Design as a function of... budget?

Indulge me in a comparison between a similar profession... imagine a skilled artisan such as an architect. Using professionally honed skills and years of expertise, he delivers a delicate balancing act of style, impact and practical elements in his projects. The result? A home to meet or exceed his clients expectations based on his clients needs.

As experts in their field it would therefore be logical to expect an exhibition stand company to analyse creative input, add practical elements where necessary and deliver a well rounded design that offers just the right mix of creative flair with workable practical solutions to drive home the message... what ever it may be.

This is very rarely the result whilst briefing a South African stand builder. Why?

Simple economics.

Stand Builders in general have different motivational factors determined primarily by the general category within which they fall. I would like to re-iterate before I go any further that I am neither 'for' nor 'against' either of the categories mentioned below... I have personally used both categories on numerous occasions over the years, and both have a significant role to play in the medium.

"Custom manufacturers" are exactly that, you can have any finish, any shape, any size... all for a hefty price tag. Normally these stand builders own their own wood working shops or are aligned with a wood working factory to implement their projects.

"System Specialists" on the other hand work with modular components, large building blocks that can be built, re-built, dismantled and moved numerous times. Flexibility is limited and finishes and impact can tend to become rather 'samey', but essentially this option is popular because of its' cost effectiveness. System companies rent their equipment to you at about 30% of its purchase value because they can re-rent the equipment to the next client in a different configuration.

How many clients and agencies however approach the industry with the correct brief for the correct type of exhibition stand builder? The reality is that, given the choice, your chosen exhibit designer is going to design custom or system, based on what is in his warehouse, not on what the client actually needs... whether this is actually the best interpretation of the relevant message for the client's identity, market position or marketing strategy is a point that bears little relevance within the stand builders perspective.

It is also fair to assume that given an exhibition budget, a stand builder would far rather spend as much as possible on the stand elements, and as little as possible on active promotion before, during and after the event. Stand builders after all are there to build stand and that's about it.

Correct proportioning of the actual available budgets, prior to briefing the relevant contractors, can make the world of difference in the ultimate success of the exhibit strategy. As an example the South Africa Stand for the G.C.I.S. at the World Summit on Sustainable Development remains a case in point.

For the same budget as two other stand builders quoted on building a stand and nothing else, a holistic exhibit management approach to the GCIS project delivered a complete and impressive exhibit display along with personalized clothing for 75 staff, 3 specifically edited exhibit audio visual videos including all pre and post production, 10,000 branded give-aways, training for all 75 staff manning the stand over the 3 week period, 2 full time stand managers and a comprehensive pre and post analysis programme to ensure goals were met and weak points isolated for the future.

This doesn't mean that one stand design was better than the other, just that whilst stand builders delivered stands, an exhibit management approach delivered a manageable project that offered measurable returns and ultimately a return on investment.

And the million dollar question... "Does that make it a better design?"

In the harsh realty of the South African business environment with textbooks, glossy periodicals and Loerie awards shouting what is and isn't 'good', effective exhibit design remains one of the single most challenging and elusive disciplines in today's modern design environment. What too many clients and agencies lose sight of is that a good design alone does not make a successful exhibit.

In conclusion the detail of design in an exhibition project can never be over emphasized, not under delivered. Impact combined with practical elements can offer a logical progression of corporate core values without the need for expensive gimmicks and glossy graphics.

System or Custom, the method of implementation is dependant largely on the message that is being delivered. If it is right for the environment, the exhibition floors of South Africa remain a vast and exciting business tool waiting to be unlocked.

Understanding effective exhibit design could well be the key.