Equinox are renowned for their stunning creations in the exhibitions world, so when COTY were in contact with them about the design and build of their stand at Salon International 2017, they were in the best possible hands.
“COTY own all the big names in hairdressing” said Carl Criscione, Director of Equinox; “GHD, Wella, Sassoon and OPI; and when their brief landed in our lap it was clear that we were going to be shouting about a lot of famous names.”
Salon International is the number one destination for hairdressing professionals everywhere. With over 400 brands showcasing their products and equipment, services and practical solutions; visitors benefit from seeing and learning about the latest trends and goings-on in the hairdressing world.
“When it comes to a show like this, it’s about more than just a stand” Carl told us. “The hair industry demands style, flair and attention; and it’s a creative science to make that happen on an exhibition stand when a multitude of brands and their sub-brands are sharing the same stage.”
COTY’s stand space was 26m x 20m, so Team Equinox had a huge space to work with.
Carl told us. “We were told to look at factoring in the more basic requirements such as product displays, interactive stations, large graphics, a retail area and breakout zones; and it was our job to think about making each brand complement the others. We were also asked to come up with a concept that would stop people in their tracks, and create huge interest among the thousands of visitors.”
Tied Together Perfectly
“Our team got down to work, and we collaborated with the key stakeholders of each brand. Each one had their own requirements; and our role was to co-ordinate their individual needs and ensure the entire stand tied together perfectly.”
Hanging banners for all the major brands were factored in to the design, and sub brands such as Nioxin, Salon Professional and Patrick Cameron would all have their own eye-catching sections alongside the four main brands. And if putting them all together wasn’t expertly considered, it could have turned in to a structure of seven-logo-overload.
“Each brand is well known in its own right, so one of the key considerations for us was ensuring that they were all equals on the stand” said Carl. “So, we got our team to look at the space, the angles and direction that each brand would face. We made sure that there were clean lines, and there was a nice amount of space between each section of the stand so that the visitor knew that they were on one stand, but felt they were immersed in a place with a number of options. An airport departures kind of feel.”
The nice thing about this stand was that, although the modern-day touch technology such as iPads were available to guests; face-to-face conversation between the experts, models and visitors was the main method of interaction.
But one thing was brought to the stand by Equinox that stood out above anything else at the entire show:
“We created a fantastic workshop stage in the open corner to showcase the talents of well-known individuals who represent each brand” said Carl. “It was a concept designed not just to provide a draw to the stand, but grab a captive audience for 20 to 30 minutes at a time, and create a bit of excitement with lightshows and live broadcasting of those hair professionals that were doing live demos.”
And the stage area was heralded a success. National Hair Education expert and Yorkshire based hairdresser Daniel Geraghty who visited the show said: “The COTY stand was fantastic. It was huge, looked great and it was popular too, it was certainly very busy when I stepped on to it!”
He added: “I thought the live stage idea was a brilliant idea. Seeing Patrick Cameron in action, and Pink Grubb of Sassoon do his stuff was a highlight of the show for me.”
Equinox had carried out another fantastic project and were quite rightly proud of the work they’d done.
“The collaborative work between representatives of each brand really worked” said Carl. “It was a real team effort from everyone leading up to the show, and on the day, we were happy that we’d created the best stand at Salon International 2017.”
For all your strategic exhibition and event needs, contact Equinox on +44 (0) 113 244 1300, or by email: info@equinox-design.com