How to Brief a Hoarding Graphics Vendor: A Checklist for Leasing Coordinators

Why the Brief Is Where Most Projects Go Wrong

The lease is signed, the fit-out date is set, and the hoarding needs to go up. You contact a vendor, pass along the basics, and expect it to come together from there.

It usually doesn't. Incomplete briefs are the single most common reason retail hoarding projects run late or end up requiring costly reprints. The vendor works from assumptions. Dimensions are off. Finish requirements weren't communicated. The access window never got flagged.

A complete brief upfront eliminates most of this. Here's what it needs to include.

What a Vendor Actually Needs From You

Site Information

Accurate artwork starts with accurate dimensions. If a vendor is working from estimates or outdated drawings, the print won't fit the panels — and reprinting means at minimum a 2 to 3 day delay, often longer.

The site information every vendor needs:

• Exact linear footage and height of each hoarding wall section
• Panel system type (plywood panel systems, drywall, or landlord-supplied framing)
• Location within the mall (concourse, food court, inline, corner unit)
• Structural interruptions — columns, doorways, fire hose cabinets, electrical panels

If you don't have measured drawings, a site survey resolves this quickly. A vendor experienced in retail hoarding can collect photos and measurements same-day or next-day. Rapid Retail Graphics handles this as part of the standard brief process. For more on what a survey covers, see what a hoarding graphics site survey covers.

Timeline and Access Details

Retail hoarding installs almost always happen outside of trading hours — before the mall opens or after it closes. Most properties managed by Cadillac Fairview, Oxford Properties, or Ivanhoé Cambridge require a formal contractor access request at least 48 to 72 hours in advance. If your vendor doesn't know this, the install gets bumped.

Your brief should include:

• Target install date and any hard deadline tied to the fit-out or opening
• Permitted access windows (overnight, early morning, weekend)
• Whether a loading dock or service corridor is required
• Security sign-in or contractor credential requirements

If you're coordinating with mall operations for the first time, the process is more involved than it looks. This guide on coordinating hoarding installs with mall security and operations walks through what to expect.

Brand and Artwork Files

A vendor needs print-ready files or, at minimum, brand assets they can adapt. Sending a low-resolution logo pulled from a website and a rough concept isn't a brief — it's the start of a back-and-forth that will cost you several days.

What to include:

• Brand guidelines or a style guide (colours, typography, logo usage rules)
• High-resolution artwork or campaign creative in vector or high-res raster format
• Mandatory copy elements (coming soon messaging, brand tagline, opening date if confirmed)
• Approval chain — who signs off on proofs, and what's the expected turnaround for feedback

If you don't have print-ready files, say so upfront. A vendor who works regularly with retail brands can adapt campaign creative to fit the hoarding layout. That's a different scope than receiving finished artwork, and the timeline needs to reflect it. See how to prepare your brand files for the format specifics.

Landlord Requirements and Approvals

Every mall has its own hoarding standards. Some require specific substrates. Others mandate matte finishes to reduce glare under concourse lighting. A few have rules about graphic panel height relative to the hoarding frame, or restrictions on messaging on the exterior-facing side.

If you're working in a centre with strict standards, your brief needs to include:

• The landlord's hoarding graphics specification document, if one exists
• Whether landlord approval of artwork proofs is required before printing
• Any restrictions on adhesive types, panel attachment methods, or surface finishes
• The contact name and role for mall operations or the leasing team on the property side

A vendor unfamiliar with these requirements will either delay the job or trigger a compliance issue that forces a redo. For a broader overview of how hoarding works within Canadian shopping centres, see the leasing coordinator's guide.

The Full Briefing Checklist

Run through this before you contact any retail hoarding vendor. The more complete your brief, the faster and more accurately a vendor can respond with a quote and timeline.

Site details

• ☐ Confirmed dimensions for each wall section (width × height, per panel if applicable)
• ☐ Panel system type and substrate
• ☐ Location within the property (inline, corner, food court, etc.)
• ☐ Structural interruptions noted (columns, doors, cabinets)

Timeline and access

• ☐ Target install date
• ☐ Hard deadline (fit-out start, opening date, landlord requirement)
• ☐ Permitted access windows
• ☐ Contractor access process for the specific property

Artwork and brand

• ☐ Brand guidelines or style guide
• ☐ High-resolution artwork or campaign creative
• ☐ Mandatory copy elements confirmed
• ☐ Proof approval contact and expected turnaround time

Landlord and compliance

• ☐ Hoarding specification document from the landlord, if available
• ☐ Approval workflow for artwork proofs
• ☐ Finish and substrate restrictions
• ☐ Mall operations contact for install coordination

Common Gaps That Cause Delays

Even experienced leasing coordinators miss a few of these. The gaps that create the most problems in practice:

No confirmed dimensions. Estimated measurements almost always produce a misfit. A site survey takes a few hours and eliminates this entirely.

Artwork submitted too late. If a proof sits in someone's inbox for two days, the install date moves. Build approval turnaround into your timeline, not around it.

Access window not confirmed with mall operations. A vendor can show up at 6 a.m. and be turned away because the access request wasn't processed. That's a one-day delay at minimum.

Landlord spec not shared. A vendor who produces artwork without knowing the finish requirements may print on the wrong substrate. Re-printing and re-shipping costs time and money. Worse, it usually means the barrier goes up bare.

For a more detailed breakdown of where retail hoarding projects fail, the common fit-out mistakes article covers the patterns that repeat most often.

When to Send the Brief

The earlier the better — but there's a practical minimum. A vendor needs at least 5 to 7 business days before the target install date to survey, produce, and install, assuming print-ready artwork is already in hand. If artwork needs to be adapted or created, add 2 to 3 business days for that work plus proof approval time.

Rush options exist. A 48-hour turnaround from approved artwork to installation is achievable in some cases, depending on location and project size. But that only works if everything else — dimensions, access, landlord approval — is already resolved. Rush production doesn't compensate for an incomplete brief.

If your timeline is tight, call before you email. Rapid Retail Graphics can be reached at (604) 220-7700 to talk through what's feasible before a formal quote is submitted.

FAQs

Once your brief is ready, the hoarding graphics vendor review: 6 questions to ask first walks through how to evaluate the vendors who respond to it.

Start With a Complete Brief

A complete brief is not a nice-to-have. It's the difference between a project that installs on time and one that doesn't. The checklist above covers everything a vendor needs to quote accurately, produce correctly, and install without surprises.

If you're working against a tight timeline or dealing with an unfamiliar property, get an instant estimate or request a detailed quote — or call (604) 220-7700 to talk through the specifics before you commit to a date.