EXHIBITION I I SYSTEMS S S Expertise Experitse with creative systems
modem Ludwigsburg Orientation
Decision
Planning
Presentation
Life shows us just what systems can do. Whether we have to find our way through a road junction, looking for information on which to base our decisions, how the spider weaves its web with an amazing precision Systems it needs for survival, or the way we phrase our comments in order to insure their impact: systems provide efficiency and effectiveness. They set standards where they are helpful and save time which we then can devote to individual problems. It was to these ends that, more than 30 years ago, OCTANORM started to specialize in the creation of intelligent systems intended to give exhibition constructors, planners, agencies and architects, shopfitters and interior designers the scope necessary for their work. The eight key concepts underlying these developments: illusion, function, structure, material, speed, proportion, aesthetics and light are discussed in this brochure. They are the main concerns of our partners and customers. Do you share their interests?
Illusion [ILLUSION. delusion, new and wrong interpretation of sense impressions on account of expectations, desires and emotions]
The perfect illusion. The magic of virtual reality. Our lives are an illusion: people imagine that they are living in their own, personal reality which in the end is no more than subjective wishful thinking in this age of the multimedia communication more so than ever. We respond to illusions as they create a world of fantasy and adventure which provide emotional escapes from the routine of our daily lives.
OCTANORM systems are the foundation of your individual worlds of illusion in exhibitions, at events, in shops, stores and showrooms for enhancing any object. Whatever shape, colour or finish you require and whatever ambience you wish to create OCTANORM systems will help turn your ideas into reality.
Professor Holste, do trade fairs rely too much on the creation of illusions? Holste: I don t think the term»illusions«is the right choice of words here. We don t create dream worlds, magic or tricks. However, it is true that exhibitions and special events rely increasingly on the creation of illusions. We create our own experience worlds using all the means at our disposal.. OCTANORM: Do visitors expect illusion? Holste: I d express it differently. I d say that the audience expects, even demands, drama. All aspects of a presentation need to work well together to create an overarching image, although I ve also observed certain phenomena such as at the last radio and TV show, where visitors crowded around internationally famous stars. There was indeed some show business and illusion in that. OCTANORM: How do you define»experience worlds«at a show? Holste: A production needs to take essential factors into account: 1. the so-called instrumental benefits, i. e., factually oriented information and 2. the so-called emotional benefits, where outside stimuli and psychological phenomena play a significant role. Our job is to unite these two factors in one production. OCTANORM: What will the exhibition stands of the future look like? Holste: The trend is towards total theatre, i. e., so-called human architecture. Exhibitors need to realize that people want, and are demanding to be, the focus of attention, although it s sometimes a struggle persuading exhibitors of this fact. Visitors to exhibitions are constantly evolving as a group. This is the logical result of changing patterns of consumption and intake of visual stimuli the latter, of course, strongly affected by the electronic media. By the way, these media aren t in competition with special events, exhibitions, and fairs. To the contrary: they provide us with inspiration for new ideas. Professor Carl Hoste, 56, designs exhibition stands, showrooms and special events. His studio, which is located in Hannover, Germany, also sees to the logistics of the events and spaces designed there, up to and including the moment the project is handed over to the client. His firm counts among its clients multinational companies such as Astra (1,500 square meter booth at the 1997 radio and TV show) McCain, Mercedes Benz and Rutenbeck (telephone accessories).
It works! Is there a more positive experience? Factors to be considered and puzzles, Function experiments and tests and finally success! Function is one of mankind s most primeval experiences. It confirms and spurs us on to new challenges. However, as always, it is the result of hard work. The OCTANORM development department often experiments for weeks and months, and conducts trials with partners and experts before a product is ready to go into production. The customers are the ultimate judges. Sometimes their needs and wishes for an optimum solution can even render a new product quickly obsolete. But that is the way we like it to be.
[FUNCTION: special effectiveness in a larger context]
The OCTANORM principle of function is to have the least number of components with the maximum of possibilities.
Mr. Pionke, how long have you worked in the field of trade fair exhibition building? Pionke: I ve been in the business for ten years now. Previous to that, as I am a qualified mechanic, I worked a lot with computers. But I didn t want to work in an office or workshop any more. I like this»gypsy life«. OCTANORM: There s a growing trend towards custom-built trade fair exhibition stands. Has your work changed because of this? Pionke: It certainly has. The work has become more difficult, time-consuming and strenuous. The architects and stand designers should spend more time discussing the projects with those of us who have to build them. But even with the standardized booth systems, a great deal of individuality can be achieved. These systems save me a lot of time, which I then invest in building booths where custom-building is unavoidable. OCTANORM: Are the systems perfect? Pionke: They are sophisticated, not perfect. In this respect too, my appeal to the architects and designers is a valid one: Take more time to talk to the builders! The better communication between us, the better the results. Hans Joachim Pionke (see photo, bottom right) is project manager at a large German trade fair exhibition builder.
Structure [STRUCTURE: a branch of mechanics dealing with the analysis of the conditions required to keep the forces acting on a body in equilibrium; the basis for all calculations concerning the construction of buildings]
Mr. Anlauff, which fascinated you more as a child, the seesaw or the jungle gym? Anlauff: I ll have to admit it was the jungle gym. Even when I was a university student, I was more interested in the art and architectonic side of things. This conflict was resolved later on. A balanced structure can definitely lead to economy of means and thereby make a significant contribution to elegance. OCTANORM: Do you occasionally still come into conflict with the design? Anlauff: The whole subject of balanced structure is far from unproblematic in the field of exhibition construction, as designers increasingly create stands that try to appeal primarily to the eye. And design is going to become more and more important. OCTANORM: But the safety regulations are quite strict. Anlauff: That s right. At least they are in Germany and some other European countries, where two different structural engineers have to carry out an inspection of each exhibition stand. In other countries, they re more relaxed about these things. But Germany is exemplary in terms of recycling the same system materials again at other venues. OCTANORM: How do you satisfy customers requests for booths comprised of increasingly wide spans? Anlauff: That s another megatrend nobody wants to have supports in their booth any more. Here system builders have an important responsibility, as without system components, spans of over five meters are almost impossible to achieve. Engineer Horst Anlauff ranks internationally among the leading architects and structural engineers. The 63 year-old Anlauff has developed reinforced concrete components with a high load capacity and a wide range of exhibition construction configurations. He has also been head engineer for the construction of office building for many well-known corporations.
Dieser Blindtext stellt mal wieder, wie langweilig den späteren echten Text dar. Er zeigt die typografische Wirkung des Gestaltungselements
The desire for the unusual and the unexpected converts the modern exhibition stand or event staging into worlds of experience demanding the highest structural standards. Whether it is a two-storey stand or a massive presentation wall the strength of the individual components and their connections, as well as the delicate equilibrium between the forces involved, are all intended to provide the highest safety standards; and in spite of all this, the components must be capable of being assembled and dismantled in the shortest possible time. The key to this is»system«.