Need to make an impact with a multimillion-pound, three-deck stand with high-tech multimedia displays and bespoke furniture? It can be arranged at the drop of a hat. Unsure about what kind of stand you want and need expert advice and a quote within a tight budget? That can be done too.
"There has been enormous investment in the industry in the past five years, says Stanco Exhibitions sales director Paul Slaney. "At Stanco we have invested 拢600,000 in technology for five years. To put this into context, ten years ago we didn't even have a computer."
Like everyone else in the industry, Stanco has gone from having no computers to designing everything using a computer-aided design (CAD) program that renders stands in 3D and gives walk-throughs with a semi-photographic quality.
Share the vision
"CAD is a great way of sharing the vision about how the stand might look, says Evolution Exhibitions sales director Simon Rich. 'As well as being really fast, it is very useful if the client decision is taken by committee."
Large firms such as Melville, Opex, Early Action Group and Stanco have amassed a diverse selection of frames in a range of sizes, colours and textures. "Contractors need a broader selection because we are increasingly asked to produce more complex stands with much stronger design elements, says Propshop managing director Christopher Dann. One early example was a stand Propshop created for design firm Berryman Ball at The Design Show 2000, which had a back-lit running water feature to create a relaxing ambience.
Basic improvements
More basic stands have improved, too. Free-standing pop-up displays can be assembled in minutes with no tools, and banner stands are similarly lightweight and easy to set up.
The major contractors have also stockpiled electrical equipment and carpet tiles. They even have their own furniture companies so they can supply everything from bar stools to glass- fronted display cabinets. And in-house graphic design teams can output digital work, such as pictures, posters and logos, or even design from scratch if required.
These companies have evolved into one-stop shops, which can cater to every need, from design through to furnishing and installation. "The more direct control we have over resources, the more we can guarantee quality, says Opex sales and marketing director Laura Tythcott. "There has definitely been a move away from sub-contracting."
Opex ensures somebody is on the exhibition site at all times in case something goes wrong. Its rivals offer the same, or at the very least a rapid-response call-out.
A benefit of the one-stop shop is that it cuts down the number of people a client has to deal with. For example, Opex operates a single point of contact system, where the client deals with one individual who coordinates everything on their behalf, from initial sales meetings onwards.
The one-stop shop trend has filtered down to smaller contractors, some of whom have formed a cooperative called the Index Group. "Collectively, we offer a broad range of services to organisers or clients, who can use as many or as few as necessary, says Index chairman Keith Richards.
Personal service
SECTOR GUIDE STAND-BUILDING SERVICES
Company Grap- Audio- Furniture* Floral Electrics*
hics* visual* decora-
tions*
Dimension 8 In-house Outsourced Outsourced Out- In-house
Early sourced
Action Group In-house Outsourced Outsourced Out- In-house
sourced
Evolution
Exhibitions In-house Both Both Both Both
Frameworks In-house Outsourced Outsourced Outsourced Outsourced
Joe Manby In-house Outsourced Outsourced Outsourced In-house
Melville
Exhibition
Services In-house In-house In-house In-house In-house
Opex
Exhibition
Services In-house Outsourced In-house Outsourced In-house
Propshop In-house Outsourced Outsourced Outsourced In-house
Stanco
Exhibitions In-house Outsourced In-house In-house In-house
T&H Exhibitions Out- Outsourced Outsourced Out- Outsourced
sourced sourced
TGA Chapman In-house Outsourced In-house Out- In-house
sourced
Company Shell Turnover Trade assoc- Location of Contact
scheme (2001) iation offices
stock membership
(sqm)
Dimen-
sion 8 8,000 pounds BECA, AEO Newport Simon Ridout
1.5m 01633 270808
Early
Action
Group 24,000 pounds BECA, AEO London, Steve Barratt
9.2m Manchester 0161 872 5990
Evolution
Exhibitions None - None West Sussex Simon Rich
01243 576690
Frameworks None pounds BECA NEC Steve Ballard
700,000 0121 780 4060
Joe Manby 27,000 - BECA Harrogate Andrew Manby
01423 506191
Melville
Exhibition
Services 45,000 - BECA, AEO NEC Trevor Nock
0121 780 3025
Opex
Exhibition
Services 25,000 - BECA, AEO London, Mark Basher
Watford, NEC 020 7370 8316
Propshop None pounds None Wembley Chris Dann
4m 0870 900 4311
Stanco
Exhibitions 22,000 pounds BECA, AEO NEC, Roger- Paul Slaney
8.5m stone in 01633 890300
South Wales
T&H
Exhibitions None - None Bromsgrove Tim Hicklin
01527 575750
TGA Chapman None pounds BECA Bradford Bob Marsh
4.5m 01274 603212
*Services are provided either in-house, outsourced or both
Propshop's Dann says an increasing number of clients have a clear idea of what they need these days, but with such a diverse range of design options if you don't know what you want it can all seem bewildering.
Evolution's Rich believes communication between client and contractor is the key to finding a solution. "What we would do is examine the motives for exhibiting in the first place, he says. "These will shape how the stand looks. For example, if the client is looking to entertain customers, then comfort will be a key factor. Others want large numbers of people filing on and off quickly so comfort is less important.
"It's not necessarily down to having a big budget, he continues. "It's more about getting the most out of the budget that people have. We tend to work best when we know what the budget is from the outset, although sometimes clients can be cagey, fearing that we might try to rip them off, but that's not the case at all."
Although the stand-building industry has seen an unprecedented period of growth, there are still many more developments in the pipeline.
"We take e-commerce very seriously, says Opex's Tythcott. The Opex website already allows clients to design virtual 3D stands. "Online ordering has yet to fully take off, but we already have the systems in place for when it happens. It's going to be a key area in the future."
Next month: Temporary structures