEX exhibitors complete an End User Certificate in the exhibitor portal. It lists the items they will display, and the Operations Team reviews and approves it. The 2025 portal guide made it mandatory for local and international exhibitors. Confirm the 2027 task, any export papers and every deadline in eZone.
What should be in a trade show booth?
A trade show booth needs a headline that says what you sell, a demo or product display and a meeting space. Add a lead capture point with consent wording, storage for stock and power for screens. Include one crowd-pull feature that suits your buyers. Face the main message towards the busiest aisle.
What should you bring to a trade show as an exhibitor?
Bring printed copies of your approvals, contractor permits and badge confirmations, plus product samples and demo units. Pack spare chargers, cable ties, cleaning kit, business cards and a printed backup lead form. Check the manual before bringing any electrical items of your own. Comfortable shoes help through a long build-up day.
Why does WHX Dubai have two exhibitor portals?
WHX Dubai runs across Dubai Exhibition Centre and DWTC, and each venue has its own Customer Centre. Your product sector decides your venue, and that portal holds your manual, forms and deadlines. Credentials go to your company admin, who also registers staff for badges. Confirm the portal before ordering anything.
How does Ramadan 2027 affect a Gulfood or LEAP timeline?
Ramadan is expected from about 8 February 2027, subject to moon sighting. For Gulfood, it covers the last five weeks before opening on 15 March, with Eid expected the week before. For LEAP, it covers weeks 9 to 6, with Eid in week 5. Lock approvals, visas and first invitations before it begins.
Plan your 2027 stand with Lazulite
Lazulite has worked on more than 100 GCC exhibitions, including GITEX Global, Gulfood and LEAP, building stands and the crowd-pull technology on them. Share your show, stand size and opening date with the Lazulite event exhibitions team for a 12-week plan matched to your venue. See every show Lazulite supports on the exhibition hub.
