What's different about ICE 2026?

What's different about ICE 2026?

Floorplan Restrictions

It is the responsibility of the Exhibitor and their appointed stand contractor to inspect the location of the stand. In some locations there are pillars or further height restrictions which must be considered when designing your stand. If you require a technical floorplan, please contact our dedicated Customer Success team. 

What's different about ICE 2026?

Double Decker Submission Deadline

This year, there is a separate deadline specifically for double-decker stands:

  • Double-Decker Intent Deadline (to notify Clarion*): 31st August 2025

  • Double-Decker Full Submission Deadline: 17th October 2025

  • Please ensure your contractor is aware of these dates and takes them into account when deciding whether to proceed with a double-decker design.

 

 

* To request a double decker please reach out to your account manager for approval.

 

 

Literature Distribution Off Your Stand

A license will be required for anyone operating outside the boundary of your stand to promote your company. Regardless of what they are wearing, be it a costume or a branded t-shirt, if they are trying to promote your company off of your stand then you must have a license.

If you would like to have promotional staff distributing items away from your stand, please contact the Customer Success team. There is no limit to the number of licenses you can request and you only require passes for people are working away from your stand at any point. Promotional staff will be given a unique lanyard to make them easily identifable.

Each promotional staff pass is charged at 2,000Euros + VAT for 3 days.

ICE is a place of business, and your behaviour must reflect that. If for any reason any of the below occurs then your license can and will be revoked without refund and the promotional staff will be asked to leave.

• Flyers must not be left anywhere (such as tables, chairs, or communal areas).
• Any literature/leaflets found littered in seating areas or eateries, will be disposed of and any cost for waste will be charged to your company.
• Do not block or stand immediately in front of other stands.
• Do not surround your competitor stand.
• Do not distribute flyers or promotional giveaways on any other Exhibitor's stands.

Ceiling Branding

Enclosed roof structures are allowed to be built provided that the specifications of the construction, decorative or furniture materials, established in these regulations, are met.

Since the ceilings can be seen from higher floors and the sky walkway, their finish should always be aesthetically pleasing. Branding on the top of ceilings are considered an additional sponsorship opportunity and must therefore be booked with the Organisers.

The fee incurred by the additional sponsorship opportunity is for the advertising rights only. You are responsible for the production of the rigged item and placing your rigging order by the specified deadline.

Mandatory Waste Removal

 

As per the mandatory waste removal process, the only waste management provider permitted to operate within the Fira venue for these exhibitions is Fira’s official provider. Any other company arriving to the Fira to drop/collect bins, skips or other waste management tools, will be refused entry to site
Unmanaged waste poses safety risks, including injury, increased threat of fire, blocks fire exits and hinders access for medical teams in emergencies. Our health and safety policy prohibits the accumulation of waste on stands, in storage areas, in gangways and in communal areas. Waste generated from your activities (during build up, show open and breakdown) must be removed at the end of each day.

All Space Only Exhibitors will be required to contract a minimum m3 standard waste management via ServiFira. The requirement is determined by stand size. Each exhibitor/contractor will need to show proof that they have ordered the corresponding m3 waste management through ServiFira before they can obtain the Drawing Inspection Notice. For more information, please see the Space Only Stand Design Guide and the Stand Design Inspection Form.

 No Construction Day  (Sunday 18th January 2026)

Space only stand construction must be completed by 16:00 on Saturday 17th January 2026. This will allow the structural engineers time to complete their checks. Build continues after this time but ALL structural works must be completed by 16:00.

Construction work refers to building, cutting, sawing, painting etc. which is not permitted on Sunday. Non-messy works will be permitted on Sunday 18th January 2026, e.g. dressing, product placement, graphics, cleaning, and furniture layout. You must arrange waste removal. Please arrange waste bags for any material leftovers waste generated from graphics, furniture wrapping, etc. and ensure it is not discarded in the aisles. This will allow time on Sunday for product placement, dressing, final preparation and gangway carpet lay. 

Penalties will apply if construction is not complete by 16.00 on Saturday 17th January 2026.

Infringements

As per the Terms and Conditions of each Exhibitor's contract, the Exhibitor and their appointed Stand Contractor must adhere to all rules and regulations as stipulated within the Technical Manual. If any rules and regulations are breached, the Exhibitor will be written to and penalties may apply.

Post-show Contractor Survey 

After ICE 2026, we will be launching a post-show contractor survey to hear your feedback on what we can do to help support you and make your lives easier at our show. We will be mailing this out post-show. Please do keep an eye out for this - we really value feedback and will strive to initiate change based on your comments.

 

 

Service Chests 

Kindly note that it is the responsibility of the exhibitor or stand contractor to ensure service chests remain easily accessible at all times.

 

Many of all service chests have the same supply:

• III 400 V (CEE plug with 5 holes)
• 7 connections: 1X 63 amp, 2X 32A, 4X 16A
• Compressed air: 2 hoses per chest, 500-800 l/m, 7 bar.
• Water supply: 2 per chest, 1/2 inch, 4 bar, waste is 32mm

To confirm what supplies can be pulled from the service chests within your stand location, contact the relevant supplier.

All connection service chests located on the floors of the halls must be easy to register and must always be easily accessible. If a platform is installed, a hatch will be needed. A platform of 50mm should be enough to cover electrical cables though we recommend a platform of minimum 80mm for water and air connections regardless of whether those supplies are needed for the space which has the service chest or is planned for any of the neighbouring stands. If during build-up or show any cable gets unplugged for some reason, the chest needs to be accessed by the technical teams.

If your service chest is shared with another exhibitor(s), it must be accessible for your neighbouring exhibitor(s) at any time. Therefore, shutting off power or placing a lockable cover on the service chest is strictly prohibited. ServiFira will inform you which chest will be used by the other exhibitor(s) if this is the case.

Ceiling Branding 

Enclosed roof structures are allowed to be built provided that the specifications of the construction, decorative or furniture materials, established in these regulations, are met.

Since the ceilings can be seen from higher floors and the sky walkway, their finish should always be aesthetically pleasing. Branding on the top of ceilings are considered an additional sponsorship opportunity and must therefore be booked with the Organisers.

The fee incurred by the additional sponsorship opportunity is for the advertising rights only. You are responsible for the production of the rigged item and placing your rigging order by the specified deadline.

Height Limits 

It is the responsibility of the Exhibitor and their appointed stand contractor to inspect the location of the stand. In some instances there might be further height restrictions in addition to the below set by the Organiser.

Single storey stands must not exceed 4 meters. This includes all stand fitting, walls, lighting, signage and platforms. All stands must be built within the allocated time - overnight working is not available.

Standard single storey stands may exceed 4 meters in height subject to approval from the Organiser (to a maximum of 6 meters). Each request will be reviewed on a case by case basis and permission will be dependent on factors such as stand location, construction method, materials, if it can be built within the perimeter of your stand and whether it can be build within your allocated time. If permission is given, construction drawings and calculations will be required as this will be deemed as a complex ground mounted structure. Complex stand plan inspection fees will apply.

Double decker stands should not exceed 6 meters. Authorisation to build a two-storey stand must be given by the Organiser. To request permission to build a two-storey stand, you must contact the Organisers no later than the 15th August, detailing your intentions and your appointed stand contactor. Triple deck structures are not permitted.

Rigged elements should not exceed 7m from the floor to the top of the rigged element. There are further height restrictions throughout the halls and you must inspect your location to understand the maximum achievable height. The minimum height for rigged elements is 4 meters from the floor to the underside of the rigged item. Branded rigged items are deemed sponsorship at ICE. Contact our Customer Success team to arrange this opportunity.

Beacons

Helping visitors​ find your stand!

    

This year, on top of all our normal signage and helpers, we have invested in a location network that enables visitors to navigate the Fira and find the exhibitors they want, quickly and easily. All through the show’s mobile app.​

Just like a blue dot on Google Maps, but inside the venue on the official ICE App.​

What does this mean for you? You might spot the small white Bluetooth beacons (pictured below) installed above head height around the show.

   ​

Please don't touch them! ​

If you do find one that has accidentally become detached (e.g. on the floor), please hand it in to the show organiser so that we can optimise the network and allow your customers to find your stand.​

Have a great show… and don’t forget to download the app.​

 

 

 

 

Rigging 

The service of basic anchoring points (also called rigging) is exclusive to Fira and offered through its official provider. It is prohibited to hang any element directly from the ceiling of the halls and facilities.

Rigging is one of the biggest changes we expect Exhibitors and their appointed Stand Contractors to see when we move to our new home at Fira Gran Via and we highly encourage you to place your rigging orders as early as possible. The deadline to order rigging is the 29th November 2024 but we encourage you to place orders as soon as possible. After the deadline, rigging will not be possible. 

The Exhibitors or their appointed stand contractors must request the rigging points according to the load distribution conducted by their qualified technician. Rigging points shall not bear a load exceeding 150kg per point to ensure the structural stability of the ceiling. The load per point must include the truss, structures, safety steel, spotlights, banners, manual chain hoists (approximately 35kg each) or electrical chain hoist (approximately 50kg each). It is not always possible to locate anchoring points in all the exhibition areas of the hall, since there may be restrictions that depend on the hall and the points already in use, as well as the load capacity of the ceiling. In this circumstance there may be a requirement for prior adjustment for the rigging (pre-rigging). This adjustment may entail additional costs that shall be charged to the Exhibitor or their appointed stand contractor.

The structures must be designed to resist the static and dynamic loads associated with their final design, as well as consider their steps for build-up and breakdown.

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Rigging Regulations

• Branded rigging is considered an additional sponsorship opportunity and must therefore be booked with the Organisers. The fee incurred by the additional sponsorship opportunity is for the advertising rights only. You are responsible for the production of the rigged item and placing your rigging order by the specified deadline.
• The minimum distance permitted between anchoring points is 1m.
• The maximum hanging weight permitted for rigging elements is 15 kg per m², calculated by the ratio of the total weight of the suspended elements to the hired stand surface.
• It is not permitted to raise any truss grid with more than 6 manual chain hoists.
• The maximum load weight of a rigging point is 1.50 kN (150 kg). It must include the weight of the lift equipment (motors, hoists, etc.).
• The loads transferred to the structure at any point due to lifting elements and that act on the halls cannot exceed the maximum load capacity of the point and its elements.
• The materials used must be of a high quality, in a good state, bear the CE (European Conformity) marking and have an up-to-date revision.
• The truss structures and materials belonging to the Exhibitors are only permitted if they have the CE (European Conformity) certification and are in excellent working condition.
• Exhibitors are not permitted to hang any element from the auxiliary structures installed in the ceiling of the venue.
• The elements hanging from the ceiling must maintain the vertical nature of the point.
• The maximum recommended distance between the anchoring points that use a truss is 10m for general lighting.
• It is prohibited to alter any equipment installed by the official provider, including trusses, wires, shackles, or rope slings.
• The maximum rigging height is 7m from the floor to the top of the rigged element. The minimum height is 4m. In some locations, further height restrictions may apply. You must inspect your stands location. 
• Any rigged elements must be a minimum of 1m from any partition walls with neighbouring stands.
• Safety wires must be put in place for electrical motors and manual chain hoists and all hanging equipment and components on a truss (lights, sound equipment and speakers, signs, etc.) must be secured with secondary safety wires/chains and metal flanges.

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Rigging Plans

Please see PDF rigging plans below for each of the halls. If you require a DWG. format, please email our dedicated Customer Success team. 
Hall 1 Rigging Plan: Download
Hall 2 Rigging Plan: Download
Hall 3 Rigging Plan:  Download
Hall 4 Rigging Plan:  Download
Hall 5 Rigging Plan:  Download

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Placing your Rigging Order

To request the rigging service, it is necessary to fill out the form available online via the ServiFira webshop and submit it along with the documentation listed below:

• A drawing (in AutoCAD 2010, if possible) indicating the height, the weight supported by the anchoring point and the orientation of the stand in the hall.
• The rigging request form (available online at the ServiFira webshop), indicating company information and rigging requirements.
• The point type (with or without safety wires, manual chain hoists or electrical motor).

Based on the complexity of the request (number of points, location, simultaneity of requests, etc.), and at the request of Fira, the following must be submitted:

• A technical description of the design materials.
• Justification of weight calculations of the points.
• Quality certificates of the materials.
• Justification of the revision of motors, hoists or any other machinery.
• A description of the build-up/breakdown procedures to prevent damage to the hall structure or anything which may present a risk to the installations or personnel.

The data provided must be submitted with measurements from the International System of Units and in Spanish or English. In the case of detecting some deficiency in the materials or when completing the work, the Organisers can stop the operation until the required documentation is submitted or the procedures used are corrected.

Please click here to request rigging. 

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Complex Rigging

• All complex rigging must be checked by the appointed engineer prior to it being lifted. Once approved by the appointed engineer, you will be issued with a 'Permit to raise’. 
• All rigging complex must be flown by 12:00 on Thursday 16th January 2025.

Furniture Hold

Walling Regulations