All around the world

As a stand builder, Smart Display works across the full spectrum of industry sectors from aerodynamics to pet care. But whatever the industry, the same phenomenon prevails; the world is getting smaller, and cross-border trading is increasingly favoured by businesses looking to grow their consumer base.

Already for 2024, Smart Display has taken on clients exhibiting at overseas shows in Frankfurt, Paris, Nuremberg, Amsterdam, Cologne, Madrid, Dusseldorf, Dortmund and Berlin, and the diary is still booking up. For brands exhibiting overseas, the logistics can be overwhelming – but it’s all part of a day’s work for the team at Smart Display.

“Although most of the business has been UK-based up until recently, we are taking more stands out overseas,” says Stefan Dyer, project manager at Smart Display. “We enjoy the European shows, but there is a lot more planning involved and everything needs checking twice; it’s a bit different to taking a stand a couple of hours down the motorway to the NEC.”

Having the logistics taken care of by experienced professionals is even more important when a client is showing overseas. For Andrew Priestley, sales manager at Helispares, there was only one company he would trust with taking his stand out to Madrid next month.

“If we were building the stand and transporting the merchandise ourselves, exhibiting overseas would be a challenge,” says Andrew, who is exhibiting at European Rotors in Madrid on 27-30 November. “But Smart Display takes all of those challenges away. We feel like we are dealing with a company that actually cares and gives us 100 per cent, even though we are one of many customers.”

In the lead up to the exhibition, the team at Helispares has also found having a local UK stand builder to be advantageous.

“It’s just easier to have someone local, in the same timezone that we can meet in person if necessary,” admits Andrew. “It’s important to travel overseas to speak to those companies who may not have considered looking outside of mainland Europe for their supply needs, and it is made so much easier by working with Smart Display. We literally have to pack our bags and business cards and turn up at the show.”

Inspired by the positive experiences of Andrew and all the team at Helispares, fellow helicopter parts supplier Alpine Air Support has also appointed Smart Display to take its stand out to Madrid this season.

“I didn’t want the language barrier that comes with working with a local stand contractor in Madrid,” says Peter Lewis, CEO at Alpine Air Support. “It is our first time working with Smart Display, but so far the team has produced a really good proposal with excellent designs and the communication has been great. We are really looking forward to seeing the stand when we arrive in Madrid.”

Madrid is just the latest stamp in the Smart Display passport this season. The team has taken stands out to Brussels, Hannover, Dortmund and Paris these past two months alone, and plans are already underway to return to Frankfurt with one of the company’s most substantial projects to date. Utopia Tableware came on board with Smart Display last year, tasking the stand builder to create an impressive 15 x 13m space for international tableware exhibition Ambiente. The design-led nature of the brand allowed the design team to push the boundaries of creativity, and the resulting decadent showcase basked in warm lighting was so impressive that Utopia appointed Smart Display again for the forthcoming January edition of the event.

“Our collaboration with Smart Display has been both productive and seamless,” says Utopia Tableware’s marketing manager Josh Rammell. “They understood our brand vision and translated that effectively into the stand design, ensuring that our visitors experienced the essence of Utopia Tableware at first glance.”

If you have an exhibition calendar that spans shows in the UK, Europe and further afield, get in touch and find out how we can create your perfect brand environment for use all over the world.