An encounter with exhibition stands

Not so long ago I won a contract to make a website for a well known manufacturer of artificial flowers. During the course of the contract I became more and more involved with the company's marketing department and eventually my brief was expanded to include the design and production of supplementary marketing materials. About six months later, I was asked to make for the company a set of exhibition stands that would enable the company to display a range of their products at a trade exhibition. Having no prior experience in this sector, I did as much research as I could and was surprised by the number of different products available and the sheer diversity in the marketplace. For example, most people might consider that exhibition stands (and exhibition display equipment in general) are limited to a fairly small range that differs only in terms of size and/or colour.

Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. For starters, I learned that in addition to exhibition stands, there are items such as banner stands, popup displays, panel systems, literature racks, graphics panels, PVC banners, light boxes, display cabinets, plasma stands, and many more. Problem was, of course, which item (or items) would best suit my needs. It was at this point that I decided to contact a few of the online retailers I had been looking at. The responses I got were varied. Some wrote back immediately; some took more than a week just to acknowledge my email. Some seemed genuinely enthusiastic, while others gave the impression they were far too important to deal with a relative minnow such as myself. But one company stood out head and shoulders above the rest. I won't mention their name, but I will say that they are based in England and recognised as leaders in the field of trade show marketing and exhibition design.

They not only sent me a comprehensive questionnaire to fill out and return, they also had one of their sales staff call me the following day to run through everything in detail. When I explained that I was looking for an exhibition stand on behalf of a company that produced artificial flowers, the sales guy took time and care to explain that what I really needed was a modular trade show booth that could accommodate a set of display cabinets. Popup displays were an option, he told me, but most suitable for my needs would be a couple of banner stands which his company could design. He also discussed the possibilities available with regards to exhibition furniture and lighting. Shortly after, I confirmed my order and in almost no time at all everything was ready. The logistics of getting all the equipment to the trade show is not something I will repeat here, nor will I detail the fun we had putting it all together. What I will say, though, is that the entire process was handled professionally and my first venture into the world of exhibition design was both glitch-free and successful.