Building a Booth at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center: Height, Structure, Review, and Move-In/Move-Out

By Chris | Vision Design

To build a booth at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, you need to read two documents together: TAITRA's venue technical regulations and that year's exhibitor manual from the organizer. Where they differ, the current exhibitor manual and organizer notices take precedence.

In practice, five things cause most of the trouble: height limits, structural spans, column wrapping and fire safety, review deadlines, and move-in/move-out slots. Below is what we have learned building at Nangang, using the Automation Taipei 2026 manual as an example. Figures here are for planning reference only; always follow that year's exhibitor manual.

Key points: At Nangang, booth height limits are mostly set by the organizer in the exhibitor manual. Anything 4 m or above is an over-height structure and needs a separate application. Feature beams spanning more than 6 m need a supporting post. Column wrapping must leave fire equipment exposed. Forms close about one month before move-in, and move-in/move-out slots and traffic controls need planning early.

First, Separate Venue Rules from Organizer Rules

Halls 1 and 2 at Nangang share one set of technical regulations (this article cites the Aug 2026 edition). They cover the venue itself: floor load, structural support, fire safety, the application process for over-height structures, and so on.

Rules such as booth height limits and the share of enclosed walls are mostly set by the organizer in the exhibitor manual, so they can change from one show to the next in the same venue. For example, the Automation Taipei 2026 manual set a booth height limit of 4 m, covering structure, exhibit displays, partitions, and signage.

Also, the "standard booth height of 2.5 m" often seen in manuals refers to the shell-scheme booths supplied by the organizer, not a limit on self-designed, self-built booths.When reading any rule, first ask: who is this rule about?

Site Conditions: Floors, Columns, and Load

• Hall 1, ground floor, is divided into Zones I, J, and K, with 60 columns in total. Fire equipment is on the north side of each column, and power distribution boxes are on the west and south sides

• Hall 1, 4th floor (the Sky Hall) is divided into Zones L, M, and N, and is column-free

• Hall 2 has Zones P and Q on the ground floor and Zones R and S on the 4th floor

• Floor load: 5 tonnes/m² on the ground floor, 2 tonnes/m² on the 4th floor

• Trucks entering the Hall 1 exhibition floor are limited to 4 m in height; anything taller needs an advance application

The technical regulations require booth contractors to measure on site before planning the booth design.Our habit is to check column, fire equipment, and smoke vent positions in the organizer's booth system first, then verify on site, with all walls based on the measured column positions.

Height: Limits, Over-Height, and Two-Story Booths

The technical regulations classify anything 4 m or above as an "over-height structure," which needs a separate application: the exhibitor must rent at least 4 standard booths, the structure may not exceed 6 m, and documents such as an architect (civil or structural engineer) declaration and certified structural calculations and design drawings are required. A usage fee is also charged.

Two-story booths likewise require at least 4 standard booths. The upper floor may be no higher than 2.5 m, with a total height of no more than 4 m. Over-height and two-story booths are not allowed in the Starlight Corridor on the 7th floor of Hall 2.

The Automation Taipei 2026 manual set the deadline for over-height and two-story applications at Jul 17,about one month before move-in.

Structure: Spans, Supports, and On-Site Inspection

Clauses in the technical regulations that relate directly to structure:

• Overhead feature beams spanning more than 6 m must have a support (a post) (10.1.12)

• Backdrops and signboards spanning more than 9 m need lateral or horizontal bracing (10.1.11)

• Horizontal members of 6 m or more across 2 adjacent booths need posts or supports at both ends and may not rest directly on timber partitions or simple panels (10.1.13)

• Steel trusses and steel posts need a steel base plate at the bottom, fixed with at least 4 bolts (10.1.15)

• Video walls taller than 2.5 m are limited to 4 m, must face at least 2 m back from the booth line or be angled at 30 degrees or more, and need anti-tip fixings (10.2.1)

During move-in, TAITRA commissions the Taipei Professional Civil Engineers Association to send engineers to inspect booth structures (10.1.16),and booths with serious violations that are not fixed may be closed. Construction drawings must also include hazard-prevention details for work at height, such as guardrail height and scaffolding setup (10.1.17).

Column Wrapping and Fire Safety

If there is a column within your booth, you need to apply for column wrapping, with a booth plan and elevation attached.When wrapping a column, fire alarm panels, extinguishers, sprinkler valves, and similar equipment on the column must be left exposed through openings, never enclosed. Column wrapping walls may not exceed 4 m; anything higher needs a separate over-height application.

An island booth on the ground floor of Nangang Hall 1: check column positions and fire equipment first (Automation Taipei 2026)

Other fire safety rules: carpets, fabric, display boards, and similar items must use materials with a flame-retardant label, with valid certificates kept on site from move-in to the end of the show. Booths with a closed ceiling or a second story must have at least two 10 lb ABC dry-powder extinguishers, plus one more for every additional 50 m² of covered area.

No part of the booth may extend beyond the vertical extent of the booth's floor boundary, and nothing may be hung from the venue ceiling or its services.

Rigging: Possible, Depending on the Show and Budget

The Sky Hall in Nangang Hall 1 offers a truss rigging service, applied for and paid under the venue's construction guidelines; booths may never hang anything from the ceiling themselves. Organizers can also choose not to offer it: the Automation Taipei 2026 manual stated that rigging points were not available.

Even where it is offered, rigging is costly and few standard booths use it.Whether to rig is a budget-level decision.

Move-In and Move-Out in Practice

Using Automation Taipei 2026 as an example (actual times follow organizer notices):

• Move-in:Aug 17–18, 05:00–17:00 daily

• Move-out:Aug 22, 16:00–18:00, light hand-carried exhibits only, no vehicles. Booth dismantling for all exhibitors on Aug 23, 10:00–15:00; fit-out vehicles may not enter the hall before 10:00

• Traffic control:trucks are banned from the area around the venue daily 07:00–09:00 and 17:00–19:00

• Personnel:hard hats and an occupational safety card are required; Nangang Halls 1 and 2 also use facial recognition for entry

• Custom-built work:must be fabricated off site and only assembled in the hall; power saws and spray painting are not allowed inside

• Waste removal:timber, pallets, foam board, tape, adhesive residue, and similar waste must be cleared and taken away on time; otherwise the organizer clears it and charges the exhibitor

• Insurance:fit-out work must be covered by construction insurance and third-party liability insurance

The technical regulations also state that there is no air conditioning during move-in and move-out. For summer shows, plan heat precautions for the crew in advance.

Our Checklist When Starting a Project at Nangang

1. Get that year's exhibitor manual, remove pages unrelated to the build, keep only the forms to file, and mark each deadline

2. Check the positions of columns, fire equipment, and distribution boxes, and measure on site

3. Check the design against the rules for height limits, column wrapping, over-height, and spans

4. Submit column wrapping, fit-out, utility, and other applications by the manual's deadlines

5. Schedule crew and vehicle slots for move-in and move-out, avoiding traffic control hours

FAQ

Q1: What is the booth height limit at Nangang?

The technical regulations classify anything 4 m or above as an over-height structure, which needs a separate application, up to a maximum of 6 m. Each organizer can also set a stricter limit in the exhibitor manual, so follow that year's manual.

Q2: Can we rig from the ceiling at Nangang?

The Sky Hall in Hall 1 offers a truss rigging service, which must be applied for and paid; booths cannot rig on their own. Organizers may also not offer it; Automation Taipei 2026, for example, did not offer rigging points. If you are considering rigging, we suggest including it in the budget at the quoting stage.

Q3: What if there is a column inside our booth?

You need to apply for column wrapping with a plan and elevation, and the fire equipment on the column must be left exposed. We suggest drawing the column into the floor plan early in design rather than dealing with it at review.

Q4: Can custom-built work be made inside the hall?

No. Under the exhibitor manual, custom-built parts must be fabricated off site and only assembled in the hall; power saws and spray painting are not allowed inside. On site, the work is limited to assembly, filling, and applying graphics.

Projects We Have Built at Nangang

• Automation Taipei 2026 joint booth project(Nangang Hall 1)

• SEMICON Taiwan 2026 project

• CYBERSEC 2026 project(Nangang Hall 2)

Related services: Custom-Built Booth Design & Build, Modular System Booth Planning & Build

Further reading: What to Submit for Organizer Review, Planning a Multi-Brand Joint Booth