The Unglamorous Objects We Model Into Every Exhibition Render

An exhibition render that only shows the beautiful parts is a promise the real stand cannot keep. When we design a stand, we model the dull things too, because on show day they are always there.

The first is power and data. Screens, lighting and demonstration kit need cables, and cables need a route. We plan where floor boxes sit, where leads can run unseen and where a trip hazard would appear. If a plinth is meant to look as though it floats, it still needs somewhere for its power to come from.

The second is storage. Every stand needs a place for coats, spare stock, packaging and a kettle, and the staff will use it whether or not it was designed. A lockable cupboard built into a wall panel is far better than boxes behind a curtain, and it is much easier to design in at the render stage than to add on site.

The third is clearance. We check that people can walk around furniture, that wheelchairs and pushchairs can reach the main attractions, and that no sightline to the nearest fire exit sign is blocked by a graphic wall. Venue rules vary, so these checks are part of the conversation with the organiser as well as the design.

The fourth is the sightline from the aisle. A stand has seconds to attract a visitor walking past at pace, so we place the strongest message at eye level, and we remember that neighbouring stands will change what can be seen from each direction.

The benefit is trust. Clients can approve a render knowing it describes something that can be built, staffed and operated, not an idealised picture. And contractors, who have to build the thing, tend to thank us for the detail.

Our events and exhibitions work is on our work page.