The World Gas Conference (WGC) is one of the most significant events in the global gas industry. It takes place every three years, bringing together leading representatives from business, politics, and academia. In 2018, the event was held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. During my employment at the agency Artist Design, I had the extraordinary opportunity to plan an exhibition stand there for our client EC POWER.
Covering an area of approximately 150 square metres (50 feet x 30 feet), the stand was one of the larger projects I had worked on. Its standout design feature was the central, portal-like structure. The key elements we defined for the 2018 exhibition stands included two nearly 6-metre-tall LED video walls, each about 2 metres wide, as well as a "lamp cluster" that served as a visual highlight.
The video animations, which were used with only minor adjustments at all major trade fairs that year, were created during the winter of 2017/2018 in collaboration with my colleague Jörg Fröhling. While I was responsible for the 3D animations, Jörg handled compositing, editing, and 2D animations.
In addition to an open bar area with seating, the client placed great emphasis on enclosed meeting spaces. One of these was specifically branded for the client’s U.S. partner.
The client placed a high priority on their appearance at WGC 2018, which was reflected in the planning phase: an unusually high number of design iterations were presented before a final concept was agreed upon that satisfied everyone.
As with other projects, my responsibilities included design and concept development, communication with stand builders, exhibition management, and the client, as well as organising orders, cost control, media production, and logistics. Organising trade fair appearances in the United States presents a unique set of challenges – anyone who has dealt with the topic of "drayage" knows exactly what I mean.
