The design of an exhibition stand plays a pivotal role in enabling exhibitors to use shows to meet their objectives and targets. Business Events (BE) sat down with The Designs Plug Business Development Manager, Justice Dube (Justice) to discuss this issue.
The designs entity, which specialises in brand design, graphic design, print design, logo design, visual design, packaging design and presentation design branched into exhibition stand design this year and intends to provide stand construction services in the near future.
We reproduce the interview below.
BE: You designed an outstanding exhibition stand which Net One used for the 2024 Sanganai/Hlanganani World Travel Expo in Bulawayo last month. In your view, how important is such a stand for an exhibiting customer?
Justice: When a client participates in an exhibition they need to be outstanding. So we are there to make sure that when they exhibit everybody comes to admire their stand and acknowledge that it is outstanding. The stands that we design for our clients should be adjudged as the best and bag awards at during major shows such as the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) and the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show. They should shine and when they do so it becomes a source of joy for us.
BE: When designing an exhibition stand, what factors do you consider?
Justice: What usually happens is that when we are designing a stand like we did for Net One, customers come up with what they want. In this case they said, ’We should have three desks, two TV sets and we need screens and stuff like that.’ So our clients come up with specifications of the items they want accommodated in the stand and included in the design. It is now our job to include the items like three service desks, reception desk, a sitting area or lounge were people can sit and discuss. We do the architecture of the floor plan of the stand and the 3-D rendering so that those who are going to construct the stand have the correct specifications of what needs to be done.
BE: Obviously one customer differs from the other and their exhibition stand needs are unique depending on who they are and their objectives and so on. Generally what kind of information should a customer provide you when they commission you guys to design a stand?
Justice: When approached to design a stand, first of all we ask what the purpose of the stand is. The last design we did for Net One, the company was launching their 5-G technology at Boka in Harare and the stand included a smart health clinic, so we needed to incorporate that. And they also had other organisations exhibiting within their stand so we had to figure out how to fit everyone in a Net One-branded stand. So the main specification we ask our customers is the purpose of the stand. We need to know how much space we have so that we design knowing whether the available space can accommodate what the customer wants.
Exhibition stands are regarded as small issues but they should speak big volumes in terms of impact. For example, with a three by four metre stand a designer should do wonders and make sure that everything fits within the space without crowding it. The customer’s staff should be able to happily spend a week in the stand and it should be easy for them to navigate. When visitors come through the stand, they should not be congested.
We also ask for information on the number of people that will be manning the stand, the kind of activities that will take place so that we can design accordingly. Designing and setting up a stand is like moving the customer’s office to a temporary office at the exhibition venue. Everything should work smoothly at the end of the day.
BE: We have spoken to some people who do the construction of the stands. Some of their frustrations included customers coming late presenting contractors with very tight deadlines. They have also complained of customers coming demanding very high quality stands but armed with very disproportionately small budgets. What have been your experiences in this regard? What kind of frustrations have you encountered?
Justice: We have not yet been in the game for long but obviously when people are planning to participate in exhibitions the last thing they think of is saka stand yedu inenge yakaita seyi (what will our stand be like)? They usually think about the stand after planning for all the other exhibition participation aspects. Obviously the deadlines will be tight but we have to do it and deliver. It’s one of those jobs that we have come to know as usually coming with a tight deadline. They request for designs that make it easy for them to work with stand contractors.
In this game it’s very tough. I think the only way of dealing with the tight deadlines is being ready for the exhibition season and its demands. Given that some major events like the ZITF and the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show have known slots on the national events calendar, we should be prepared to spend some sleepless nights because we know that those are our busiest times.
BE: Stands at most exhibitions are the shell scheme type which is very basic and common across the exhibition hall floor. There is very little differentiation which enables exhibitors’ efforts to stand out. In your view, what can exhibitors in such circumstances do to make their stands stand out thereby improving the chances of them meeting their objectives and targets?
Justice: I think what enables the exhibitors to stand out is the branding part. Yes, we all have a similar stand but is the branding similar? How exhibitors portray their brand message matters. We may have been fed the same message but what separates us is how we express ourselves. A stand expresses itself through the way it is branded. When visitors see an outstanding stand they will be attracted to it and venture in to visit the stand. The stand is supposed to communicate the brand because how an exhibitor tells their story through branding separates them from other exhibitors that are using similar shell scheme stands. So you stand out by how you present yourself – how you brand yourself – and also how your stand staff is branded. They should be well-branded.
BE: Talking of the branding of the stand staff, what does that involve?
Justice: Usually when exhibiting participants always have a story they want to tell about their brand. They have a lot things happening at their companies but they choose one or a few which they story tell about. Coming up with the story entails informing the stand designers of the aspects which will be part of the brand message and story. It involves deciding how the exhibitor will showcase their innovations, products and services, how stand staff will talk to visitors and how they will dress.
For you to stand out does not mean showcasing every good or service that your company offers. When an exhibitor decides on their brand story, we put is out in design so that their stand will be so memorable that visitors will not only concern themselves with the showcased goods and services but the company’s whole range. We have seen this with big companies like Econet. They have specific issues, goods or services which they bring to specific shows. This includes intruding the 5G technology or the robot which they showcased during the 2024 ZITF edition. This makes the company stand out at most exhibitions.
BE: Anything that you wish your customers and prospects to know about the services that you offer?
Justice: We are the Designs Plug. We are people who make visuals appealing and stand out, from logo designs, brand identity design, marketing materials like flyers. We are there to tell companies’ stories from the beginning and we are there for them. The company that we create a logo for, we will do the rest of the branding for them.
BE: Anything else?
Justice: How we put ourselves out there as businesses and organisations matters. How our stories are told matters. We need to put our brands out there uniquely and ensure that whenever we do what we do we stand out. Business is a game where with a lot of players. We are offering similar services but what makes one stand out is the story that they tell and how they tell it. The story may be how one’s company is solving a particular problem or how it makes its customers feel when they consume its products or services.