Event booth design

The story begins a year earlier, also at Passenger Terminal Expo, after a member of the Nikken Sekkei team visited a stand we had delivered for another client.

Impressed by – in their own words – the attention to detail and quality of execution of the event booth design, Nikken Sekkei approached us to discuss how we might support the company’s exhibition programme in the future.

Those conversations continued later that year during a visit to Nikken Sekkei’s offices in Tokyo. Spending time with the team and experiencing the working environment firsthand gave us valuable insight into the company’s culture, design philosophy and visual identity, helping shape an exhibition stand that felt far more representative of the organisation behind it than previous exhibition appearances.

While our initial concepts explored a broad range of possibilities to demonstrate how the event booth design could evolve, the brief ultimately required us to work within the same budget Nikken Sekkei had allocated to previous Passenger Terminal Expo stands, while achieving a level of impact typically associated with a much larger budget.

We focused the design on the features that would make the greatest difference, while still delivering a significant evolution from previous stands. We also made full use of the exhibition’s four-metre height allowance, helping the stand achieve greater visibility within a relatively small footprint.

One particularly interesting aspect of the project came during the approval stage.

Nikken Sekkei has a dedicated immersive visualisation space within its offices that allows stakeholders to experience projects at scale through large-format projection.

To support internal discussions, we supplied detailed renders that were displayed within this environment, enabling senior stakeholders to visualise the proposed exhibition space and understand how the finished stand would look long before the build began.

The final event booth design takes cues from the clean, disciplined aesthetic we experienced during our visit to Nikken Sekkei’s offices in Japan.

We translated those qualities into a deliberately restrained booth design, allowing materials, proportions and detailing to create a confident presence without unnecessary complexity.

A large digital screen provides visual impact and supports content delivery, while an illuminated overhead sign improves visibility across the exhibition hall. Integrated storage within the reception area helps maintain a clean appearance, supported by a discreet storeroom positioned behind the main stand structure.

The result is a crisp, highly considered environment that feels aligned with the company’s reputation for architectural excellence.

Beyond the design itself, the project highlighted the value of carefully structured project management.

During the build phase, a member of the Nikken Sekkei team planned to stop by the venue before another meeting in London to see how work was progressing. Arriving at 10:30 on the morning of the second build day, he expected to find construction still underway. Instead, we made sure the stand was already completed and ready for handover.

The experience demonstrated a different approach to managing the build, with every stage planned well in advance.

The project has already led to plans for future exhibitions, with the stand concept set to evolve again for Passenger Terminal Expo in Amsterdam.

It has also opened the door to potential wider collaboration within Nikken Sekkei, with introductions to teams across the organisation.

Reflecting on the project, Simon Hallows, Parker Design Director and Exhibitions Lead, commented: