
Our Client:
Hadley Steel Framing and Hadley Rolled Products are part of the Hadley Group, one of Europe’s largest privately owned cold rolled steel manufacturers, and the largest British owned producer of cold rolled sections and allied products.
Operating from purpose built premises in the UK, Dubai, Germany and Thailand, The Hadley Group of Companies – with an annual turnover around £100 million and around 450 employees – is dedicated to delivering matchless quality, innovation and technical expertise for customers in 36 countries.
The Challenge:
The Hadley Group needed a bespoke exhibition stand that would enable it to successfully promote its structural steel framing products to an audience of installers, architects and main contractors attending the world’s largest event for sustainable design, construction and the built environment – Ecobuild, ExCel London.
Working within a £40k budget and a 3 month project turnaround time, the 20 x 10 m stand needed to have gravitas, conveying Hadley’s brand ethos and stature within the industry, whilst providing an inviting platform for showcasing Hadley Steel Framing and Hadley Rolled Products ranges and enabling business conversations with new prospects.
Business objectives:
The primary objective was to demonstrate how Hadley Group products provide environmentallysound solutions for the construction industry. Hadley’s patented UltraSTEEL® process uses 20% less raw materials and is stronger than conventional steel, therefore saving on both material and transportation costs.
“An important part of our presence at Ecobuild was raising awareness,” says Bob Dunthorne, Marketing Manager, Hadley Group. “We wanted to be able to show prospective customers exactly how our products perform in specific applications – outperforming the competition.
“AdStorm was instrumental in creating an exhibition stand design that enabled visitors to get a very immediate and real impression of the benefits of our products, and what we as a supplier can offer them.”
Aside from concept and design approval, Hadley Group also wanted to be able to leave the entire project to be managed and rolled out – from manufacture to installation – in knowledgeable and capable hands.
Adstorm’s Solution:
AdStorm delivered an end-to end solution that encompassed everything from stand design and liaison with stand manufacturers, right down to overseeing installation and ensuring the kitchen was well stocked with refreshments for staff and visitors.
“In conceptualising the exhibition stand we needed to take into account many details,” says AdStorm Account Director, Darral Lambert. “To best convey its proposition, we utilised steel framing materials as part of the stand construction and also incorporated section panels showing how the products actually work in different construction applications.
“To add interest and create a stimulating environment, the stand also featured graphics, a light box, Audio Visual featuring flash animation, a seating area, and an integral, though hidden kitchen area.”
For Bob, AdStorm’s in-depth knowledge of the Exhibitions industry was key to the overall success of the project.
“Darral and the team clearly understood the exhibitions milieu and could apply the psychology of how people behave in this environment and interact with stands to make sure that ours would be appealing and welcoming, with no unnecessary barriers in terms of layout.
“AdStorm’s expertise also ensured that our stand contained ‘discussion points’ and that the information on the graphics had immediacy and impact.
“We were more than happy with its visual appeal and AdStorm clearly knew how to target the stand to the show’s audience so that it became entirely relevant – educating people about HSF and prompting business conversations,” he says.
Project management know-how was also core to the success of the project. “I was confident about leaving all the co-ordination to AdStorm. They know what’s involved and appreciate how vital it is that all pieces of the jigsaw arrive at the event site together and on time, so that the build can commence on schedule and be a hitch-free process,” says Bob.
On top of overseeing all aspects of the stand installation, working to Health and Safety regulations and adhering to the venue’s timescales, AdStorm also liaised with the show’s press office to help raise awareness of HSF and produced marketing literature for visitors to take away.
“In the B2B market, exhibitions can be a very powerful way of reaching a target audience in ways that cannot be achieved through other media,” says Darral. “You can get a lot out of a strong exhibition presence and we were more than happy to put a lot in to make it happen. All that Hadley had to do was turn up on the day.”