Venue guide — Karachi

Planning a booth for a show at Expo Centre Karachi

A planning reference for exhibitors preparing a stand for an exhibition at Expo Centre Karachi — what the venue involves, and the decisions worth making early.

Quick answer

Expo Centre Karachi is a multi-hall exhibition venue in Gulshan-e-Iqbal managed by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP). Before designing a booth for a show there, confirm your space type (raw space or shell scheme), exact footprint and height limit, and the show's move-in/move-out windows.

Practical guidance

Raw space vs. shell scheme at Expo Centre Karachi

Shell scheme

Faster, more budget-controlled

Where the organizer provides a basic frame and fascia, design work focuses on what sits inside it — counters, graphics and branding. Generally quicker to plan and lower cost than a full raw-space build.

Raw space

Full design freedom, more lead time

An open floor allocation with no provided structure. This gives full control over height, layout and form, but needs more planning time and, for larger builds, structural approval before installation.

Practical guidance

Typical exhibitor timeline for a Karachi show

Stage	General timing before the show
Confirm stand allocation & rules	As early as possible — dimensions, height limit, space type
Design concept & sign-off	6–8 weeks out is a reasonable starting point for most stands
Fabrication	Scaled to stand size and complexity, completed ahead of move-in
Installation	Within the show's confirmed move-in window

General planning guidance, not specific to any single exhibition — always confirm exact dates and rules with your show organizer.

The venue

What Expo Centre Karachi is

Expo Centre Karachi is a major exhibition venue in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, managed by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), hosting trade exhibitions across several halls throughout the year — from textile and garment shows to construction, food, pharmaceutical and automotive events. It's the primary venue most Karachi exhibitors will build a booth for.

Before you design

Questions worth answering early

Space type

Raw space or shell scheme?

Confirm which your stand allocation is — this decides whether design starts from an organizer-built frame or an empty floor area, and changes both timeline and budget.

Dimensions

Exact footprint & height limit

Get your confirmed stand dimensions and any hall-specific height restriction from the organizer before a concept is drawn — not after.

Timeline

Move-in and move-out windows

Every show sets a fixed installation window before opening and a dismantling window after closing. Fabrication has to be planned backward from these dates.

Approvals

Structural sign-off, if applicable

Larger or multi-level raw-space builds may need structural approval from the organizer or venue ahead of installation — factor this into your timeline.

FAQ

Common questions about this venue

We're not publishing project claims for this venue until we have verified case studies to share. This page is a planning guide for exhibitors, not a portfolio.

Shell scheme is generally faster and more budget-controlled, provided by the organizer as a basic frame. Raw space gives full design freedom but requires more planning, structural approval time and generally a higher budget.

As a general rule, starting design 6-8 weeks before the exhibition gives enough time for concept approval, fabrication and installation without rushing. Larger or custom builds need more lead time.

Expo Centre Karachi is managed by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and hosts a range of trade exhibitions across multiple halls.

Next step