Behind the Stand: PB Signs at the H&W Chamber Business Expo
Last week, the PB Signs team headed to the Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce Business Expo and, as a signage company, there was no getting away with turning up with a couple of roller banners and a tablecloth!
For us, the Expo was a chance to meet businesses from across the region, catch up with familiar faces and importantly, create a stand that demonstrated what we actually do.
Rather than simply telling visitors about our capabilities, we wanted the stand itself to become a showcase of different signage, print, display and finishing techniques.
Turning a shell scheme into a PB Signs space
Like many exhibitions, we started with a standard shell scheme stand. The challenge was transforming that blank framework into something that felt completely PB Signs.
We produced full-size printed shell scheme panels to create the dark, monochrome backdrop, complemented by our teal brand accents. Our Foamex PB Signs logo added a dimensional element to the main wall, helping the branding stand out rather than simply being printed as part of the background.
The aim was to create something polished and professional, while showing just how dramatically exhibition spaces can be transformed with the right graphics and signage.
Showing the materials behind the finished signs
One feature we particularly wanted to include was a material display.
When you see a finished sign, it’s easy to forget how many different substrates, finishes and manufacturing methods can sit behind it. Our display gave visitors an opportunity to see and touch some of the materials we work with every day.
It’s something we’re passionate about at PB Signs: recommending the right material for the job rather than simply producing everything in the same way.
A peek inside the PB Signs workshop…
One of our favourite elements was our bespoke fake workshop door.
The door incorporated imagery from our own production environment, creating the illusion of looking through into the PB Signs workshop. It gave us a slightly different way to showcase the manufacturing side of the business and reinforce the fact that so much of what we supply is produced by our own team.
It also became a great talking point throughout the day.
Lighting, displays and digital content
We incorporated bespoke shelving with LED lighting, creating space to display samples and merchandise while adding another layer of detail to the stand.
Two digital screens ran throughout the Expo, displaying a rolling selection of our design work, completed projects and signage inspiration. With such a broad range of work – from workplace branding and vehicle graphics to sports venues, retail signage and large-format graphics – digital displays allowed us to show far more than we could ever physically fit onto the stand.
At the centre was our branded counter stand, providing a natural place to chat with visitors, look through samples and discuss potential projects.
And, of course, there was merch…
No exhibition stand is complete without a few things to take away.
We brought along PB Signs pens, mugs, water bottles, car air fresheners and sweets, alongside our newly produced brochures, business cards and flyers.
While the giveaways are always popular, the printed literature gave visitors something useful to take back to the office and a chance to see more of our work after the event.
A signed England cricket shirt up for grabs
We also ran a prize draw throughout the Expo for a signed England cricket shirt, which certainly helped attract a little extra attention to the stand!
Visitors could enter during the day, giving us another opportunity to meet people and start conversations with businesses we hadn’t worked with before.
More than just an exhibition stand
The biggest takeaway for us was that an exhibition stand doesn’t have to be a collection of separate display products.
With a little thought, the shell scheme graphics, dimensional signage, lighting, materials, digital screens, printed literature, merchandise and display furniture can all work together to create one cohesive branded environment.
That’s exactly what we wanted our own stand to demonstrate.
Whether you’re exhibiting with a small shell scheme or planning a much larger exhibition space, we can help with everything from the initial concept and artwork through to printed panels, signage, display graphics, bespoke fabricated elements, literature and installation.
And after spending the day talking to so many brilliant businesses from across Herefordshire and Worcestershire, we’d like to say a huge thank you to the Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce for another fantastic event – and to everyone who stopped by the PB Signs stand for a chat.
Planning an exhibition or event?
If you’ve got an empty shell scheme and aren’t quite sure what to do with it, send us the dimensions and your ideas. We can help turn it into a space that looks unmistakably yours.
