Between the 7th and 10th of April, Quadrant2Design had a record-breaking 4 days, installing and dismantling 29 individual exhibition stands across two of the UK’s largest shows, the UK Food & Drink Shows and The Safety & Security Event Series. The most impressive thing? We only used our in-house team.
Both of these events are fundamental to their respective industries. The UK Food & Drink Shows are home to 5 different co-located shows, uniting the industry and encompassing food development, manufacturing, grocery, hospitality, specialist retail, forecourt and convenience retail, wholesale and foodservice. The Safety & Security Event Series is the UK’s largest event series, dedicated to improving the safety and security of people, places, and assets!
In our latest Spring catch-up, Andrew Carney, Director of Quadrant2Design, reflects on the achievement, the concentration of shows, and the processes that enabled their success.
Concentration of Shows
In the past, major shows were scheduled throughout the exhibition calendar and took place around the same time each year. Following the reboot of in-person events, many shows were postponed, displaced, or co-located. As a result, they often take place at the same time, causing much greater peaks and troughs in the exhibition calendar.
While we would usually install between 35- 50 exhibition stands per month, two-thirds of this month’s installations took place in just 4 days!
The interesting thing is, in April this month, we will install and dismantle 43 individual exhibition stand projects. In itself, that is not exceptional. We commonly install and dismantle 35-50 exhibition stand projects. What has been exceptional about this month is that 29 of those were installed in a period of 4 days.
~ Andrew Carney
Why In-House Processes Matter
Fluctuations in demand have created a new challenge for exhibition stand contractors: maintaining a large and experienced team throughout the entire exhibition calendar. Instead of keeping a larger workforce, many contractors subcontract, especially on projects of this magnitude. This is problematic as using third parties introduces many risks, including a lack of reliability, experience, quality control and even failure to deliver on time.
Quadrant2Design is different as our business model operates exclusively in-person and in-house – subcontracting is not, and will never be on the cards. This gives us complete control over the quality of an exhibition stand from the initial design, print and production to the pre-build, installation and breakdown. Not only are all departments in-house, but they are also in-person. Being well-connected means no projects slip through the cracks, and any issues, though rare, can be resolved without delay. This set-up enables us to confidently handle larger projects without compromising standards or introducing any unnecessary risks.
Detail Orientated Planning & Organisation
As well as working in-house, our team has a process-driven, detail-oriented approach to exhibition planning, ensuring a perfect finish on each stand. Individual projects are not just a commodity or number to add to our tally; they are a unique client and are approached as such.
Our Project Managers build a strong rapport with each client and have a detailed understanding of their project and requirements. They check the quality of the exhibition stand project at every development stage and plan the logistics for each event. Below we have a glimpse of the monster planning sheet, curated by one of our lovely PM’s, Lauryn Rowe, to organise and successfully execute this collection of projects. It’s worth mentioning that these are not simple displays or pop-up structures; they are bespoke, custom-designed and built using Europe’s premier, modular stand-building system.
Lauryn shared her insights on this planning process:
Exhibition planning never has a one-size-fits-all approach. Each client has unique requirements, and each stand is tailored to those needs. That's why it's important to us to only use our experienced in-house team, who are involved from the pre-build stage, and have a deep understanding of the product.
Managing the logistics for this concentration of stands requires extensive planning! Our spreadsheet has been continuously updated over the last eight weeks, and it has been vital for ensuring success. It's been amazing to be a part of this project, and I think we have set the bar high for sustainable stand builders!
Andrew also reflected on the organisation required for these shows:
We executed those installations like a military operation and we nailed it!
But the thing is, it was never in doubt because of the level and detail of planning by the PM team and Stuart the Ops Manager, and by the very many hours that were put in downstairs pre-building every one of those stands in every last detail before any one of those stands was loaded up for the NEC.
Pre-Building Each Stand
As Andrew mentioned, pre-build is also fundamental to the guaranteed success of any one of our exhibition stand projects. It is our ultimate quality check and risk management procedure.
Even though nine of our clients had attended IFE 2025 just two weeks prior, the stands were pre-built again before their installation at the UK Food & Drink Event. This allows our project managers and clients to check they are happy with every aspect of the display ahead of the show!
Large Library of Hardware for Sustainable Exhibiting
If you have worked with us previously, you might be aware that our business is centred on reuse and true sustainability. To continue this model on a large scale, we are always equipped with enough stand hardware and materials to supply and build at full capacity! Not to mention, modular, reusable exhibition stands are quick to build and dismantle!
Even at this high capacity, we barely made a dent in our reusable hardware. This is how we make a sustainable impact in the industry. Through our Free-Hire Pro Plan, clients received a high-impact custom look without one-use materials or unnecessary waste.
Client Feedback
These shows only took place a week ago, but the feedback is already starting to filter in. One of our clients, Actiph Water, shared:
The team were great, as always. Really helpful, professional, and punctual, always checking if they could offer me any additional help with my elements of the build up and breakdown, which was hugely appreciated.
Thanks to all the guys for being such a great support!
You can view some of the individual projects below…
Future Shows
It has been so wonderful to see these projects come to life, and we were pleased to be such a large part of two of the UK’s greatest shows. April was a significant milestone for our teams, showcasing what is possible when uniting an in-house base with meticulous planning and hard work!
We’re proud of what our team accomplished, and even prouder that we did it without compromising on quality, sustainability, or client satisfaction.
The calendar is continuing to book up for September with major events like DSEI and PPMA still to come! We are excited to deliver even more exceptional exhibition stands. If you’ve got a project in mind, get in touch with Quadrant2Design at design@quadrant2design.com or call 01202 723 500 for a free, no-obligation exhibition stand design proposal!
For more information on Quadrant2Design, please take a look at our credentials.
