Each apprentice will register for the Supply Chain Warehouse Operative Level 2 Standard Course, in which they will carry out a range of moving, packaging and stock-taking roles within our operations team. This 15-month course provides the opportunity to learn valuable skills such as conducting risk assessments, learning the importance of sustainability within the supply chain, operating specialised tools and equipment, and many more.

At the end of the course, all candidates are required to complete an End-Point Assessment (EPA), allowing them to demonstrate their new knowledge and expertise. Upon successful completion of the EPA, candidates will have the opportunity to accept full-time employment at Showplace, further developing their abilities in the operations sector.

At present, three apprentices have enrolled at Showplace to learn more about the operations within the events sector. Among this cohort, one candidate has been taken on full-time, another has been offered full-time employment upon completion of their EPA, and our most recent candidate is currently in the process of completing their course.

Here at Showplace, we are delighted to take part in the apprenticeship scheme to act as a starting point for young people navigating their future career paths. We hope to inspire the next generation of event industry professionals and look forward to witnessing each candidate’s future achievements throughout their learning journey.

To find out how to maximise your engagement to rally new or returning customers, read on. 

What is a Shell Scheme and How To Make Them Stand Out? 

A shell scheme stand is an exhibition stand that usually has the following: 

• Walls – Your shell scheme space has back and side walls, made of lightweight but rigid panels or fabric to allow easy movement. 
• Flooring – The flooring of your shell scheme stand is usually fairly basic, such as a carpet. This is because having a proper floor would weigh the shell scheme down even further. 
• Fascia – The top of the shell scheme stand is a fascia, which displays your brand name. 

Shell scheme stands are typically inexpensive compared to many props and structures used for trade shows and exhibitions, so they offer great value for those on a tight budget despite their simplicity. With Showplace’s range of featured upgrades, which include graphic, flooring, furniture and AV options, this type of exhibition stand provides a blank canvas for you to create designs that can pull in an audience, create a memorable experience and differentiate your brand from your neighbours’. 

Creating an Attractive Shell Scheme Stand

There will be a sea of shell schemes out there, but with the following guidelines, you will be well on your way to standing out and sticking with your customers. 

Shell Scheme Graphics

Upgrading to bold, striking, reusable tension fabric graphics and visuals are the first step in ensuring that your shell scheme catches the eye of your customers. You usually only have a few seconds to grab a potential client’s attention before they move on. As a result, you need to ensure the following: 

• Instant Idea Communication – What is your service about? Any upgrades and improvements to your printed shell scheme panels should ensure that anyone will instantly know what you’re offering, without any thinking or puzzling required. The best way to do this is through telling a story through seamless graphics and impactful images – such as through a combination of both a problem and a solution. For example, printed graphic panels involving a chemical cleaning product with wilting plants alongside an entirely eco-friendly cleaning product. You will find that this technique alone will make all the difference.
• Memorable – People remember things when their emotions are provoked. When your shell scheme stand inspires positive emotions that hold attention, you generate interest and increase the likelihood of their approach.
• Colour Psychology – To use colours on your individual panels effectively, ensure you keep them in line with two things: association, and brand scheme. Blue is the colour of justice, for example, whereas bold reds add a sense of excitement. 

Lighting 

Lighting can set a mood and breathe life into your printed panels, as well as guide your eye. It is an important element to master alongside your shell scheme panels design, as not only does it enhance it, but it staves off any possible issues out of your control. For example, the show floor. 

• Attracting Attention – Lighting can set a contrast between the background and the foreground, allowing your custom-printed visuals to pop out. Our backlit graphics allow you to guide people’s eyes towards the key features and/or images. Networking should be less stark, as it’s only relevant after a person has already bonded. Additionally, our fully branded suspended light boxes ensure that your location can be identified with ease and from across an exhibition hall! 
• Colouring – With the correct colouring, your shell scheme exhibition can promote certain moods, such as warm colours creating inviting and calm atmospheres, whereas cool bright lights can promote energy and focus. On top of that, humans associate colours with concepts, such as blue for justice and the good. 
• Dimensional Manipulation – Lighting can do wonders to enhance the appearance of shell scheme stands. For example, shadows accentuate the outlines of products and objects, giving them a sense of form and value. This is useful when it comes to shell schemes, as a lot of them can be quite thin, but with lighting being projected in the right way, you can heighten the three-dimensionality of objects. 

Interactive Elements

Humans like to interact with things, and this is proven through the modern age of smartphone usage. When it comes to selling a product, being able to interact with it beforehand is huge in securing a sale. 

• Product Demonstrations – Demonstrations allow potential customers to experience the pros of your product whilst also being guided. This allows you to also build meaningful rapport, and ensure them that your brand will take care of them. 
• Digital Displays – Having a digital exhibition display(s) allows customers to be able to guide their journey through your products. With the correct prompts and keeping it simple, you can use videos, touchscreens and slideshows to communicate information. 
• Contests and Giveaways – Humans are competitive and, at times, opportunistic. Hosting a giveaway is a proven method to generate a buzz around you. It’s also a crafty way to get leads, which is basic contact information for people who may be a potential sale, by ensuring they sign up with contact information. 

Technology Integration 

Technology makes life easier, and having tech that people are interested in using, or which makes their experience easier, is a massive advantage to have over other shell schemes. 

• QR Codes – These codes are a fast method of getting from A to Z. Through a quick scan through a smartphone camera, something nearly everyone has these days, you can immediately link your customers to websites, sign-ups, app downloads etc. This is also a fantastic way to track engagement, as you’ll have information on who is clicking on what. QR codes can also generate leads quickly. 
• Charging Stations – Phones often run out of battery. Having a free charging station (fast charging preferred) can be a reason for someone who is semi-interested to approach your stand. They can use the opportunity to charge devices while also gaining some perspective on what your company has to offer. Even if they are not initially interested in your brand, products and services, you can take this time to strike up some friendly banter, possibly finding an angle to encourage their interest in your product. The most important skill of a salesperson is being able to make friends. 
• Rare Technology – Technology that you can experience for the first time. A good example of this is VR. A half-decent VR headset for a high-quality video game costs over £200. But, of course, VR is not limited to the realm of video games. If there is something you want to demonstrate that you can’t in real life, such as architectural concepts, a VR is more than capable of generating photo-realism to create a true representation of what it is you’re trying to display. 

Comfort and Functionality

Exhibitions and trade shows are events where people are usually on their feet all day. Upgrading your shell scheme to offer greater comfort, with suitable furniture and facilities, can be just the thing you need to attract an indecisive potential customer.

• Seating – Chairs are a sign that any visitor is welcome to enter, and your choice of seating can set the tone and the pace wonderfully. Once a person has seated themselves, they are now in the world you’re trying to create. 
• Small table or lockable counter – A table or lockable counter allows you to create a workspace-like environment where people can set down materials they pick up, as well as provide a platform to do things. Aside from that, it represents a dedicated space to showcase your products or host your business cards. Our lockable counters, also provide discreet and secure storage space for personal belongings or excess stock of marketing literature and show freebie giveaways. 
• Flooring – Flooring is a canvas for you to define your space. Your flooring choice can be anything from upgrading a standard carpet to one with your brand logo printed in-house or slogan, or perhaps patterns to direct your potential customers here or there. Either way, you can link your floor to elements in your shell scheme to create a cohesive look. 

Staff Engagement 

Your number one power of any shell scheme, graphic banner, technology, or anything you use to pull in an audience, is your staff. Your staff have to have good social skills and an ability to captivate and befriend people they haven’t met before. 

• Product services – Being able to use a product like a professional, knowing the ins and outs, and answering any niche questions the customer may have, goes a long way to building trust and credibility for both the brand and service/product. Pair this with a staff member who can identify the specific needs of the customer and tailor their presentation around it, and you’re on your way to maximising your sales opportunities. 
• Brand ambassadors – A good salesperson can get a sale for the product, but a superior salesperson will get them to come back for the brand. Whilst part of this relies on the quality of your product, finding people who embody the spirit and message of the brand will add an air of legitimacy that leaves no room for doubt. 

Conclusion

Overall, a shell scheme is a cost-effective purchase that allows for a great deal of customisability if you choose to make those distinctive, ‘stand-out’ upgrades, which Showplace can offer. By following the tips above, you can tailor your shell scheme to not only embody your brand and its ideals but also maximise the volume of approaches and interest in your company and products. 

Stratford Garden Centre is an independent, family run business based in Clifford Chambers and offers a wide range of products from plants and tools to homeware and gifts. It is also home to the much loved Lime Tree Restaurant, serving delicious hot meals, coffee and cakes to guests all year round. 

In 2020, Showplace provided Stratford Garden Centre with six temporary structures, extending The Lime Tree Restaurant to create an extra 216 sqm of indoor space. Fast forward to 2024, and due to the garden centre’s ever-growing popularity, they called upon Showplace again to extend the space even further.

Two additional structures were installed to extend the area, increasing the total space to 288 sqm. This installation was carried out in a matter of days without disruptions to regular business operations, allowing guests to continue visiting the existing restaurant space. Each structure was fitted with laminate flooring and lighting and Stratford Garden Centre customised the space by adding their own selection of dining furniture and indoor plants to complete the cosy café environment.

This project showcases the versatility of our structures, demonstrating the benefits of their limitless configurations and how easy it is to adapt existing space to align with evolving company needs and growth.

Showplace were delighted to work with Stratford Garden Centre again to help support a local business and our team looks forward to seeing the extension in action in the upcoming summer season when the business experiences some of its busiest months.

We have been creating and building stunning designs for over 35 years. We work with an array of clients across the UK and Europe, using our expertise to ensure that clients can effectively communicate their brands, products and services to stand out from the crowd.

For more information about our structure services and space solutions, please call 01789 262701 or email sales@showplace.co.uk.

Showplace are pleased to announce our new echo exhibition stand system which is not only made from 100% recyclable aluminium frames, but also utilises unique technology that has been developed through precision engineering. This creates an abundance of options for your next exhibition stand structure, including the incorporation of curves, backlit walls and more!

Our new stand system consists of a special configuration of CNC-machined holes which allows posts, frames, brackets, doors and accessories to be connected together. The holes are arranged horizontally and vertically to form a matrix of endless designs and possibilities.

Despite its advanced capabilities, the new echo system requires only an Allen key for assembly and disassembly, allowing for easy transportation by our team from one event to the next.

Before

After

Confex 2024 saw the Showplace team use the new kit for the first time when providing an exhibition stand for The Delegate Wranglers and their partners. The sleek curves and striking graphics made a big impact at the event, making the first official build using the new equipment a great success.

Showplace has been creating and building stunning designs for indoor exhibitions, events and conferences for over 35 years. We work with an array of clients across the UK and Europe, using our expertise to ensure that clients can effectively communicate their brands, products and services to stand out from the crowd.

For more information on our services, please call 01789 262701 or email sales@showplace.co.uk.

Deciding to embark on a company roadshow may leave you with many unanswered questions, such as how to determine the final destinations or what type of vehicle is best suited to your project. 

Here at Showplace, we have been delivering short and long term roadshow programmes for major brands for over 35 years. No project is too big or too small and we take pride in bringing our clients’ roadshow visions to life.

In order to assist in your decision making process, we have put together a selection of frequently asked questions and answers to guide you through the technicalities surrounding roadshows to help you decide whether it is the right solution for your brand.

1. How long does it take to customise the vehicle to your specifications?

This time period depends on whether an existing vehicle suits your needs or if a brand-new vehicle is required.

The preparation of a roadshow programme includes two main phases:

– The build stage
In this stage, either a new vehicle is commissioned for the project, or an existing vehicle undergoes major structural adaptations which will be carried out by specialist vehicle coach builders. A completely new build will take between six to nine months and a refit of an existing vehicle will take up to three months.

– The fit-out stage
This stage concerns work that needs to be carried out inside the display area as well as installing external graphics. The time estimation for this phase is dependent on the extent of the installations, such as internal display requirements or whether the truck needs to be fully resprayed/vinyl wrapped, and can range from two weeks to three months.

Interior of immersive educational roadshow truck for RS

2. What types of vehicles are available?
We have a variety of vehicles available to hire which are designed to suit a wide range of roadshow campaigns. Whether you’re looking to create an immersive mobile experience for attendees, or a portable pop-up shop, we will provide a vehicle that will allow you to achieve your brand goals. You can take a look at our roadshow fleet here.

3. What types of contracts are available?
The length of the contract is determined by the number of destinations you will be covering throughout the duration of your campaign. For example, if you were visiting 50 locations in total this could be divided into two locations per week, resulting in a contract length of approximately six months.
The hire period begins as soon as the truck undergoes any structural adaptations, therefore the longer the duration of the roadshow campaign, the more cost-effective the investment becomes.

4. What charges will be incurred?
For a long-term hire arrangement (3-12 months), the charges will be divided into fixed monthly amounts and variable operational costs.

5. What kind of technical support will be available?
All hardware and software will be specified and purchased in advance and will be installed by specialist vehicle coach builders during the fit-out stage. Ongoing technical support will be available throughout the duration of the roadshow, ensuring that everything runs smoothly.

6. What does the creative process behind a roadshow look like?
Each roadshow is different and will require a unique, creative approach to design/adapt the vehicle and its interiors to your brand specifications. Showplace will work closely with all stakeholders involved in the project to ensure we deliver a campaign that aligns with your expectations.

To find out more about our roadshow solutions, please call 01789 262701 or email sales@showplace.co.uk to get your brand on the road today!

Showplace are pleased to announce our new recycling initiative which concentrates on creating a circular economy through recycling flooring after an event.

All single-use flooring provided by Showplace will be passed onto our partners, Tarkett and Sommer Event Flooring, and will be recycled at their specialist centres.

Tarkett:

Tarkett, founded in 1880, is a market leader within the flooring industry. The company possesses an extensive product portfolio, ranging from carpet and vinyl to laminate and rubber. Their esteemed 140-year history has allowed them to expand on a global scale with 9 recycling centres and 23 research and development laboratories across the world. One of their most recent milestones is pioneering their ReStart programme which allows companies to recycle flooring using their patented environmental technology.

Sommer Event Flooring:

Sommer Event Flooring is Europe’s leading manufacturer of textile floor coverings for events. Based in the north of France, the company ensures that all of their products are designed and manufactured using eco-friendly practices through limiting the use of virgin raw materials. After use, Sommer Event Flooring transport the carpet to their facilities where it goes through a grinding process to form granules. These are then passed onto plastic industries to create new products, creating a sustainable supply chain.

These recycling programmes are already having a huge positive impact on the planet:

• Over 109,000 tonnes of flooring have been collected and recycled through the programme, spanning Europe, Brazil and North America.
• 9.8kg of CO₂ is saved for each m² of flooring that is recycled.

For an in-depth look at our recycling initiative, take a look at the video below.

Showplace has been creating and building stunning designs for events and conference for over 35 years. We work with an array of clients across the UK and Europe, using our expertise to ensure that clients can effectively communicate their brands, products and services to stand out from the crowd.

For more information, please call 01789 262701 or email sales@showplace.co.uk.

Roadshow marketing is a promotional marketing strategy that involves visiting several pre-booked locations to get a large volume of attention on your presentation, products or events. This, like an exhibition, allows you to make contact with potential investors, customers and partners on a personal level. 

Specifically, the goal of roadshow marketing is to create awareness and leads. The areas that the roadshow trucks visit are usually hotspots filled with people who already have a strong likelihood of being interested, also known as areas that have a “high market potential”. This can be anything from industry events to areas where competitors congregate. Here is where you’re most likely to meet potential customers, or make connections with people who can put you in direct contact with the customers you’re seeking.

This blog will focus on the key components of roadshow marketing.

Planning your roadshow

Determine an objective

Before anything else, you must establish what the primary goal of your roadshow is. This is the most important factor to consider because it will drive the rest of the planning process. The most common objectives are: 

• Increase brand awareness.
• Generate leads.
• Launch a new product.
• Build relationships with partners or clients. 
• Set up a brand experience that leaves a lasting impression.

The objectives to be met must be profitable. However, they must also be specific, measurable and achievable, with an established timeframe. Within these objectives, you must also determine how much space you’ll need to properly execute your exhibition.

Target audience

With your objective to hand, you need to identify the specific people to whom you’ll be exhibiting. The target audience should be specific, taking into account their age, gender, income level, profession, interests and/or geographical location. 

For example, if you’re promoting a new computer tablet, you want to put it in front of those within the age range of people who usually purchase that type of product. This will give your sales team the best chance of turning potential customers into actual, and hopefully repeat, paying customers after the exhibition roadshow has ended.

Choosing locations and venues

Knowing your target audience will drastically narrow down your selection of places to exhibit. The places you want to take your roadshow trailer and exhibit are the places in which you’ll find a high number of these people at certain times. This can be found through data analysis and audience profiling, looking for trends and patterns within existing customer data, and competitor information. 

Some of these locations could be: 

• Train stations
• High streets
• Festivals
• Shopping centres
• Exhibitions
• Supermarkets
• Outside arenas or stadiums

Ensure that when looking at locations, you consider things such as accessibility, space and potential disruptions. 

Develop your event schedule

When you have a list of locations, there’s quite a lot of thought required with planning the schedule. For one, you must determine the logistics for each event. Some of these include: 

• Transportation – How will your staff travel with the equipment they need?
• Accommodation – Where will your staff be staying overnight? What are the accommodation costs?
• Equipment setup – Can your equipment be set up at each location? How long will it take? How quickly can it be set up and taken down? 

On top of this, you need to create a detailed agenda for each event. This will include: 

• Activities – What are the activities you’re doing per location? 
• Presentations – What will the presentations consist of? Is there a script? 
• Demonstrations – What features of your product or service will you demonstrate? 
• Networking opportunities – Who will you network with and how? 

Of course, a big part of developing the event schedule is ensuring it all lines up with the dates and times of your target audience’s availability, as well as the availability of your venue. You must ensure that each event starts and ends with respect and consideration to the amount of time it would take to travel to the next destination. 

There’s a huge potential for making great connections with consumers and industry partners and competitors alike, but you have to make sure that you have the right amount of time to communicate your brand in an effective way. The logistics may not be the most exciting aspect of your roadshow marketing to think about, but it’s incredibly important and holds the key to success.

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How to promote your roadshow

Getting the word out about your roadshow is the key to success. You can use any single promotion method below, or a combination of them, to ensure your roadshow achieves its goals.

Social media marketing

In this new digital age, social media is used even by the biggest companies to reach the largest amount of people. Creating event pages on platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn is a great and efficient way to spread the word about your events. 

Enhance your marketing tactics by hiring a professional to create eye-catching visuals and engaging copy to push interest and encourage sharing. Hashtags and geo-targeting is also a good way to specify and zone in on your audience. 

Another effective way to push your event is by considering pushing paid adverts across social media platforms. This is a surefire way to get your ads in front of people. 

Social media marketing is a cornerstone of roadshow marketing because unless you increase brand awareness and let them know where your brand will be exhibiting via social media, how would your customer base know where to find you? Get to grips with this to set your roadshow off to a great start.

Email marketing

Email campaigns are a marketing method that enables you to target the existing clients that you know are already invested in the field within which you’re marketing. These people will have a high likelihood to attend, or at least share the word. You can increase the chance of them attending by informing them, within the email, of early bird discounts or exclusive content for sign-ups to the event. On top of that, you can keep the event fresh by sending reminder emails. 

Engage with your audience to remind them of your brand, brag about any new products you may be bringing to the event to entice them, and explain what’s in it for them if they come along. This will all increase the numbers at your roadshow, and casting the widest net possible is the only way to convert potential customers to paying customers through roadshow marketing.

Media outreach

Creating a press release for the roadshow can allow you to connect with media outlets that have a high viewer base, as well as publications and potential influencers. 

In order to maximise your potential gains from outreach, you must write a compelling and newsworthy press release that highlights the stand-out aspects of your roadshow, and the benefits for the attendees. It also helps to ensure that the person speaking has a charismatic flair to engage the audience.

Increase brand awareness with roadshow marketing…

Roadshow marketing campaigns continue to be a highly effective way of garnering attention to your service, product or brand. There have been quite a few roadshows that have concluded in increased engagement for the company. 

An example of this would be Ben and Jerry’s Scoop Truck Tour. The popular ice cream company took to the road and visited several cities in the USA. They offered free ice cream samples, which is perhaps one of the best incentives to show up. During the promotion, they promoted new flavours and engaged with fans on the ground. This resulted in a massive push of Ben and Jerry’s on social media. 

If you’re interested in a roadshow, check out our many mobile stand and trailer solutions for your campaign or exhibition schedule.

In a survey carried out by HGEM, it was found that 71% of consumers want more action to be taken to address the lack of accessibility within the industry*. The term ‘accessibility’ not only concerns physical elements, such as the inclusion of ramps, accessible facilities and access to audio description devices, but also sensory and cognitive elements. This includes features such as the addition of quiet rooms to provide a calm space for sensory overload, the use of lighting and reducing strong smells.

Showplace endeavours to abide by these guidelines surrounding accessibility at events and strives to create a safe space for all attendees. For example, we recently provided a temporary structure for Juddmonte at the annual Tattersalls December Mare Sale in Newmarket. We installed an accessible lift to the exterior of the structure to allow easy access for everyone entering the hospitality suite.

The lift can accommodate up to 240kg, making it ideal for mobility scooters, and offers an alternative to a ramp which is sometimes not possible to install due to limitations regarding plot sizes. It can also be fitted alongside our trailer fleet to provide a substitute to the stairs leading up to the main trailer area, demonstrating it’s versatility in a range of different event settings.

Showplace has been creating and building stunning designs for events and conferences for over 35 years. We work with an array of clients across the UK and Europe, using our expertise to ensure that clients can effectively communicate their brands, products and services to stand out from the crowd.

For more information about Showplace, please call 01789 262701 or email sales@showplace.co.uk.

*MIT Magazine 2022

As the issue of reinforced aerated autoclaved concrete (RAAC) in school buildings continues to dominate the news and disrupt education services as the new academic year begins, Showplace Ltd’s range of temporary structures and buildings can offer practical solutions for schools currently facing serious and prolonged disruption. Here are some ways that our temporary structures can help schools, hospitals and other organisations currently struggling with building closures and reduced space on their sites:

Quick Deployment: Our temporary structures can be rapidly deployed on any terrain. This is particularly beneficial with the current safety concerns while appropriate actions and repairs are conducted.

Flexible: Our temporary structures are highly flexible and adaptable. They can be customised to suit various purposes, from classrooms, breakout areas and administrative offices, to gyms, canteens and dining halls.

Minimal Site Disruption: Our temporary structures can be erected in as little time as one day, hence minimising disruption to students, teachers and staff.

Durability: Our modern temporary MODA structures are designed to be durable and weather-resistant. They can withstand various environmental conditions, including extreme temperatures and moisture, and can be insulated and heated for the impending colder months.

Compliance with Regulations: Showplace temporary buildings meet all safety and building requirements. They are fully compliant with relevant regulations, providing a safe environment for students and staff.

Sustainability: Their reusability ensures our structures offer a sustainable solution. Recyclable and reusable tension fabric graphics can also be used to brighten up the learning environment while using eco-friendly materials and energy-efficient systems.

Our structures are available for short and long term hire and we can provide a multitude of configurations and build options to meet specific school and site needs. Please get in touch if you would like to hear more about how we can help. Click here for more information or visit https://www.showplace.co.uk/temp-space-solutions, email sales@showplace.co.uk or call 01789 262701.