Revealing the source

Christian Schofield is already making inroads as Smart Display’s newest addition to the team. As our chief estimator, Christian is tasked with not only making sure the numbers add up, but also sourcing the very best materials possible for sustainable and cost-effective stand design. We took five minutes out to find out how Christian is maximising the potential of sustainable stand build for all of our Smart Display clients. 

Q: When did you come on board with Smart Display? 

A: I joined in January with a view to estimating primarily, but also looking at procurement. This is a new position due to the expansion of Smart Display, and it’s an opportunity to draw upon my background as a joinery estimator and my previous work with signage, project management and the procurement of materials.

Q: How are you improving the way of working at Smart Display?

A: I’m looking to standardise pricing a bit more, and trying to communicate with existing suppliers as well as looking at potential new ones. There’s an opportunity to bring better materials on board for our stand builds – so that’s more eco-friendly options, more cost-effective options and safer options.

Q: How are you communicating this to Smart Display’s various departments?

A: I’m the intersection between the departments; finding out what the designer envisaged, how production will put this into practice and, ultimately, how it can be built on-site. A lot of the time it’s the practical element versus the design element, and it’s my job to find a happy medium that works on site and looks how the customer wanted it to look.

Q: So how does the process work?

A: Once the client has approved the design, it’s passed onto me and I start looking at the requirements. A lot of items we have in-house such as the BeMatrix system, but there may also be custom elements that we need to make in-house or outsource. That’s where my joinery background comes into its own, because I can source the most cost-effective materials with the best performance and the best potential for re-usability. I’ll usually have a chat with the design department to find out how they envisaged it going together, and then I’ll have a chat with the lads of the shopfloor to see how it will ACTUALLY go together.

Q: Have you had a breakthrough moment in the short time you have been here?

A: I have found a new board that is recycled, and 100 per cent recyclable, which we can swap out a lot of our current Foamex for. It cuts out waste because, unfortunately, after a few uses, Foamex does end up in landfill. My biggest focus is finding recycled and recyclable materials, and looking to move from non-recyclable options to things that we can continue to use or recycle.

Q: What does this mean for Smart Display’s clients?

A: There’s less waste. Our industry does generate a lot of elements that end up in landfill so, even if it’s a small part of the stand, we do want to change that.

Q: How important is this role in the current climate?

A: It’s progression. In the current climate we have to keep an eye on sustainability and, as the business grows, we have to keep an eye on costs. Up until this point, we have stuck with the same suppliers, and that’s a good thing. It’s a good thing to maintain those relationships and develop that trust. But there’s also an opportunity to see what else is out there, and to take a step back and re-assess how we can improve performance and efficiency.

Q: Does this reflect a diversification of the business?

A: I certainly think that, in general, exhibition design and build is becoming more creative so, in that respect, yes we have to diversify and source the materials to bring those projects to life. Of course every client wants their stand to be unique and to deliver an impact, and we have to select the materials on their behalf that will make that happen.

Q: How important is sustainability to the client?

A: Most businesses are becoming more eco-aware and have set themselves targets to become more sustainable. When we partner with these brands, our stand design has to reflect those values and align with those objectives. I think the biggest change is that customers aren’t just interested in where materials have come from, they now want to consider where they are going afterwards. Of course a lot of our clients have multiple shows so, if we can store and re-use the elements, we do. And a lot of our regular stock is re-usable modular, or custom elements that can be refurbished. They don’t like waste and neither do we, from a business or moral perspective.

Q: Is this approach unique in the world of standbuilding?

A: Traditionally this industry has generated a lot of waste with disposable stands that are thrown up and discarded but, in the ten years since it was established, Smart Display has tried to be a pioneer in counteracting that. Every manufacturing business generates an element of waste, but we can change our ways year-on-year to reduce that. The creation of my role is another step towards improving how we work both now and in the future.

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