One of the industry’s leading suppliers and manufacturers of parts to the automotive sector has revolutionised its market position following a partnership with exhibition stand contractor Smart Display.
The engineering expert first teamed up with Smart Display ahead of the UK Garage & Bodyshop exhibition at the NEC in June, tasking the stand builder to take a “blank canvas” approach to its exhibition presence. The resulting design was awarded the Best Stand Award, beating off competition from 200 other exhibitors at the Birmingham event.
In line with its ethos of sustainability, the bilstein group asked Smart Display to reconfigure its stand design for subsequent show the Auto Trade Expo in Dublin. The stand designer took the same elements to recreate the exhibition presence within an 8 x 6m space from its original 12 x 6m orientation, and the stand was once again awarded best in show.
“We were blown away to win the Best Stand Award again,” says assistant social media and events manager Ben Walton. “We first approached Smart Display in November 2023 because we wanted to create a fresh and new approach to our exhibitions this year. We were impressed from the start with the innovative design ideas and enthusiasm from their team of conveying our brand to customers in an exciting way.
“The reaction at the debut event – UK Garage and Bodyshop at the NEC – was amazing, and we had both customers and fellow exhibitors take time out to tell us how fantastic the new design looks, with vibrant LED lighting framing our products and the video wall showcasing our digital content. Topping the exhibition off with the Best Stand Award – as voted for by the staff at Automechanika UK – was the icing on the cake for us. It would not have been possible without Smart Display, so a big thank you to the team that had a part of making it all come together.”
As a supplier of repair solutions for a range of vehicles, the bilstein group wanted its stand design to reflect its identity as a premium, innovative and established brand with a welcoming feel to reflect its strong customer focus.
The group tasked Smart Display with presenting its three, distinct brands – febi, SWAG and Blue Print – as part of one cohesive Bilstein identity, showcase its content in a high-impact manner and utilising lighting as a design feature.
On practical level, the brief specified a semi-private meeting area, casual seating and a hospitality area to encourage potential customers to spend upwards of half an hour on the stand.
Smart Display’s design team exceeded the brief with an innovative showcase of an acrylic feature within which products were mounted and bathed in LED light in the brand’s colours. A further wow factor was added with the incorporation of a 4 x 2.5m video wall, made up of LED video tiles to showcase the brand’s digital content at maximum impact.
“The acrylic feature was an innovative way to showcase product that was previously displayed on standard shelving,” says Smart Display’s senior designer Lawrie Ward. “This contemporary focal point was juxtaposed with a living wall and decorative plants to create a welcoming ambience, and we maximised the potential of the area above the stand with an overhead banner to ensure that the full portfolio of brands were visible across the halls from all angles.”
The Bilstein group generated countless leads and forged extensive new connections at both trade exhibitions, and is now finalising its show schedule for 2025. As a supplier and manufacturer, the group is a worldwide leading specialist in the independent aftermarket, offering repair solutions for all common vehicle types in the car and commercial vehicle sector.
The group incorporates three sub-brands – febi, SWAG and Blue Print – all offering technical wear parts for all necessary repairs.
