One stand and five companies: the case of ADF Congrès 2022
The personality of a company is something intangible. The identity of the company, on the other hand, concerns the process of transformation into visual, concrete and tangible elements of the corporate personality. In this short story we explore how the creation of a space shared by several companies belonging to the same sector has enhanced their characteristics without any one prevailing over the other.
Context
The occasion was the ADF Congress, the French appointment dedicated to innovation and culture in the dental world, organized by the Association Dentaire Française.
It is the leading European event in the field of dentistry which welcomes exhibitors from all over the world to inform and present their products and services.
Its particularity is that of combining, at the same time and in the same place – the Palais des Congrès de Paris – a scientific program offering almost a hundred sessions and an international fair.
Company
The shared exhibition space was composed by five companies belonging to the dental sector:
- Euronda, a leading company in the production of disposable medical devices and systems for the sterilization process;
- Dental Art and Rossicaws, two companies that operate in furnishing for medical/dental environments and dental/chemical laboratories;
- Oms, which designs and builds dental units;
- Support Design, which creates sessions designed especially for dentists in order to improve their mobility during work.
Objective
The main objective was to be able to create a virtuous and rewarding space for all the exhibiting companies, which would allow each one to express their peculiarities, their communication line and their products correctly.
It was also essential to ensure that the companies had a shared common space, where they could offer visitors a moment of conviviality, involving them and creating a new network of acquaintances that would bring benefits to each of them.
Solutions
To achieve the goal, a stand was created sharing some elements (such as the floor, beams and common area) but divided into five spaces dedicated to the five companies to exhibit their products and characterize themselves through graphic supports.
The widespread use of graphic sheets has made it possible to make the finishes of the walls homogeneous, albeit with different images, colors and messages.
Lighting was the focal point of the stand, as the Palais De Congrès has low ceilings which penalizes it. For this reason, a “mesh” of beams was created to correctly illuminate the exhibition space and the products.
Criticality
Among the difficulties encountered we find mainly the one linked to logistics: the venue of the Congress was Le Palais De Congrès de Paris, compared to the classic pavilions of the fair, it is located in the center of the city, right near the Arc de Triomphe, making it more complicated the arrival of the trucks. Furthermore, the amount of artwork to be applied contrasted with the tight editing schedules. Finally, the internal conformation of the building, characterized by walls and flooring at unusual angles, has simplified neither logistics nor planning.
Conclusion and Testimony
Shared planning can be an extraordinary moment of “brand discovery”, in which characteristics of the brand, communication needs and features of the corporate identity that are not yet adequately valued can emerge. We have proof that we have managed to meet the commercial needs of the five protagonists of our stand:
“The challenge posed to Manaly, the construction of a multi-identity stand characterized by a common central space, was I would say overcome with flying colors thanks to Manaly’s willingness to talk and discuss with the different companies and to understand the different needs. I believe that the comparison was the extra gear in the design phase, while in the construction phase we appreciated the full respect of the stand delivery times which allowed us to set up on time and finish quickly.Finally, I would like to say that it is in the unexpected that professionalism is seen and also in this case the availability shown made it possible to resolve everything quickly and without worries.”
Gianluca Fiscato – Marketing Manager of Euronda
