Author: Andrew
New technology to feature on your next exhibition stand
In 2016, more and more exhibitors have invested in technological innovations to drive engagement on their exhibition stands. It has also given marketers the chance to trial new engagement tools that would not have been thought possible only a few of years ago.
Here are some of the latest technologies to consider integrating into your exhibition stands!
Interactive Screens
Advertising your brand at a trade show is imperative, but branding is useless if you aren’t properly explaining what you do. Interactive walls, floors or screens can engage visitors by allowing them to quickly understand your business and quickly connect with your products or services.
You can also reduce the need for repetitive sales messaging through the use of interactive technology. Interactive screens can display vital information using eye-catching graphics, images or videos. These can be used to engage with numerous customers simultaneously.
Augmented Reality
Augmented reality enables us to overlay computer-generated graphics on top of images of the real world. It includes scanning the real-world environment and enhancing it by adding virtual information.
Why is this important? Well, it gives us a chance to show how things could look in the future; it’s a chance to provide a glimse of a better more advanced world.
QR Codes
Quick response (QR) codes offer fast and reliable links to your website, online material or mobile apps. QR codes are immediately saved on the mobile device’s memory so that the user can return to your information after the event.
It is important to provide clear benefits for users to scanning your QR code, such as access to further information, exclusive promotions etc
Triggered Technologies
Triggered technology can transform an exhibition stand into an attraction. Light, sound, video and special effects can all be good attention-grabbers, particularly when triggered by visitor action such as walking past a sensor for example. Using multiple senses is proven to evoke emotionally charged memories, making your brand more memorable.
As one of Europe’s leaders in exhibition stand design, we regularly work with our clients to adopt new exhibition technologies. Contact us on 020 333 200 92 to find out more.
Exhibition Stand Wi-Fi: The key to success?
Already the world’s largest technology show, the three-day Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2016 in Las Vegas will be the biggest in the event’s 49-year history. Over 150,000 people are expected from 150 countries.
The theme of CES 2016 seems to be ‘smart’ everything. Think ‘smart’ and it seems you will find it everywhere: smart scales, smart thermometers, smart suit steamers, smart pill packs, smart ski jackets, and the world’s first smart shoe, the Digitsole.
Shawn DuBravac, chief economist of organisers the Consumer Technology Association, said: “We expect 20,000 new products to debut at CES this year – and at least 75 per cent, if not all of them will have sensors. Sensors have really exploded in the last two years.”
It seems that the world is set to run and be controlled by the smart phone. Very soon we will even be able to control smart cameras in our fridges. Never again will we have to wonder whether we have run out of milk!
However, one thing underpins all this technology and that is the ability to transmit and receive data. And in most cases this means Wi-Fi. Logically therefore, every single exhibition stand at CES 2016 is going to be totally dependent on the Wi-Fi infrastructure within the exhibition hall. Without reliable Wi-Fi, exhibitors will not be able to effectively demonstrate their products and sales may be lost as a consequence.
If connectivity is crucial for the success of your next exhibition, make sure you ask the organisers about the reliability and track record of their Wi-Fi service. That’s because each time an exhibition hall is built up or broken down, the Wi-Fi signal will be affected as a result. What guarantees can they offer?
The alternative is to arrange for your own Wi-Fi service which is completely seperate from the service provided by the ehibition venue. This will give you useful redundancy if the hotspot provided by the venue struggles to cope.
As one of the leading exhibition stand contractors in the UK, 200m2 can help ensure your Wi-Fi signal won’t let you down when it really counts. To discuss this or an other aspect of your exhibition stand programme, please call us on 020 333 200 92.
Five reasons why you should use an Exhibition Contractor
It’s the age old business question. Should I outsource a part of my business activity to a specialist company or opt for the in-house ‘Do It Yourself’ (DIY) option?
When ‘weighing up’ the costs of exhibiting at a show, you may be tempted to go down the cheaper route of ‘doing it yourself’. Perhaps someone in your team can put together a design. You know a handy man that does a bit of carpentry that will build a stand for you and you know a printer that will print some posters. You can then turn up at the venue on the morning of the show, set up your stand and away you go!
However, a few ‘blue tacked’ posters stuck to the back wall of a shell scheme, an old trestle table with table cloth and few scattered exhibits doesn’t create a very good first impression. The lack of planning and investment stands reflects badly on the professionalism of the exhibitor.
“You will never get a second chance to make a good first impression.”
Every time you approach a new show, it is always useful to remember the age old adage “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”. At no time is this more relevant than the moment a prospective customer walks past your exhibition stand. Using a professional company who only works in the exhibition space will ensure your stand makes that crucial first impression a very positive one.
So why should you use a contractor over the DIY option?
- We know what works: Exhibition stands need to be creative and effective to enable you to get the results you want. A good stand builder will know what works, will have an eye for detail and will be familiar with all the pitfalls.
- Health & Safety: A good stand builder will ensure your stand complies with all current regulations and will submit all necessary relevant documentation including CDM2015 compliance statements.
- Scheduling: Exhibition stands cannot be late. Whether your stand is ready or not, the show will open! A good contractor will leave nothing to chance ensuring your stand is ready ahead of schedule.
- Time Management: Engaging an exhibition stand contractor to build your stand will allow your internal team to get on with what they do best. You wouldn’t ask a postman to fix your car!
- Focus on ROI not Cost: Understanding the value of an exhibition is crucial. A good contractor will understand your need to demonstrate results and will work with you to deliver a range of positive outcomes. After all, it’s in the contractors best interests for your show to succeed!
Engaging the services of a professional exhibition stand contractor like 200m2 may not be as expensive as you might think. With a wide range of design, production, project management, installation and logistics experience, we are here to alleviate unnecessary stress and to maximise your ROI. Call us on 020 333 200 92 to discuss your next project.
Custom exhibition stands made from warehouse pallets!
To stand out from the crowd, sometimes you need to think outside of the box… or the pallet in this instance! The Swiss furniture brand Vitra recently took Milan’s Salone del Mobile design fair by storm by creating a custom exhibition stand made out of wooden freight pallets!
The exhibition space at the Rho Fairground venue featured plinths made from pallets to create different height platforms. Walls were created from stacked pallets and pallets were even used to create a wire racking system to display other products.
The design was conceived to break the norms of designing exhibition stands and to create a new visual language for exhibitions. Colour was applied to the surface of certain pallets to denote different parts of the stand. Partially cast epoxy resin was also used to create a distinctive surface finish.
The wooden pallets were built to a standard size of one metre by one metre, providing a repeating module that formed the basis of the design. This enabled different parts of the stand to be customised. The stand even featured a fork lift truck to create a realistic warehouse scene!
The pieces on the display included Ronan and Erwan Bourourllec’s Belleville Chair and Table, the Polder Sofa and Compact by Hella Jongerius, and the Mariposa Sofa by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby.
