B1, M1 and EN 13501: which fire certificate does your exhibition hall ask for?
Most exhibition halls require stand fabric to be at least flame retardant, proven with a certificate on paper. German halls ask for DIN 4102-1 class B1, French halls for M1. EN 13501-1 class B-s1,d0 sits roughly at the B1 level. Ask your organiser which standard applies before you order.
Exhibitors rarely think about this until the stand builder asks for the certificate on build-up day. Below is what the standards mean, how they relate to each other, and what you need to arrange.
The three standards you will meet
DIN 4102-1 class B1 is the German standard. B1 means "schwer entflammbar", flame retardant: the material burns, but goes out as soon as the flame is removed. It is the certificate German exhibition halls ask for, and it is not negotiable.
NF P92-503 class M1 is the French equivalent. M1 measures flame spread and smoke production and is not identical to B1, even though the two are often used interchangeably in practice.
EN 13501-1 is the European standard meant to replace these national classes. It runs from A1 to F, with a smoke class (s1 to s3) and a droplet class (d0 to d2) added. A fabric rated B-s1,d0 sits roughly at the level of B1. In practice German halls still ask explicitly for DIN 4102 B1, so an EN certificate alone is not always enough.
What your hall really requires
The rule is almost always the same: every material on the stand must be at least flame retardant, and you must be able to prove it on request with a certificate on paper. A link to a website does not count.
In Germany this is a standard part of the organiser's technical regulations (Technische Richtlinien). In the Netherlands it depends on the organiser, and at smaller trade shows nobody may ask. That is no reason not to have it: if someone does ask and you cannot show it, your stand does not open.
Always check with your organiser before you order. One email, and you know whether you have a problem.
What we supply, and where we stand today
We buy only from manufacturers who can show a valid B1 certificate for the fabric. A supplier without that certificate does not make our list, however good the price.
To be straight about where things are: the certificate for our fabric has been requested from our supplier and has not reached us yet. Every product page lists under Downloads what is and is not available. We do not ship a wall without its certificate.
One thing that often goes wrong: the certificate belongs to the fabric, not to your particular print. That is normal and sufficient, but make sure the certificate names the material you actually received.
What to do
Ask your organiser which standard they require, print the certificate and put it in the stand folder, and keep a digital copy on your phone. That is the whole checklist.