The magic of trade fair construction

Mr. Bruder, you took over the sole management of OCTANORM from your father in 2023. What fascinates you about trade fair construction and trade shows as events?

Benjamin Bruder: After the Corona pandemic, the enthusiasm for physical events was palpable. We - like many others - have set up a hybrid showroom, but communicating only via screens is no fun in the long run. Online, the attention span is much shorter, people are distracted more quickly. And for many trade show topics, the haptic experience is important: You want to feel materials, you want to smell scents, you want to see machines in action.

In addition, there is a lot going on around trade shows: the evening events, the bars at the booths, the direct exchange with people. At trade shows, the trend is to create experiences and to work with open communication areas.

I find trade show construction fascinating because it has something magical about it: When you look at a booth the day before the show starts, you can see that there's still a lot of work to be done. The next morning at nine o'clock, when the trade fair opens, the stand is dressed to the nines. And after five exhibition days, it is dismantled again at record speed. I always find that very impressive.

What current trends in trade fair construction are you observing?

Benjamin Bruder: In my opinion, there are currently three major issues in trade show construction:

Firstly, everything has become faster-moving, decisions by exhibitors, for example, are being made later, implementation cycles as well as set-up and dismantling times are shortening.

Secondly, there are fewer skilled workers who can implement complex stand concepts.

And thirdly, the issue of sustainability is becoming increasingly important.

All three factors are wind in the sails of modular trade show construction. We like to joke that we provide Lego for adults. Modular system stands fully pay off on the sustainability theme. They enable quick and easy assembly and dismantling. They are reusable and flexible.

System trade fair construction makes it all the more challenging for exhibitors to attract the attention of trade fair visitors, doesn't it?

Benjamin Bruder: That's right, exhibitors always have to find new ways to stand out from the crowd. Currently, one tool of choice is light. Illuminated frames, LED panels, but also moving media are major topics.

However, you have to be careful not to strain the eye. If too much media technology is included in the stand concept, the elements do not always have the desired effect.

Fabrics are also increasingly being used; they can be printed and used to cover frames or walls. The print quality is now so good that you can hardly tell it's fabric.

System trade fair construction is currently experiencing a renaissance again. For a long time, "system" was associated with "uniform and uncreative". But nowadays, for example, you only see a fraction of the system, it is covered with fabric, wood, other materials or LEDs.

Therefore, I recommend the "80/20" method: use 80 percent standard system and come up with something special for the remaining 20 percent. This way, you have the advantages of the modular system, but you can still produce creative designs.

Does a modern trade fair stand still function without digital elements?

Benjamin Bruder: That's probably difficult, but I would say it depends on the concept. Without very good content, even large LED walls won't have the desired effect. Renting LED screens is expensive. If you then produce special content for them on top of that, you have to invest a lot. But if you use screens and suitable content in a targeted way, they can be very effective.

OCTANORM has been an exhibitor at EuroShop for a long time. Would you recommend EuroShop to learn about aesthetic and innovative stand construction?

Benjamin Bruder: Yes, definitely. Maybe I'm biased as an exhibition system manufacturer, but especially in Hall 1, where Expo & Event Marketing is located, you'll find very attractive and progressive examples of stand construction. But of course there are also very creative booths in the other halls, especially when it comes to visual marketing for retail.

Your company has been around since 1969. With such a long history, is it easier or harder to innovate?

Benjamin Bruder: I see it as an advantage that we have been on the market for over 50 years and have thus gained a lot of experience. There is definitely a certain pressure to innovate, the competition never sleeps. Nevertheless, you can't reinvent the wheel every year. We are continuously trying to optimize and streamline our system.

We also maintain a very open dialog with our customers and partners. We involve them at an early stage to find out what is really used or required in trade show construction or shopfitting. This allows us to understand the needs of the market. We also have an open ear for suggestions for improvement.