Temporary structures company Evolution Dome weigh in with some thoughts on how you can 'festivalise' your exhibition.
‘Festivalisation’ is the marmite term of the exhibition industry. Whether you love or despise it, the reality is that there is more pressure than ever to create a wow-factor to improve the visitor experience.
At Evolution Dome, we work on a variety of B2C events and outdoor events, and in this blog we will share four ideas we’ve seen that can inspire you as an exhibition organisers to help add some ‘wow’ to your events and create a more memorable experience for attendees.
Chill Out
As with festivalgoers, exhibition visitors need to take some time out from a packed appointment schedule and walking the show floor. Now plenty of high-profile festivals (Latitude and Bestival to name a few) will always create relaxed, chilled out spaces. The latest buzzword in the industry that isn’t going anywhere fast is ‘wellbeing’ and we guarantee if you make the effort to create a zen type space, with soothing lighting and sounds, you’ll find exhibitors and visitors alike will flock there for some time out or quiet working space.
Set the Scene
The Boomtown festival in Winchester knows how to set the scene for its five-day extravaganza. The organisers have gone to extraordinary lengths to create 12 ‘districts’ which include the stages and amazing set designs to fully immerse festivalgoers. While you may not want to go the extreme of designing an ‘old town’ or ‘metropolis’, ensuring the exhibition floor has clear and distinct areas is definitely a must – it helps visitors (especially first-timers) navigate their way around the often-confusing spaces. We love the idea of using one of our large structures as a ‘central point’ and if you ensure branding and décor are spot on, you will be sure to hear visitors saying “Let’s meet by the large XXX inflatable dome.”
Do Something Different
Now while you may not be able to set your exhibition on the beach or have a carousel as a focal point (think Brighton’s Great Escape festival), there are many ways to add something ‘extra’. On a B2B side, at this year’s International Confex, we loved the giant ball pit (who doesn’t want to release their inner child during two days of meetings and seminars?) and having amazing and quirky photography options on offer for visitors to take away a memory of the day. Here at Evolution Dome, we love to use our structures in the most creative way possible, so with inflatable walls, domes and more we could help build an area to house these fun extras, and in turn add another memorable ‘wow’ factor to the show.
Keynote Speaker equals Headline Act
Want to make your keynote speaker as important as the headline act at Glastonbury? No doubt you will have picked a fantastic speaker, and the content is timely, informative and engaging… BUT you need to make sure the stage stands out, too. It’s the place where visitors will take lots of photos and it’s the key jigsaw puzzle piece to the show floor. Create a space filled with top notch AV and make sure there’s plenty of room for those attending to sit or stand with a good view. Do this and your exhibition is festival ready!
To find out more visit www.evolutiondome.com
