It's never about creating one type of display that can be used in all applications. Every single item on the market will find a niche at one exhibition or trade fair or another. Every single contributor to these exhibitions wants their goods displayed to the optimum. Everybody wants their product to look better than their competitors.

With the right display created by an exhibition contractor this could mean the difference between sales that take the company towards their first million or, at the other end of the scale, actually causing a loss of profits.

Attend any show or trade fair and which stands are you attracted to mostly; the ones that are well laid out and well lit, the ones where you can see exactly what's on offer in a smart surrounding that is not over fussy or bland.

There are so many different types of shows that need to be catered for and this is why the job of the exhibition contractor is an ever changing one.

Currently on display in Australia is the home made armour that reportedly belonged to Ned Kelly, notorious outlaw of the last century. This would require a whole different kind of support system compared to an exhibition of bones, such as the one taking place in the UK currently.

An exhibition contractor could have great fun organising stands that would effectively display the wares of wedding designers. It surely can't be that difficult to make all that lace, taffeta and silk look attractive!

But maybe an exhibition displaying the latest health and safety devices would be a more challenging quest. These need to be much more functional and less fussy and thus require a completely different mindset.

A show to sell garden equipment would need a much more diverse approach than one that was displaying Ferraris or Volkswagens. Ok, so cars don't need to go on a stand the same way that a hobby crafts would but they still need backing and information points that need effective thinking and planning.

When you think of the typical exhibition, it's easy to reach straight for the Ideal Home show. Exhibits of home wares and innovations abound and soft lighting and comfortable surroundings mean the visitor can easily see themselves at home surrounded by these objects.

However, what about a show for the medical professions? New technologies in dentistry tools or surgical equipment may be of no interest to us but to someone else, these things are their livelihood.

Marine science may well be an interesting exhibition to see, and display, but the exhibition contractors may have a more difficult time making the dive show look interesting. It's all very well having colossal pictures of brightly coloured fish but what do you do with the stall that is trying to sell the wetsuits, the buoyancy control devices or the weights?

Not much thought is given over to the displays when visitors attend these shows but exhibition contractors and participants know it makes the difference between success and failure.