How audio visual and virtual reality displays can elevate your exhibition experience

Most companies exhibiting at major events will have some audio visual (AV) aspect to their displays: screens and speakers to grab attention, demonstrate key products and maybe entertain. They are eye (or ear) catching and can go a long way towards transporting your audience away from a trade show and into your carefully crafted environment.

Going one step further and we see virtual reality (VR) used more and more. This provides instant and personalised immersion into that alternative environment you seek to create.

Most of our clients at the 2019 Paris Airshow made heavy use of either AV or VR to create an impact. And we work with an industry-leading supplier to make that happen. Let’s shine a light on a couple of examples.

LED column, floor and interactive wall at UTC

UTC’s pavilion at the Paris Air Show was used to showcase technology from Pratt & Whitney (P&W) and Collins Aerospace. Each side of the pavilion used AV in different ways.

The most striking part of P&W’s display was the LED floor and column of their Future Zone. The floor ran footage of a spinning engine rotor – simple but effective content which made delegates feel like they were walking over a P&W jet engine.

The column really drew the eye: a dynamic, bright cylinder with a 360-degree screen running up to the ceiling. The content for this was purposefully underplayed because we did not want to take too much attention away from the other exhibits. But the creative potential for LED columns is exciting.

Technically, both the column and the floor presented challenges to deliver. For instance, the floor had to be perfectly smooth and stable, and its construction procedure had to be followed precisely. The column was designed to be hollow with an access hatch to allow engineers access to set up the electronics.

Naturally Collins Aerospace wanted to make an impact too, and an interactive wall was decided upon for their part of the pavilion. There are different ways of achieving this and after considering the options we installed the largest touch screen of its type in Europe. At 138 inches, it had the desired effect.

Virtual reality at Boom

Boom revealed the final design of its XB-1 supersonic demonstrator plane at the Paris Air Show. It was a significant milestone in their journey to launch a new generation of supersonic airliners. Their exhibition presence was a one-bay, two-storey chalet in which they could host meetings and enjoy the show.

So how do you sell something which hasn’t been built yet? Well fortunately this is 2019 and virtual reality (VR) is a thing. Boom used VR to wow their clients and potential clients with the high end, luxurious offerings of their future cabins. They will offer airlines two configurations: one 55-seat all business class configuration, and one 45-seat hybrid of first class and business class. VR was the perfect medium to demonstrate what they would be like.

We supplied a 50-inch monitor and cabinet to house the equipment, and they used a Vive head set and control unit. One of Boom’s staff manned the display, helping guests to fit the headset and assist with the experience. With the help of VR technology, exhibition guests could step aboard Boom’s much anticipated plane and see what the future holds.

Want to do something special with AV or VR at your next exhibition?

If you want to explore the capabilities of AV and VR for your next event, talk to our design studio. We’d love to apply our creativity to your project and make it a reality.