Location05°20′14″ N · 04°01′36″ W
Workshop2,140 m² · Abidjan
Standard lead18 days · brief to raise
Crew34 permanent · 60 surge
Coverage08 countries · ECOWAS zone
DocumentREF / BS-2026-Q2-WS

booth
smith.

Discipline
BOOTH SMITH is a custom exhibition stand builder based in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, serving 8 West African countries — Ivory Coast, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria — since 2014. Engineering-led fabrication for trade shows, conferences and corporate activations.
Status
Workshop open · 08:00 — 19:00 GMT · response under 4h business hours.

We build trade-show stands carefully — drawings checked, costs itemised, raise-days planned out. ~120 stands delivered since 2023, most on schedule.

DomainExhibition · congress · activation
Scale6 m² → 48 m² per stand
ApproachEngineered drawings · QC sign-off · documented build
Working withDirect or via agency partners
§ 01 — register

A few numbers from the workshop.

Internal figures · cut-off 31 May 2026 · reviewed monthly.
Square metres built 1,500 aggregate exhibition floor delivered since 01.2023
Stands raised 120 ≈ 3 / month · all custom-built
Shows covered 10 SARA · CGECI · SIETTA · Africallia · ITEX
Countries served 08 West Africa · ECOWAS zone
Standard lead-time 18days brief signed → raise-day, 12 m² class
On-time raise 96% across raises tracked since 01.2023
Returning clients ~⅔ commission a second project within 3 yrs
Crew · perm.34
Crew · surge+60
CAD stations06
CNC routers02
Trucks · 7,5 t04
Storage820 m²
Insurance€ 1.2 M RC
Avg. stand12 m² · XOF 4.7 M
Footprint range delivered
scaled to common stand sizes
6 m²
9 m²
12 m²
18 m²
24 m²
36 m²
48 m²
— selected work

Four stands we've built — in our own words.

Each project: brief, build type, footprint and what made it specific. More on request.
Timber lounge — naturally crafted pavilion, full wide view
Naturally crafted — detail of timber slatted wall, signage
№ 01 · ARCHITECTURAL2025

Naturally Crafted

Open lounge in solid timber, vertical battens and integrated greenery. Quiet hospitality area for buyer-side conversations.

SectorArchitecture
ShowDakar · SN
Size48 m²
Watchmaker pavilion — circular ring brand element, full booth
Watchmaker pavilion — single product vitrine, lit display
№ 02 · LUXURY2025

Watchmaker pavilion

Suspended ring brand element above a dark, hushed selling floor. Twelve individual vitrines, each piece lit from above.

SectorWatchmaking
ShowLagos · NG
Size36 m²
Heritage display — full booth with brand sign and queue
Heritage display — glass cube vitrine with single watch
№ 03 · HERITAGE2024

Heritage vitrines

Dark anodised structure framing crystal-clear cube vitrines. Brand glyph at height, controlled traffic flow on a single threshold.

SectorCollectibles
ShowAccra · GH
Size42 m²
Financial services pavilion — open truss frame and screen wall
Financial services pavilion — close-up on truss corner and brand wall
№ 04 · FINANCIAL2024

Capital markets pavilion

Open structural frame, interactive demo stations and a large data-wall. Designed for a high throughput of meetings across the day.

SectorFinancial services
ShowDakar · SN
Size36 m²
— clients

A few names that have trusted our craft.

VISACI · Payments
SNEDAICI · e-Gov
Coris Bank Intl.BF · Banking
Bank of AfricaML · Banking
CBAOSN · Banking
EcobankTG · Banking
SUNU GroupTG · Insurance
EPSONCI · Technology
JESACI · Engineering
SOCOCIMSN · Cement
SOFITEXBF · Cotton
SONABELBF · Utilities
EDM-SAML · Energy
Tullow GhanaGH · Energy
GAIA NovaCI · Agri-tech
PatisenSN · FMCG
Fan MilkGH · FMCG
BRAKINABF · Beverages
ASKY AirlinesTG · Aviation
Air SénégalSN · Aviation
SobebraBJ · Beverages
— what clients say

Three voices from raise-day.

№ 01 · TRADE SHOW

A 24 m² stand built and dismantled in three different cities, with the same finish each time. That consistency across countries is rare, and it is the reason we came back twice.

B. Sawadogo Marketing Lead · Coris Bank Intl. — Ouagadougou
№ 02 · CORPORATE EVENT

We sent the brief on a Wednesday and had drawings to share with our board on the Monday. No back-and-forth, no surprises in the final invoice. That is what we hire them for.

F. Diop Communications Director · Patisen — Dakar
№ 03 · ACTIVATION

They turned our brief into a buildable stand without losing a single design detail. The estimate held, the dates held, and the crew on site handled the surprises without panic.

Y. Adjavon Brand Activations · ASKY Airlines — Lomé
§ 02 — capabilities

Eight production lines, in one workshop.

Specification sheets available on request. Each line has its own foreman and quality check.
Discipline
Deliverable
Lead time
Scale band
01
design & engineering
In-house studio drawings, 3D renders, materials list and structural sign-off.
04 — 08 days
all sizes
02
custom carpentry
CNC-routed MDF / plywood shells, lacquered, on-site assembled.
14 — 21 days
9 — 72 m²
03
structural truss
Engineered timber & steel truss to 8 m span, with structural calc note.
10 — 18 days
≤ 8 m clear
04
LED & AV integration
Video walls & signage screens through vetted partners, integrated and cabled by our crew.
05 — 09 days
≤ 12 m² wall
05
graphic finishing
Eco-solvent & latex print, vinyl cut, dibond plates, Pantone-matched.
03 — 07 days
≤ 80 m² print
06
storage & logistics
820 m² warehouse, kit re-deploy programme, doc. ECOWAS transit.
flat fee
12 / 24 / 36 mo.
07
onsite installation
Raise crew, certified electrician, scaffold, daily H&S brief.
02 — 04 days
≤ 72 m²
08
dismantle & repack
Strike, sort, repack, dispose. Most materials recovered for re-use.
01 — 02 days
flat / m²
FIG. 2.01 — at work eight disciplines, photographed on the workshop floor & on site
Frame assembly on workshop floor
01frame · assemblyREF / 03
Custom carpentry, timber finish
02carpentry · timberYOP / 07
Structural truss assembly
03truss · allen socketYOP / 04
LED spot install
04lighting · spot installSHOW / 02
Vinyl graphic application
05graphic · vinyl pullYOP / 09
LED strip and spotlight
06lighting · LED lineSHOW / 02
CAD drawing on tablet
07studio · CAD draftYOP / 01
Onsite plan review
08site · plan reviewSHOW / 01
§ 03 — methodology

Five phases. Eighteen days, brief to raise.

Indicative durations for a 80 m² custom build. Scaled linearly with footprint and finish complexity.
01 intake brief read · measure · cost

Brief audit, site survey, hall plan check, budget envelope confirmed against client SOW.

02 days
02 technical drawing CAD · 3D · materials list

Drawings to scale 1:25, 3D renders, and an itemised materials list with costs.

03 days
03 prototyping mock · review · sign-off

Critical assemblies mocked at 1:1 in workshop. Finish samples. Client physical sign-off required.

02 days
04 fabrication cut · assemble · finish

CNC cutting, frame welding, lacquer line, graphics print. Daily QC sheet logged against drawing.

09 days
05 raise & strike install · run · dismantle

Transport, on-floor build, electrical certification, run-day standby, strike, repack, sign-off.

02 days
§ 04 — coverage

Eight countries. Eight local teams. Stands built on the ground.

Each market fabricated by its own crew — no freight, no border risk, no damage in transit. Abidjan runs design & engineering; production is local.
15°N 10°N 05°N 15°W 10°W 05°W 00° 05°E 10°E ABIDJAN HQ · 05°20'N · 04°02'W DAKAR BAMAKO OUAGA. ACCRA LOMÉ COTONOU LAGOS SENEGAL MALI BURKINA FASO CÔTE D'IVOIRE GHANA TOGO BENIN MAURITANIA NIGER NIGERIA GUINEA G.-BISSAU SIERRA LEONE LIBERIA CAMEROON ATLANTIC GULF OF GUINEA NSWE WEST AFRICA 08 COUNTRIES LOCAL TEAMS 0 200 KM
FIG. 4.01 · ZONE OF OPERATIONS SCALE 1 · 12,500,000 PROJ. WGS-84
City
Country
Local lead
Crew
01
Abidjan
Ivory Coast
Kouadio Brou
12 + studio
02
Dakar
Senegal
Ibrahima Ndiaye
06
03
Accra
Ghana
Kwame Mensah
05
04
Lagos
Nigeria
Adeola Bankole
07
05
Ouagadougou
Burkina Faso
Boukary Sawadogo
04
06
Bamako
Mali
Modibo Coulibaly
04
07
Cotonou
Benin
Pascal Akoha
04
08
Lomé
Togo
Komi Adjavon
05
Local crew

Each city has its own foreman and carpenters, trained on our standards.

Shared studio

Drawings and engineering done from Abidjan, sent to local crews for build.

No freight

Materials sourced locally — no border risk, no damage in transit.

§ 05 — how we work

Build documentation, not just a stand.

Engineering files signed by our in-house structural engineer · liability insured XOF 1.2 Bn.
ENG · STUDIO
In-house drawing office

Six CAD stations under one studio head. Plan, elevation, section at 1:25. Bill of materials issued line-by-line with each set.

Drawingsmillimetre-accurate
MAT · TRACE
Material traceability

Each batch tracked to mill. Certificates filed per lot. Substitution requires written approval and matching test report.

Stock820 m² warehouse
FIRE · MATERIAL
Fire-rated finishes

We work with fire-rated boards and lacquers where the venue requires it. Supplier certificates filed per lot.

Filedper lot
STRUCT · CALC
Structural calc notes

For large stands (over 4 m clear span or heavy hangs), our engineer signs off the structure on paper before we build.

Threshold> 4 m · > 80 kg
Specification · electrical

Site electrics on safety-tested distribution boards. Test report delivered before opening day.

Specification · material

Quality birch plywood for structural panels. Low-emission boards and water-based, low-VOC lacquers.

Specification · finish

Print colours matched to your Pantone. Panel surfaces flat and even across full height.

§ 06 — the workshop

Three signatures on every raise-day sheet.

Workshop currently at 34 permanent staff. Supplementary surge crew of 60 contracted per show, vetted, badged, insured.
PLATE 01 · THE WORKSHOP, IN COUNCIL
ABIDJAN · MMXXVI
Booth Smith workshop — the team in council
№ 01 · PROJECT DIRECTION Julien Marchand, project director
julien marchand 12 yrs
projects · accounts

Lead on accounts > 80 m². Costing, scheduling, client interface.

№ 02 · STUDIO / CAD Awa Diallo, head of studio
awa diallo 09 yrs
studio · drawing

Heads the drawing office. Drawings, 3D, materials lists. Six stations under her sign-off.

№ 03 · SITE / RAISE Kouadio Brou, site foreman
kouadio brou 15 yrs
site · foreman

On-site lead. H&S brief, scaffold, raise schedule, sign-off.

34
Permanent staff
06
CAD stations
11
Carpenters
04
Welders
02
Site foremen
— quick estimate

Run a quick price in 10 seconds.

Live indicative price. A real quote follows your signed brief — usually within 48 h.
Stand size12 m²
Countrylocal team
Add-onsoptional
Size12 m²
Local teamIvory Coast
Lead time14 days
Total estimate 7,200€ TTC $7,776  ·  XOF 4,723,000

Indicative only. Brief → firm quote within 48 h. Includes design, build, on-site raise & strike. Travel and venue fees billed separately.

§ 07 — brief

File a brief. We respond within four working hours.

Builds from 600 € TTC / m²  ·  ≈ $648 / m²  ·  XOF 393,600 / m²  ·  Indicative quote within 48 h · structured proposal within 5 working days.
↑ attach brief / plan / RFP · pdf · dwg · zip — max 20 MB
SLA · response within 04:00 business hours
— glossary

Plain words for industry terms.

A quick lexicon for the words we use across this page, so the brief stays clear.
StandThe branded structure you exhibit on at a trade show. Also called a booth.
BriefThe short document you send us with your goals, dates, surface and constraints.
Custom buildEvery BOOTH SMITH stand is bespoke — drawn for your brief and built from timber, panels and finishes selected for that project.
Raise-dayThe day the stand goes up on site, before the show opens.
StrikeThe dismantling phase. Materials are sorted, repacked and stored or recycled.
Lead timeThe number of working days between a signed brief and raise-day.
Materials listAn itemised quote — every panel, light and fitting priced line by line.
3D renderA photoreal image of the stand before we build it, so you can sign off.
Pantone matchReproducing your brand colour on print exactly as defined in your guidelines.
Local teamOur crew based in each served country. They build on the ground — no freight.
TTCToutes Taxes Comprises — price including tax. Most prices on this page are TTC.
m² ratePrice per square metre of stand floor area. Multiply by surface to get the build cost.
— common questions
How much does an exhibition stand cost in West Africa?
BOOTH SMITH builds from 600 € TTC per square metre — approximately $648 or XOF 393,600 per m². A 12 m² custom stand starts around 7,200 € TTC. Country, finish and timing adjust the figure; the quick estimate tool gives a live indicative price.
Which countries does BOOTH SMITH cover?
Eight West African countries: Ivory Coast, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria. Each country has a local team that builds on the ground — no cross-border freight.
How long does a custom stand take to build?
The baseline lead time is 14 days from signed brief to raise-day, plus 2 days outside Ivory Coast. A rush option can shorten the schedule for a +15% premium.
How do I get a quote?
File a brief on this page. We respond within four working hours, return an indicative quote within 48 h, and a structured proposal within 5 working days.
— field notes

Latest from the workshop floor.

01  /  10 Field notes