Exhibition Design Recruitment
CADagency specialises in recruiting CAD and design professionals for the exhibition, retail and point of sale sector. We support exhibition contractors, brand experience agencies and retail production businesses across the UK, supplying designers who understand fast-paced, build-led project environments.
Exhibition and POS roles are typically delivery focused, combining creative intent with practical build constraints. We work closely with clients to understand programme pressure, manufacturing processes and the balance between office-based design and site delivery.
Our experience covers both bespoke exhibition projects and high-volume retail rollouts, ensuring candidates are aligned with the reality of the sector.
Roles We Recruit For Within Exhibition and POS
We regularly recruit across a range of exhibition and retail design roles, including:
Exhibition and POS CAD Designers
Producing detailed 2D and 3D drawings for manufacture, assembly and installation.
3D Designers
Responsible for visual concepts, client presentations and spatial layouts that translate into buildable solutions.
Junior CAD Technicians
Supporting set-out drawings, revisions and production packs.
Senior Designers and Design Leads
Overseeing technical delivery, mentoring junior staff and liaising with clients, suppliers and project teams.
Most candidates working within this sector use AutoCAD as their primary software, often supported by SolidWorks, Inventor, SketchUp or Rhino depending on the nature of the work.
Exhibition and POS Market Trends
The exhibition and retail design market remains delivery driven, with demand strongest for designers who can work accurately under tight deadlines.
Candidates with strong manufacturing knowledge, material awareness and experience working directly with workshops remain in high demand. This is particularly true in bespoke exhibition and retail environments, where buildability and cost control are critical.
Hybrid working is less common than in other CAD sectors due to the project-led nature of exhibition work. However, some flexibility is increasingly offered at senior level, particularly where roles involve coordination rather than hands-on drawing production.
Overall, the data shows a sector that continues to value practical skill, adaptability and reliability over purely conceptual design.
2026 Exhibition and POS Salary Insight
Based on Exhibition / Retail / Point of Sale respondents in the CADagency 2026 Salary Survey, average UK salaries sit as follows:
Junior Exhibition CAD Technicians: £28,600
Intermediate Exhibition / POS Designers: £35,900
Senior Exhibition Designers: £44,700
Design Leads / Senior Project Designers: £52,800
Salary progression within exhibition design is closely linked to technical ability, speed of delivery and experience working directly with manufacture and installation teams.
London and the South East continue to pay slightly higher salaries overall, but experienced designers in regional hubs often achieve comparable pay where responsibility and autonomy are higher.
Software Usage Within Exhibition Design
AutoCAD remains the dominant platform across exhibition and POS roles, particularly for production and set-out drawings.
However, candidates using 3D and solid modelling software alongside AutoCAD tend to earn more.
Exhibition designers using 3D modelling software reported an average salary of £41,200
Those working primarily in 2D reported an average salary of £36,400
SolidWorks, Inventor and Rhino are most commonly used in bespoke stand design and complex joinery projects, while SketchUp is frequently used for concept-stage visuals and client presentations.