Client: Berkley Insurance | Event: Steadfast 2024 | Location: Brisbane | Industry: Insurance
Café Charm Meets Coverage
Insurance companies are like dependable umbrellas during life’s unexpected downpours—a sturdy canopy offering comfort and security despite the heavy rain. Berkley Insurance Australia (BIA) embraced this metaphor with a distinguished 6x3m exhibition stand at Steadfast 2024 held from March 24 to 26 at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC).
Amidst the sea of conventional corporate booths, BIA—a silver sponsor—stood out at the closed event with an impressive display that radiated a welcoming, café-like charm. Its full-custom timber design, adorned with the company’s iconic green umbrella, wasn’t just a visual highlight but a symbol of its commitment to protection and inclusivity.
The stand also featured interactive displays and thoughtfully designated areas for conversation, turning it into a lively hub where brokers gathered, shared, and connected, thus meeting BIA’s goal to foster genuine conversations and build meaningful relationships throughout the exclusive event.
With its inviting custom space, the company truly embodied its promise of being the reassuring umbrella that shelters and supports, turning the complexities of insurance into a nurturing experience.
Challenges
Participating in Steadfast 2024, BIA aimed to surpass the limitations of its previous stand with a refreshed and innovative approach, embracing the opportunity to address the following key challenges:
Durable and Versatile Design
BIA wanted a booth that could be built, stored, and reused over the next five years. The company wanted to invest in a visually impactful design practical and sustainable for long-term use.
Signature Umbrella Integration
The iconic classic green umbrella was a non-negotiable stand element for BIA. However, the challenge was integrating it into the design, since Steadfast 2024 didn’t allow rigging.
Optimised Space Utilisation
BIA’s previous stand struggled with overcrowding, so they wanted the new booth to have clearly defined areas, ensuring smooth flow and interaction without feeling cramped. Specifically, it should comfortably host 10-12 staff members, including the clients visiting the booth throughout the event, all within the compact 6x3m space.
Enhanced Engagement
Focusing on its strategy to encourage open conversations and connections, BIA envisioned a stand with an interactive demo bar for its BindIT online platform, alongside a barista counter to attract visitors and encourage dialogues.
Dynamic Structure
Moving away from the basic backwall design of its previous stands, BIA required an overarching full-custom timber structure with well-balanced elements in the front and back to create a more engaging environment.
The Build
The moment guests approached the 6x3m exhibit, they were greeted with a striking interplay of white gloss floor tiles and lush astroturf grass accents, creating a dynamic blend that made the space feel like a charming café. Above, a sleek timber pelmet bulkhead painted in crisp white showcased BIA’s 3D illuminated logo. This eye-catching feature, with its side-lit halo effect, ensured the stand was unmistakably visible throughout the BCEC.
BIA’s signature green umbrella chandelier, the stand’s key feature, was gracefully suspended from classic oak timber slats to address the rigging restriction of the event. This iconic element served as the canopy for the interactive demo area, where visitors had hands-on experiences with the BindIT platform through iPads mounted on a round bar table.
Focusing on the 6x3m timber backwall, which served as the stand’s sophisticated backdrop, attendees were enticed by an impressive 82” screen encased in a classic oak frame. It was complemented by a custom edge-lit plant wall, creating a touch of nature amidst technology. To the left, the wall featured BIA’s BindIT platform logo, along with an adjoining counter table and four bar stools intended to be the staff area. Cleverly integrated storage in the backwall also kept the space uncluttered.
Nearby, a stylish barista counter, decked out in BIA’s signature green, offered coffee and a welcoming conversation spot, perfectly positioned adjacent to the central meeting area for clients and visitors.
Features
Full-Custom Timber Structure
The custom timber backwall with integrated storage options, along with its pelmet bulkhead structure, seamlessly blended functionality and aesthetics. Completing the space’s cosy ambience were the oak-finished slats used as a roof accent, enhancing the stand’s overall visual appeal and drawing clients to the booth.
Green Umbrella Chandelier and Its Demo
Making a bold statement that anchored the space, BIA’s signature green umbrella, refreshed as the stand’s chandelier element, spanned over the natural wood-topped demo bar with iPads mounted on custom plinths.
Interaction Areas
Centre (For Clients):
The four round green ottomans surrounding an oak-accented coffee table created a cosy conversation spot where guests lounged and discovered what makes BIA unique.
Backwall-Mounted Counter (For Staff):
The wall-attached fine wood table, complemented with four white bar stools, blended effortlessly into the stand’s unified aesthetic while adding another interaction area to the space.
Barista Counter:
Bringing the space’s café charm together was a timber-toned barista counter with a coffee machine and fridge that served delightful refreshments to visitors. Its striking green base, adorned with BIA’s logo at the front, elevated the stand’s branding and visual story.
Results
Berkley Insurance Australia masterfully achieved its vision at Steadfast 2024, showcasing its umbrella of security with an exceptional custom booth. Through a creative collaboration with Expo Centric, who acquired a five-year partnership contract with its head-turning design for the company, BIA not only stood out in the corporate insurance landscape but also emphasised the encouraging aspects of protection and coverage.
Their stand wasn’t just a display; it was a warm invitation to experience reassurance in the stormy world of risks.
