A Q&A with the Project Manager for Team Tecna
We sat down with Michael, the Project Manager who delivered the full-show experience across this complex, multi-level venue for Informa. He provided us insight into how a project of this scale comes together, and what it actually takes to make something this complex feel effortless on the day.
This was a venue-wide delivery rather than a single stand. Can you give us a sense of the scale involved?
“The footprint grew considerably this year, and that gives a good indication of the ambition behind the show. We delivered five expos in total, two of which were brand new additions for this edition in Summit Square and East Expo.
Alongside those, we produced nine Start-Up PODs, two registration desks and a range of other show features that helped bring the whole event together as one coherent environment.
In terms of volume, our team produced and delivered 1,450 square metres of graphics across the site. We also coordinated the loading bay schedule and produced the artwork for the entire show, working closely with Informa to roll out new branding consistently from the largest feature areas right down to the finer details.”
Tobacco Dock is a listed, multi-level site. What did that present from a delivery point of view?
“A heritage venue like Tobacco Dock brings a particular set of considerations that you simply do not face in a purpose-built exhibition hall. The multi-level layout and the constraints that come with a listed building mean every logistical decision has to be planned with real care, and the site access in particular demands a methodical approach.
For us, the logistics on site were the trickiest element of the entire project. Moving the volume of materials and structures we were handling, through a venue with the access profile that Tobacco Dock has, takes precise scheduling and a clear understanding of how the day will unfold hour by hour.”
How did you solve the most difficult parts of that?
“Experience made a genuine difference here. Having delivered the show at the same venue the previous year, we were able to schedule the logistics more efficiently this time around, which helped us avoid the delays and queues in the loading bays that can quickly knock a build off track.”
A complex, multi-level venue can be hard to navigate. How did you make it intuitive for visitors?
“This is where the new branding really earned its place. We assigned different colours to different zones, and that approach had a noticeable impact on how easily people moved around inside the venue, giving visitors a simple visual cue to orient themselves without having to stop and think about where they were heading.”
How did you handle coordination with the organiser and any changes along the way?
“We understand how much it matters to an organiser that their contractor can stay flexible when plans evolve, and we built that flexibility into how we worked. We accommodated late changes throughout, and in some cases printed graphics weeks after the original deadline to support the requirements of the show as they developed.”
“It takes thorough pre-show planning, prep work, and a superb team on site that can put my mind at rest. That combination is what allows a project of this scale to look effortless on the day.”
