Congress booth design

The congress booth design in Vienna, like in Japan, needed to feature two distinct areas: a corporate side, and a medical affairs side. But to meet local healthcare exhibition regulations, both areas had to be separated by a solid partition wall. Our aim was simple: retain the look and feel established previously so the stand read as one brand, while giving each zone the privacy and focus it required.

We carried forward elements delegates had responded to in earlier shows: graphics flowed in a curve across the space on both sides of the partition, while inset lighting projected a warm, brand-aligned glow, making the stand easy to spot across the hall. The result was a clean, welcoming environment that attracted busy delegates.

WMS is programme-led, with short breaks between sessions. We reviewed the available routes to approach the stand, and positioned the welcome counter facing the main flow of traffic so visitors could be greeted and directed quickly. With catering not allowed by the Vienna organisers, the counter became the natural first touchpoint.

The medical affairs area was designed to accommodate pre-arranged meetings, so we included relaxed seating arrangements that allowed for more privacy.

In contrast, the corporate side would support shorter, impromptu conversations, so we opted for lighter, adaptable furniture. Large screens ran rolling content to support quick updates, with removable iPads available for reference as needed.

The space was initially planned with three open sides, but later on in the process confirmed as an island plot. We reworked the plan so it performed from every direction, kept edges open for easy delegate flow, and used the partition to deliver the compliant split without losing the sense of a single stand.

With on-site time limited to roughly a day and a half, and to protect finish quality within that window, we prefabricated structural panels in the UK and applied graphics before shipping to Vienna. Once on site, this reduced handling and supported a clean, timely build.

We supplied printed collateral for hand-outs and prepared digital assets for the screens and iPads. Content was edited with short interactions in mind so delegates could pick up information quickly between sessions.

The Vienna booth delivered a compliant two-zone layout that felt part of the same ongoing story as Kyoto. Consistent graphics, lighting and high-level branding supported brand recognition, while the plan and welcome point suited the flow of a congress hall.