EW asked three specialist stand builders and design agencies for their take on market trends and how they are innovating with products and work practices
Caroline Bee, senior vice-president, EMEA for Pico International:
What are your main areas of innovation?
Our main innovations include cutting-edge digital solutions that foster meaningful connections with audiences. We excel at bridging the gap between virtual and reality, connecting online and offline experiences. Guided by data strategy and Integrated Brand Experience, we engage our spectrum of expertise to devise highly integrated activations. Our success is built on a forward- looking willingness to embrace change, defined by our purpose, vision, mission, values, and culture.
What are you doing on sustainability?
Our governance structure includes a sustainability committee that oversees policies and strategies. This committee ensures an ESG framework integrates sustainability risks and opportunities with long-term business plans and monitors performance in key areas of responsible business practices, the environment, employees, and communities. The Group Sustainability Policy outlines our approaches to efficient resource use, proper waste disposal, emission reduction, and energy conservation in operations and product lifecycle. Our eco-friendly approach, based on Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, includes using reclaimed wood furniture, minimising wood waste with advanced technology, employing solar panels and solar-powered lighting, and sourcing from local vendors to reduce transportation emissions.
What is the competitive landscape?
The competitive landscape is multifaceted and driven by rapid technological advancements and evolving client needs. The three main competitive factors are design, cost, and service. Cost pressure is a significant challenge, and only those who can creatively address issues like cost-saving while over-delivering can succeed. To navigate these challenges, our Integrated Brand Experience business model is essential for building resilience and sustaining growth. This model involves creating strategically coordinated cross-platform solutions that empower and meaningfully engage audiences.
What are you doing on attracting future talent?
We foster a culture of creativity, innovation, and professional growth. Talent acquisition is a holistic mission involving constant networking to establish ourselves as the employer of choice for universities and tertiary institutions. Even without current vacancies, we use thought leadership and speaking opportunities to promote Pico as a desirable employer. We offer continuous learning and development, provide a supportive work environment, and actively promote diversity and inclusion. By positioning ourselves as an industry leader and showcasing our commitment to pioneering projects, we aim to attract top talent passionate about making a difference.
What are you observing on market dynamics/trends, direct engagement/relationship versus partnerships with organisers and booth size/spend?
Market dynamics and trends indicate a shift towards more integrated and immersive experiences. We’re observing a growing preference for direct engagement and relationships with clients, which allows for more personalised and impactful interactions. However, partnerships with organisers are still essential for large-scale events and accessing broader networks. In terms of booth size and spend, there’s a trend towards optimising space with creative and sustainable designs, emphasising quality over quantity to maximise engagement and return on investment.
Jörg Zeissig, CEO, Holtmann Plus:
What is your main line of innovation (bespoke versus shell)?
‘Reduce to the max’:
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We are trying to focus on content production in sync with 3D experiential marketing execution. The room itself becomes the stage and channel for communication. Reducing to the fundamentals means we only construct what is necessary to carry the message to the audience. To measure this we provide a KPI dashboard.
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Digital elements are added where supporting the content, to extend
the experience in two levels (time extension and inclusion of additional elements), although it will only be used when relevant.
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Automated process management for standard/modular booths to increase the customer experience and options, plus putting an ease to process management.
What are you doing on sustainability (reusable/permanent - better stands)?
Sustainable concepts start at the beginning. Our focus is a cross platform concept design and not a focus on material changes per se. Trying to maximise the impact for exhibitors can work with reducing emissions at the same time, if we allow this to happen with the concept cross platform and modular. This reduces material being used and put to recycling/upcycling or going to waste.
Looking at all event formats holistically allows stakeholders to achieve the goals promised. We don’t think in single events, but rather about multi-platform kits. Modularity is key. Like a Lego house for events. It is not about putting lots of limits to design or flexibility. We also pay attention to scale the concept ideas and allow individuality at the same time to grow within those frameworks. Economy of scale creates massive impacts towards sustainability and allows collaboration across the globe.
How is the competitive landscape looking?
The competitive landscape is enormous. However, making a difference is about why you do things and how your teams execute things. The individual interpretation of demands is key and the steering capacity of holistic projects across the entire value chain is key to success. Bringing the perfect expertise to the table for holistic concept and execution is key. Collaboration is important to make this work. Thus, we rather collaborate to increase value instead of trying to do everything by ourselves.
How are you attracting the future talent?
We are trying to come across with a passion about the ‘Why’ we do things the way we do. So far, it is working out. This includes taking responsibility for general topics of our industry to support credibility in the market. Our major goal is to attract talents that are looking for creative freedom to achieve the goals we stand for. We are trying to inspire people in our organisation that we represent a great team in a great industry.
Benjamin Bruder, CEO, Octanorm:
What are your company’s main innovations (bespoke versus shell)?
Illuminated extrusions. This year we won the German Design Award with our OCTAlux system. High- quality COB LEDs integrated into the profiles provide uniform illumination and highlight the contours of the booth. We combine the full RGB colour spectrum with the stability of aluminum profiles. Perfect for an open booth architecture that shines in corporate colours. In combination with our OCTAwall pro frame system, for example LED video walls can be easily integrated into the booth design.
What are you doing on sustainability (reusable/permanent - better stands)?
Sustainability is an integral part of our philosophy. Our systems use secondary aluminum, which requires 95% less energy to produce than primary aluminum. It is of high quality and durability, ensuring decades of use. Forty years ago we established the OSPI (OCTANORM Service Partner International) network of exhibition builders. With more than 100 partners worldwide, so we can save up to 65% of CO2 emissions by reducing transportation distances through globally distributed staff and material warehouses.
What are you doing to attract future talent?
We emphasise corporate culture and work-life balance. We foster an inclusive, open and transparent environment where everyone feels comfortable, valued and empowered. Combined with several benefits, we are attracting younger talent with our vision and mission.
What are you observing on market trends?
In general, booth sizes are shrinking, so there is less space to stand out from the crowd. As a result, brand messages are increasingly displayed on large LED screens, which convey more information quickly than fabric graphics. System construction is also becoming more important for its sustainability, allowing booths to be set up and taken down repeatedly. This reduces costs and waste in the long run, and saves time.
