by Danelle Dodds, Exhibit City News
The exhibit hall of the American Academy of Dermatology(AAD) annual meeting 2023 in New Orleans was glowing. The dermatologic scientific meeting holds a significant reputation as the world’s largest, giving it a distinguished sheen. With approximately 18,000 attendees, it is the gathering place for medical professionals and members committed to dermatology.On this show floor, beauty and science converge, and everyone puts their best face forward. And while the floor was freckled with notable booths, one stood out in the crowd.
During that week in March in the Big Easy, Allergan Aesthetics™ once again made its beauty mark at AAD 2023. Their impressive 50’ x 100’ booth sprang up from a sea of dark grey carpet. It was a sleek, sophisticated oasis of clean lines and functional beauty; both practical and breathtaking.
The stunning display comes from a trusted partnership with Premier Displays & Exhibits, Inc. Their union has been forged over two decades, resulting in exhibits that dazzle and deliver.
The Partnership
For more than 20 years, the two companies have built a partnership rooted in trust and brand awareness.
As a full-service company specializing in exhibits, design, fabrication, and activation, Premier Displays & Exhibits prides itself on immersive delivery. Having been a player since 1991, their intimate understanding of the industry provides the backbone for their guiding principles. And the bar they hold themselves to puts them over the top. “We’ve brought on a team of hospitality-driven people, so everything is much more of a Michelin and Forbes standard for our services when we work with our clients,” stated Stephanie Cuellar, Director of Sales at Premier.
Alyson Lyden, Waldorf Astoria-trained Executive Account Manager with Premier, would agree. “With over twenty years in the hospitality industry and ten in trade shows, I understand what works. We make sure no steps are missed.”
The Process
Their process is detailed. Their focus on deep-dive Brandscaping is considered critical to their success. And once they understand the brand and objectives, they move into design.
It all starts with a vision or image. Concepts morph into vision boards, which evolve into renderings. Staff engineers turn concept sketches into structurally sound realities. In-house build teams create the finished products. Supportive show services discussions continue until the booth lands on the show floor. The goal is that the booth is functional, all while creating an emotional takeaway for attendees.
“Some of our clients are extremely innovative,” says Stephanie Cuellar, Director of Sales at Premier,
“We have been so fortunate that we’ve been able to design and build some pretty crazy, fun things.”
With most services in-house, the flexibility of development for client brand campaigns like Allergan Aesthetics™ is untethered. “We have an incredible build team.”, continues Cuellar. “We can build anything, start to finish, in our shop without subbing anything out, which I think is really rare. We have the capabilities and the talent to do what we do.”
The Design
Not every booth is created equal. And for a show and company rooted in aesthetics, a need for a pleasantly pleasing design is paramount. It also needs to be functional.
The booth used a clever, two-walled concept. Two massive LED panels converged to a corner, where evolving content caught the eye of roaming exhibitors. Making use of the panels allowed the brand to self-promote while infusing movement.
A captivating double-sided statement piece measuring 20′ x 20’formed the remaining wall. One side was a floral wall in a luscious blush shade that accentuated the SkinMedica® product line. On the other side were silver sequins and radiant LED lights. Both approaches encouraged attendees to explore behind the wall and take selfies. These displays helped to amplify the brand as guests posted their photos.
Equally as thoughtful was the footprint. Smooth, white couches and intimate seating areas provided opportunities for the meetings. An offset consultation room created the feel of a medical office within the booth. A rigged, black-out canopy studded with lights hid the rafters from sight while allowing for subtle illumination shifts.
The final piece of the booth design was invisible to attendees but was the most sensible element of all. The booth can be repurposed and rescaled for future shows. “Repurposing and scalability are a big conversation piece,” shared Lyden, “With so many shows, our customers need to be able to scale their builds either up or down to fit their social or exhibit needs.”
Both companies aligned in a successful collaboration. For attendees, the result was stepping off the show floor and into the beauty of the brand.
