Smartbuild teamed with designer Farrah Benfield, a Senior Designer at Brilliant Branding, to create the Caesarstone exhibition stand for Decorex 2019. The stand was awarded the coveted title of ‘Best Overall Design Stand of 2019’ by EXSA. Here Benfield shares the creative process that helped them achieve this result.
The stand brief
Caesarstone wanted a concept that would position them as the premium brand of choice in the kitchen surface market, while also showcasing their innovation (they often set trends in their industry), and the versatility and quality of their surfaces. They also wanted a unique exhibition stand that would differentiate them from any other stands, and which would be visible from all areas of the exhibition hall.
Based on this, we knew we had to push the boundaries of design. We needed to do something exciting and innovative that would grab the attention and curiosity of potential customers, while demonstrating the products’ capabilities.
The concept
A good design is not only beautiful, it is also clever in its functionality.
Ceasarstone wanted visitors to be able to gain information about the products easily and effectively, which meant they needed to be able to see the product in application and have easy access to sales consultants. We achieved this by creating an open space with four stations and good flow between them all. Samples were clearly and neatly displayed at all of these stations, while touch screen visualisers allowed visitors to apply their Caesarstone colour choice into a virtual setting to help them with the decision making process.
The challenge
The initial concept was to use the Ceasarstone Cloudburst profiles for the rigged canopy. We wanted to hang it from the bulkhead as slim profiles, placed at a 45 degree angle, so that as you moved around the stand they would seem to disappear and appear again. Cloudburst has a stunning shimmer effect, which would have looked so striking in this application with some beautiful lighting.
However, after much consultation with structural engineers and safety consultants, the weight calculations proved to be a bridge too far, as the potential risk outweighed the aesthetic benefit.
Luckily we came up with a great solution to this challenge, and instead decided to rig thin profiles of light-weight aluminum framed double-sided light boxes. They could be prefabricated and efficiently hung from the rigged ceiling. This also saved our client money, and cut our onsite delivery time significantly. This lit canopy offered a practical solution without sacrificing on design. It gave us that striking, bold statement that we wanted to make.
It was with the rigged canopy that we got to really have fun and show off our design and production capabilities, and it is the feature that I am most proud of.
The results
Smartbuild won the ‘Best Overall Design Stand of 2019’ for the Caesarstone stand, as chosen by the Exhibition and Event Association of Southern Africa (EXSA). This award goes to the highest scoring stand of all stand design finalists at the EXSA Awards, regardless of size or category, and is considered an example of true design excellence.
Being awarded this title is something that we are enormously proud of. I am particularly proud of this design because it was not inspired by other designs on Pinterest or EuroShop, but was inspired by the product and brand. It developed organically into an end solution that best served the client in achieving their exhibition goals.
