Corporate exhibition stand

Large scale and minute detail come together to deliver a corporate exhibition stand that made a success of Capgemini’s presence at a show beyond compare.

Background

As a leading strategic partner to companies all over the world, Capgemini has been unlocking the value of technology to enable business transformation for over five decades. Capgemini covers the entire breadth of the business landscape, from strategy and design to managing operations, by drawing on their expertise and command of the constantly evolving fields of connectivity, software, digital engineering, cloud, data artificial intelligence, and platforms.

Capgemini is driven by a shared purpose: “Unleashing human energy through technology for an inclusive and sustainable future.”

Capgemini was exhibiting at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) conference. Held every two years, it’s the world’s largest event of its kind. DSEI connects national armed forces, governments, industry and the global defence & security supply chain. This year, taking over the whole of ExCeL London, and attracting an audience of over 35,000 including Defence ministers, international Military and Armed Forces, key industry players and private sector companies, the show was divided into five sector-focused zones: Naval, Aerospace, Land, Security and Joint, as well as four specialised hubs: Manufacturing, Medical, Space and Future Tech to showcase the latest equipment and systems. The importance and scale of the show is like no other, with imposing displays of defence capability, including warships from the UK and visiting nations moored at the Royal Victoria Dock in London Docklands, where ExCeL is located, and a range of military aircraft and land vehicles of the highest specification on display.

Challenge

In joint partnership with veSpace International, this exhibition design brief asked for a stand that would promote Capgemini’s technology and its Defence industry applications. Having booked a 6m x 9m island plot accessible from all 4 sides, there was also a requirement for space for meetings, both informal and formal in a dedicated private space.

Solution

The corporate exhibition stand we designed is a combination of modular elements for the main structure – which kept costs down – with custom pieces that make a statement to help elevate Capgemini’s presence in the show.

Impactful graphics and an imposing archway invite delegates in to explore what’s behind the structure, which is crowned by a round suspended banner that adds visual presence and echoes the shape of the private meeting room below it.

The use of graphics combined with a channelled-in pulsing lighting effect on the floor encourages visitors to explore around the entire stand, regardless of which direction they approach from, while also symbolising Capgemini’s data transfer communications technology.

The natural materials of a slatted curved timber wall and accents of fresh foliage offer an open and welcoming feel for delegates, and also transmit Capgemini’s focus on sustainability. The sense of welcome is mirrored on the quarter circle reception desk, with space for a coffee machine on top and a drinks chiller underneath.

The meeting room, accessible through a solid door, feels private without feeling too closed off thanks to the OPaLene we used for the 3.5-metre curved wall: as delegates approach, human figures can be guessed through the semi translucent material.

^{Another discrete access door into the lockable store room is positioned directly behind the welcome area.}

A soft seating lounge area creates an inviting space for informal meetings, and a large screen for looping video content can be used for mini theatre style presentations.

To address the need to showcase the variety of defence industry applications that Capgemini technology offers, we created a set of small models – including a submarine, a fighter jet, an aircraft carrier, and a strategic command centre – and placed them on four pedestal display plinths around the corporate exhibition stand.

The models are instantly recognisable but deliberately not true to life, communicating to delegates that Capgemini does not manufacture military hardware, instead engineering the technology that enables communications and data interchange between equipment and control centre.

^{Another screen at the back of the stand also plays looping content to attract visitors to the stand approaching from that direction.} 

Working closely with our professional model maker partner, each piece was designed from scratch in MDF for its durability and ability to hold a sharp clean edge when cut. The models slot into their display stands, guaranteeing they stay in place regardless of delegate traffic around them.

The overall shape of the model was created by slicing through the structure to create a series of interlocking flat sheets which, when assembled, create an instantly recognisable shape.

The model of the command and control centre was inspired by an infographic already in use by our client. The 3D model we created acts as a visual aid to support conversations between the Capgemini team and delegates interested in finding out more.

A talking point amongst delegates visiting the stand, we also created 50% scale versions of each model for display in separate seminar rooms in the exhibition hall.