Exhibition: Bespoke Stand Build Partner Enablement

Summary

After the success of their 2022 event stand, our leading reseller client engaged with us again to support their presence at the 2023 event.

This second year, they had an even larger stand and more prominent location, as a founding partner in the Emergency Tech Show – a part of the wider event.

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The Spec

• 6m x 7m space only stand, open on 3 sides
• Stand design & build including furniture, AV equipment, power & artwork
• Organisation of vehicular access
• Liaison with event organisers
• Health & Safety documentation
• Co-branded merchandise & staff shirts
• Management of exhibitor portal – upload of logos, weblinks, contact details, company bio, marketing materials, registration of staff, etc
• Handheld scanners in lieu of app including data download
• Social media schedule
• On-site support for set up & day 1 handover
• Supply of MDF Proof of Execution (POE) post event for partner claim from their vendor

The Challenges

By far the biggest challenge for this build was managing the branded police-car on the stand and negotiating with the organisers for an exception to the site rules. And on a similar, but scaled down theme, we had to find a way around branding the model Lego car kit as Lego won’t co-brand their products. We also had the challenge of meeting two sets of brand guidelines and getting both sides to agree a joint look and feel.

The Chill Out! Solution

Often, the biggest challenge of a bespoke stand build is getting the design approved – it’s such a visual statement that so many people want a say! Fortunately, the client liked last year’s design and simply wanted to extend it to fit the larger space. We worked with our design and build partner to enhance the 2022 design, making the stand more open and incorporating some additional features, including an interactive touchscreen display.

With the design approved, we had the graphics created to meet both our client’s brand guidelines and those of the vendor they were partnering with. We achieved acceptable co-branding with the vendor logo and joint messaging, as well as the inclusion of two additional partner logos.

A challenging build

As it was a bespoke, space-only stand, using a real vehicle, we had to apply for permission to build and submit health and safety documentation and risk assessments in addition to stand plans.

The partner could not meet the strict rules about getting vehicles into the venue well in advance of the show. We negotiated with the organisers to make an exception so it could be brought in the day prior to opening.

Sustainability everywhere

We sourced co-branded bespoke police cars filled with a mix of jellybeans and skittles. The individual boxes were made from sustainably sourced packaging that could be completely composted or recycled.

We supplied high quality polo shirts for the stand staff made from recycled and recyclable polyester. These were co-branded but not dated and have been stored for future reuse.

Shipping into the NEC is complicated and expensive so we packaged everything for our stand builder to transport to the venue along with the stand materials.

Avoiding printed collateral

In keeping with the emergency vehicle theme, we sourced police car Lego sets. Lego will not co-brand their kits, so we created co-branded, recyclable sleeves. The sleeve also allowed us to include a QR code, linked to a microsite with case studies, to avoid the need for printed collateral.

With so many stand staff, we negotiated with the organisers for additional hand-held scanners. Post-event, we consolidated all the data and leads back to the client, along with proofs of merchandise and branding, for the client to make their MDF claim.