Trade show exhibitor proforma invoice template
Trade show exhibitor proforma invoice template: stand space by square metre, shell scheme, power and catalogue entry, with the booking deadline.
Templates by industry
- Exhibition space, 12 m², per m²
- Shell scheme stand package
- Electrical connection, 2 kW supply
- Catalogue entry and exhibitor badges
Preparation guide
Example workflow
Confirm goods and delivery terms
Example: confirm the quantity and unit price of "Exhibition space, 12 m², per m²", then the delivery terms, transport and insurance.
Set the validity and send
Check every line down to "Catalogue entry and exhibitor badges", add the valid-until date and the prepayment account, and send the proforma to the buyer.
Invoice after payment or shipment
When the buyer pays or the goods ship, make the invoice from the proforma. The proforma stays unchanged as the offer the buyer accepted.
An exhibitor abroad often cannot confirm a stand until the organiser’s invoice is paid, and cannot pay until its own finance office or a trade-promotion grant has seen a proforma. The document therefore arrives before the fair, often months ahead. Floor space per square metre, the stand package and the services an exhibitor must book each get a price here, and the deadline after which the space goes to the next company on the waiting list is stated beside them.
Fields to prepare
- Deliverables and line items
- Exhibition space, 12 m², per m², Shell scheme stand package, Electrical connection, 2 kW supply, Catalogue entry and exhibitor badges: the goods or services and the quantities you intend to supply, at the prices you will invoice.
- Exhibition space, 12 m², per m²
- Quote the square metres and the stand type, such as row, corner or island, because an exhibitor pays more for open sides and must not be surprised by it.
- Shell scheme stand package
- List what the package contains: walls, fascia name board, carpet, counter, spotlights; anything not listed will be billed on the day.
- Electrical connection, 2 kW supply
- State the kilowatts booked and whether the price covers the connection only or the consumption too, and add the cut-off for ordering a larger supply.
- Catalogue entry and exhibitor badges
- Say how many badges come with the stand and the price of an extra one, and the date by which the catalogue text must reach you.
- Delivery terms
- State the delivery terms (such as an Incoterm and the named place), how the goods travel and who insures them.
- Validity and prepayment
- Give the date the prices hold until and, if you ask for payment in advance, the account the buyer pays into.
- Scope to agree
- State the stand number and size, what the shell scheme includes, the services booked separately such as power and wifi, the payment deadline that confirms the space, and the cancellation terms.
Before sending
- Does “Exhibition space, 12 m², per m²” match the buyer’s order in quantity, unit price and currency?
- Does “Shell scheme stand package” need an HS code or country of origin in its description for the buyer’s import licence?
- Can “Electrical connection, 2 kW supply” ship in the quantity shown once the prepayment arrives?
Show 4 more
- Does “Catalogue entry and exhibitor badges” match the buyer’s order in quantity, unit price and currency?
- Check that quantities, unit prices and currency match what the buyer ordered or asked you to quote.
- Add the HS code and country of origin to the item descriptions if the buyer needs them for an import licence.
- Check the valid-until date, the delivery terms and the prepayment account, and that the document says it is not a tax invoice.
Worked example with sample figures
The figures below are invented to show how the template adds up: 4 lines in USD, with an example tax rate of 8%.
| Item | Quantity × unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Exhibition space, 12 m², per m² | 12 × $285.00 | $3,420.00 |
| Shell scheme stand package | 1 × $1,180.00 | $1,180.00 |
| Electrical connection, 2 kW supply | 1 × $420.00 | $420.00 |
| Catalogue entry and exhibitor badges | 1 × $350.00 | $350.00 |
| Subtotal | $5,370.00 | |
| Sales tax (8%) | $429.60 | |
| Total | $5,799.60 | |
Net amount $5,370.00, sales tax $429.60, total to pay in advance $5,799.60.
What the document must show
The details a proforma invoice has to show, and why each one matters, are set out in the guide below.
The sales tax depends on where the work is supplied, so set the rate that applies to your customer before sending.
Official rate reference: US government: state and local taxes
Full requirements: Proforma vs invoice and down payment invoice
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreign exhibitor claim a trade-promotion grant with this proforma?
Some programmes ask for a proforma before the fair and proof of payment after it. Ask the programme what it needs, then show the stand number, the fair dates and the organiser’s details on the proforma.
What happens to the fee if the exhibitor cancels?
State the rule in the terms, for example a share of the fee that is not refunded after a given date. The exhibitor then knows what is lost by waiting, and you can show it was agreed before the booking.
How is the sales tax worked out on this proforma invoice?
The worked example above uses an example rate of 8%: $429.60 on a net amount of $5,370.00, for a total of $5,799.60. The editor recalculates all three when you change a quantity, a price or the country.
Can I download it as Excel, Word or PDF?
Yes. A PDF needs no account: fill in the template and use Print / PDF. The Excel and Word files download from this page with a free account, and the spreadsheet keeps its formulas, so changing a quantity updates the tax and the total.
Can I use it in another language or currency?
Yes. The document language can be set to any of 33 languages, and changing the country setting updates the currency, the date format and the tax rate.
Read next
Reading for the Trade show exhibitor proforma invoice template: Proforma vs invoice and down payment invoice and Quote, proforma, invoice, receipt, credit note: which to use. The currency converter converts the amounts when you quote in another currency.