Case Study – Cascade

Cascade exhibit at three exhibitions a year with their biggest exhibition taking place in June at Olympia, London. In the past they had always taken a pop up stand, which they owned, to the exhibition. Eventually they came to the conclusion that in order to keep up with their competition, they would have to procure a space only stand space and source a design and build company to help enhance their corporate image, as well as encourage more delegates to visit the stand and talk about their requirements.

Cascade started their process by short-listing three companies to receive their brief and create a design to present. Their criteria for choosing a stand design and build company was based on innovation of design, price and trust that could be established. After presenting our design which proved we understood the requirements of what Cascade wanted to achieve, we were awarded the job.

Following the 1st 2008 exhibition stand, Willow was asked to develop a 28m2 bespoke design for the 2009 HR Software Show. This involved utilizing the same structure to save cost and replace some of the graphics with updated company branding and messages. After the success of the 2009 show, a new stand was designed for the 2010 show in addition to a smaller version of the stand for several smaller stands due to Cascade’s building success within the industry.

After all of the success from both stand designs at multiple shows, Cascade started to think about the next few years, a fresh new stand was needed yet again as Cascade were growing within their industry and needed to be on the same level as the competition. The stand needed to be built in the same stand space within the exhibition hall but needed their presence to be bigger and better in order to convey their new identity. The initial idea for this stand came from Cascade’s Sales and Marketing Manager, who had seen a picture of a structure he believed to look very futuristic and fit their criteria.

From this brief two new stand designs were presented to Cascade. The first design was an updated extension of the custom modular stand they have had in the past, which met the brief and the budget perfectly. The second design presented was a shot in the dark stand far more creative and more outstanding than any other exhibitor stands in the show at the time, with a focus on the future in mind. During the presentation of this second design Cascade’s Sales Director, simply said of the two designs the first stand represented “where we are now” while the new bespoke options represented “where we need to be”.

From this meeting the next generation of Cascade exhibition stand was born encompassing two 4m high circles creating a walk through visitor experience and 8 product demonstration points – benefiting from high level branding this ambitious structure was truly out of this world, earning the nickname Stargate in the Willow workshop!

HR Software Show 2012 started off with a new 70m2 space booked in London Olympia and the Willow promise that a stand design which would grow with the company’s ambition was ready to be developed. After sitting down for a briefing meeting, it was decided that the new space would be filled with 14 software demonstrations points each hosting three people, 2 large monitors to help promote the new Cascade mobile software plus utilize the existing 28m2 stand as promised. Three weeks later, after many design hours and Willow meetings the new brief and stand space had been converted into photorealistic visuals and plans, after a few more tweaks, manufacturing, pre show preparations and show doors opening, visitors were drawn to Cascade’s new stand and commanding position in the hall. New ideas were seen for the first time in the form a giant IPhone with recessed LED colour lighting and wall mounted computer screens while visitors enjoyed Cascade’s hospitality on the stand.

Since the success of the new stand in 2012, new features have been added to the stand each year. Aspects such as IMacs, new branding, new storage and demonstration spaces as well as a smaller version of the same design being built for the Manchester CIPD Exhibition (Winner of Best in Show).