A perfect balance of design, lighting, technology and messaging results in our best Swift stand ever
THE CHALLENGE
Swift is the institution responsible for Sibos, the world’s premier financial services event. It is there to serve the financial community, but also to represent it. Swift is the vehicle by which the financial transactions take place and is responsible for ensuring that the financial community work together to identify threats and drive change and innovation on a global scale. The Swift stand is a real hub for the community within Sibos. Rapiergroup have been tasked with the creation of that environment since 2014, evolving the identity and experience each year, ensuring it remains recognisable, but reflecting what is important about now and the future. The Swift stand needs to draw, engage and inspire visitors and help ignite creative and productive interactions and support key business meetings in the most appropriate environment.
OUR APPROACH
We have always understood that Swift is there to serve the financial community. It also needs to inspire and act as a catalyst. This is a key factor to how we approach the Swift stand creatively. We are careful not to create a presence and experience that overpowers other exhibitors, but it must be a powerful draw, it needs to communicate very simply what is really important and should ignite and facilitate what takes place in the space. It needs to be modern, innovative and inspirational, but can never be flash. This requires a deep understanding of the fine line we have to hit. A tiny bit one way or the other and the presence and the experience is not right.
For 2017 we combined simple and contemporary architectural elements, with subtle features, carefully selected materials and precise use of colour to create our best Swift stand ever. Intelligent lighting was a key feature of our concept, which played with the structures, materials and colours, creating an environment that pulsed with life. Solid faces faded to reveal more complex working beneath, exposing brand colours and appearing to be moving themselves.
We piloted laser projection for the first time, using it in a way that when surfaces became solid, key messages appeared to be written on them by an invisible hand. We worked hard to always keep it simple and that is what gave it power. There were three key areas that were hot topics for the Swift stand at Sibos 2017. We made sure they came across loud and clear. Our job was not to tell those stories in detail, but to introduce them at a high level, to create the spark that ignited the conversations. We then ensured that the environment was perfectly designed for that to take place.
THE RESULT
The client feedback confirmed that they unanimously felt this was not only the best Swift stand we have created, but the best Swift stand in the event’s history. Everyone at the show talked about it. It was the busiest it has ever been, consistently throughout the whole four days. The Swift stand at Sibos 2017 was the place to be, buzzing with life and engagement. For a show where the main reason for attendance is networking, there is no higher accolade for us than the result we achieved this year.
