Booth for German Ministry for the Environment at “Internationale Grüne Woche”, Berlin, Januar 2023

Working together with its contractors, the German Ministry for the Environment (BMUV) created a booth at the “Internationale Grüne Woche” (IGW) that proved sustainability can be achieved in live communication by taking a resource-saving approach. As usual, the ten-day event held at the end of January 2023 at Messe Berlin featured a wide range of products presented by a legion of exhibitors, but, in addition, this year's IGW also showcased the issue of climate protection. In the “grünerleben” hall, the BMUV used its presentation to spotlight the close links between the climate crisis and the crisis in biodiversity. It was therefore only natural that preserving resources had to be a key aspect in the design and implementation of the booth so that the ministry's presence at the fair did not clash with the exhibition's focus on “Natural Climate Protection”.

The challenge in realising the booth was to preserve resources without compromising on visual impact and visitor experience. At the start of the design phase, our client “Blickfang Messebau” and the “facts und fiction” agency brought in companies with experience in minimising the use of resources. This gave us the opportunity to contribute our specialist know-how and find the best possible solutions that would allow us to take a step-by-step approach towards the stated aim of “zero waste”. This approach was clearly communicated on the stand along with the circularity of the materials used, making the booth itself an exhibit for a resource-preserving future.

Having been entrusted with Lighting, Audio and Video, we deployed equipment designed to help achieve the desired aim. We naturally used LED lights to showcase the booth spaces, exhibits, flags and logos. What made this so special was the fact that many of them were modified spotlights that had previously been fitted with conventional lamps and now feature LED lamps with a control unit. Audio content was played through directional speakers placed near the exhibits. These “sound shower” speakers can be used to specify audio zones without noise disturbance for other parts of the booth. A further key factor was our deployment of a local crew, which not only had financial benefits for all involved but also served the cause of sustainability by reducing travel to a minimum.

The BMUV used colourful banners to display surprising facts on its focal issue for the fair. Thanks to their large size, they could be seen from far away and allowed visitors a quick initial grasp of the subject matter. Key aspects were presented with illustrations and texts on topical islands surrounding the stage, which acted as the booth's communication hub. A terrace measuring around three metres in height accommodated an exhibition on marine conservation, and there was also a marine lounge that acted as a quiet zone. Interactive exhibits such as “What wild animal can you hear?” provided fascinating knowledge and motivated visitors to become actively involved. This item featured small built-in loudspeakers as well as GPIO (General Purpose Input Output) buttons which we had programmed prior to the event. The table was also adorned with printed illustrations that encouraged attendees to play an animal noise by pressing one of the buttons. More in-depth information could be gained by lifting a flap on a board to reveal the answers to questions about each of the wild animals. We also used a series of displays – some with touch function – to show extensive video content.