Pearl, Marcoms and Xenial were each briefed on the same round-table exhibition stand: a 5×3 m footprint, MDF construction, branded back wall, LED cove lighting and two 55-inch touch screens. All three are now on official, TRN-bearing quotes: AED 20,890, 26,250 and 34,000 all-in. Below is what each price actually buys, where the scopes diverge, and the gaps to close before anyone is awarded.
| Pearl 19,895 net | Marcoms 25,000 net | Xenial 32,300 net | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercials | |||
| Net price | 19,895.00 | 25,000.00 | 32,300.00 |
| VAT 5% | 994.75 Shown | 1,250.00 Shown | 1,700.00 Shown |
| Total incl. VAT | 20,889.75 | 26,250.00 | 34,000.00 |
| Line-item pricing | 2 lines | 1 line | 4 lines, 1 priced |
| Payment terms | 50% on contract signing, 50% on handover | 50% on quote approval, 50% at mock-up date | 100% in advance |
| Validity | 14 days | 30 days | 14 days (exp. 24 Aug) |
| Lead time | Not stated | Not stated | 15–20 days after PO + payment |
| TRN / tax ID | 100616901300003 | 100310798200003 | 100608616700003 |
| Cancellation exposure | Silent | 80% of value | 100% of value |
| Structure | |||
| Stated footprint | 5 × 3 × 2.9 m | 5 × 3 m Verbal, not on quote | 5 × 3 m floor, no height |
| Back wall | MDF, vinyl graphic + roller paint, 55" cut-out | MDF, Fenomastic paint, branding provision | MDF, Fenomastic, plotter sticker, LED strip — 1.5 m + 2 m × 3 m h |
| Side wall | No | No | 3 × 3 m, MDF + LED |
| Flooring / platform | MDF + black carpet | No | MDF + carpet, 5 × 3 m |
| Counter | No | No | 1 × 0.5 × 1 m, PU paint |
| Lighting | LED cove at platform edging | Not itemised | Cove + profile-channel LED throughout, engraved pillars |
| AV & power | |||
| Touch screens | 2 × 55" supplied | Provision only | 2 × supplied |
| Additional display | No | No | 1 × 43" TV |
| Laptops | 2 included | No | No |
| AV cost separated | 3,795.00 Yes | No | No |
| Electrical / DB / cabling | Not stated | Not stated | DB + full cabling |
| Screen content | Client | Client | Client |
| Furniture & logistics | |||
| Seating | No | No | 6 chairs + 1 bar stool |
| Tables | No | No | 2 glass tables |
| Brochure stand | No | No | 1 |
| Transport / install / dismantle | Not stated | Included in T&Cs | Incl. at zero cost |
| 3D production | No | In-house | No |
| Prior work with OI | None | Yes | None |
| Ownership | Not stated | Rental, all items | Not stated |
The strongest quote on price and paperwork. Cheapest by 5,105 net, the only one that supplies the touch screens and prices them separately, states a stand height and includes flooring. The 2 laptops are a genuine extra nobody else offered. What rules it out is capability, not cost: no 3D production, and we have no delivery history with them. Keep as the fallback if Marcoms will not move on scope or cancellation terms.
Recommended, on capability rather than on the quote. Same 5 × 3 m footprint as Xenial for 26,250 all-in, only 5,360 above Pearl. They are the only vendor with 3D production and the only one we have delivered with before, which is what tips it. Be clear about what the paper says though: this is the thinnest written scope of the three, one MDF wall with a screen provision rather than a supply, no flooring, furniture or counter, and an 80% cancellation charge on a rental basis. All of that has to be priced and negotiated before the PO, or the premium buys nothing new.
Most complete build, now properly documented. The official quote resolves the earlier ambiguity: 34,000 is the all-in total, not net. Xenial apply a 1,700 discount that exactly cancels the VAT, so the taxable value is 32,300. The 13,110 premium over Pearl buys a side wall, a counter, engraved LED pillars, a full furniture package, a third screen, electrical works and logistics at no charge. The catch is commercial, not technical: 100% payment in advance and a 100% cancellation charge once confirmed, so all the timing risk sits with us.
Marcoms lists "touch screens 65 inch & 55 inch". Confirmed as an error: the scope is 2 × 55" for all three vendors. Get it corrected in writing before the quote is signed, otherwise it becomes a variation claim later.
Resolved: 34,000 is the all-in total. One wrinkle to raise: the 1,700 VAT is 5% of the pre-discount 34,000, but the taxable amount is stated as 32,300, on which 5% is 1,615. Their total is internally consistent, but ask for the tax invoice to show VAT on the discounted value.
All three are the same 5 × 3 m footprint, but they fill it very differently. Marcoms' quote is one line for a wall, so before the PO get a fixed BOQ from them: floor, back wall, side wall, counter, 2 × 55" touch screens, furniture, electrical, plus the 5 × 3 m in writing.
The single biggest open item on the award. Pearl and Xenial supply the screens; Marcoms only build the cut-out. Renting two 55" touch panels in the UAE typically runs 3,000 to 5,000, so on a true all-in basis Marcoms is closer to 30,000 than 26,250. Get it priced as a line item before the PO so the comparison is honest.
The 3D production capability is the reason for the award, but it does not appear anywhere on the quote. Confirm what is included: how many visuals, how many revision rounds, and whether it is inside the 25,000 or billed separately. A capability that decides a tender should be a deliverable in the PO.
Xenial want 100% in advance with a 100% cancellation charge once confirmed, against Pearl's 50/50 and Marcoms' 50/50. With the event date still TBC, paying everything up front on a 15–20 day lead time is the weakest position of the three. Push Xenial to 50/50 as a condition of award.
Marcoms include it in their T&Cs and Xenial itemise it at zero cost. Pearl's quote is silent on transport, installation and dismantling, which is one more reason their 19,895 is not as clean a comparison as it first looks.
Marcoms is explicitly rental with post-event inspection liability. Pearl and Xenial are silent. If the stand is intended for reuse across the season, ask for a purchase price and storage terms, which changes the ranking entirely.
Marcoms produce 3D work that neither Pearl nor Xenial offer. For a stand whose whole job is to look considered on the floor, having the 3D visual produced by the same team that builds it removes the guesswork between render and reality.
We have run events with Marcoms before. A supplier who already knows our brand standards, approval loop and delivery expectations carries far less execution risk than the cheapest bid from a vendor we have never briefed.
At 26,250 all-in they sit 5,360 above Pearl and 7,750 below Xenial. On a stand of this visibility that gap is a rounding difference against the cost of a build that disappoints.
Worth stating plainly so the decision is made with eyes open: on price and paperwork alone, Pearl is the stronger quote and Marcoms is the thinnest scope of the three. The award rests on two things no quote captures, 3D production and a track record with us. That is a legitimate basis, but it means the screens, flooring and cancellation terms above have to be closed in writing before the PO, otherwise the 5,360 premium buys capability we already had and scope we still do not.