Ideas, tips and reports about event display construction and management

From our stand builder’s point of view, we recommend a raised floor for every booth, because it makes the wiring so much easier and nicer, as the cables can all be run invisibly under the floor. And it gives arguably an upper market image.

It is not that necessary for small stands, where all items, that need to be hooked up to power or networks, are along walls. Or for designs, that connect any free standing tables and counters with over head fascias or beams of any kind. In such cases, all cables can be run almost invisibly overhead or behind walls.

Where this is not possible, cables must run under the carpet. And from a design and quality perspective, seeing the bulges in the carpet, where the cables are running is not acceptable. There are even countries, where this is strictly forbidden, as the cables could be poked open by falling objects or sharp heels and thus pose a hazardous opportunity to get in contact with a bare, powered wire.
Therefore an elevated floor construction will provide a smooth clean surface, which can be covered with all kinds of flooring material, but the cables run invisibly and safely underneath.

Of course, please never forget to make your stand accessible for wheel chairs by either making some ramps, or – for not so high platforms – a slanted edge around the whole floor.

A platform for your allocated space is of course a cost factor. But we recommend thinking about it, when budgeting the project, as the appearance of your display will be dramatically enhanced.

Exception to this recommendation are some countries, which have traditional issues with an elevated floor.
In the US for example, people are used to very soft floors, which are made of rubber foam padding layers under the carpet. This gives a good opportunity to as well run the cables safely and invisibly under the carpet.
In Japan for example, all private housing has a small entrance area behind the door on out side level called “genkan", where delivery personnel and others are confined to. In order to get into the house or apartment, people need to take off their shoes and step up a small elevation as the whole living area is a slight 10 to 15cm higher as street level. Only after “coming up", people are getting into the private sphere of the apartment. With such a deeply rooted tradition, it is not advised that a display has an elevated floor, as this little step will always evoke the feeling of “intrusion" into a private sphere and the urge to take the shoes of. Not the feeling, you want to cause in your potential customers, is it?

But, of course, a platform gives any booth a “raise" in quality and the verdict is out, if this is more important, than some cultural back ground barriers.

the Welkam boys Kojichu, Japanese for 'under construction,' is an ongoing notebook of ideas, tips and discoverys we've picked up over the years building displays and managing events around the world.

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