How does a big project go right?

By Paul Bridson

DIAMOND V had designs on the table from a competitor of ours who hadn’t shown them anything impressive from a design aesthetic point of view. Brainstorm’s vast design library served as a springboard for everyone’s creativity, and we soon settled on a general configuration to begin with. Kudos to the Diamond V design staff for their clear directions... and kudos to Brainstorm’s designers for their color 3-D renderings! The finished display - 20 x 30 footprint includes tower with personnel door and storage, 8 x 18 conference room with locking doors, cool fabric graphics complemented by maple laminate, 2 workstations with locking storage - low ship weight and easy setup, all for under $45,000, ALL INCLUSIVE.

So why did this project go so right? First of all, the client had put serious thought into their likes / dislikes / needs / wants and goals. Here’s what I (display designer) got at the first meeting:

• A list of things that they felt were wrong with the previous booth.

• Photos of displays from a recent show they had attended depicting some elements they found interesting.

• A laundry list of “must haves” such as how much storage, literature and counter space.
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• Some ideas of future needs. in Diamond V’s case we knew that at some point we’ll need to add a big screen to the tower, and I’ve designed that expectation in already.

• Goals. In their case, the goal was to look modern, clean and cutting edge, to reduce cost of ownership, and to keep the cost of refreshing graphics to a minimum.

• A budget. A booth designer needs to know a realistic budget up front if he’s going to work efficiently. Try not to think of an exhibit as a commodity, where low price rules. Find a designer/builder that you feel you can trust and give them the information they need to succeed. Look at past projects they’ve done, interview their customers and visit their offices. Shop for competence, not price, and require them to stick to your budget – you’ll do much better!

When a client puts this kind of thought and preparation into the purchase, two things always happen: they get a better exhibit, and they spend less money. Diamond V gave me such a clear picture of what constituted success to them, that it was far simpler for my team to put it all together.

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