In the exhibition world, where pressure is high, timelines are tight, and the industry is undergoing a long-overdue shift toward sustainability and innovation, Tecna has taken a bold step.
Our strategic plan through 2028 sets out an ambition to become the most trusted and commercially resilient design and build partner in the UK, all while elevating creativity, customer experience, and cultural excellence.
We sat down with CEO Simeon Wicks to explore the thinking behind the strategy, the company’s rebrand, and what it really means to “Push the Possible.”
Simeon, Tecna’s 2026 – 2028 strategy feels ambitious but grounded. What drove this direction?
Simeon:
When we looked ahead to the next three years, we could see clearly our industry was reaching a crossroads. Customers want more transparency, more reliability, and more innovation than they’ve ever expected before. And they’re right to. Marketing teams are under enormous pressure to justify every pound, agencies need partners who won’t let them down under tight deadlines, and organisers need exceptional partners who can help their exhibitors can show up with high-quality, sustainable builds.
So our strategy became about clarity; clarity of purpose, clarity of ambition, and clarity of behaviour. We want to be the partner brands trust, because trust is something the exhibitions sector often lacks. Too many projects rely on heroics behind the scenes, on last-minute fixes, on people creating miracles out of nowhere. We can do that, but we think we can produce exceptional customer service without the drama or firefighting. We want to change that model entirely.
By 2028, our goal is simple: Tecna should be the easiest part of exhibiting. We want people to breathe out when they hand a project to us knowing our exceptional expertise and customer service will out-deliver their expectations. That takes discipline, consistency, and a very strong cultural backbone, but it’s absolutely achievable. And that’s why the brand message “Push the Possible.” felt so right, it speaks to our ambition to elevate what we do without ever losing sight of what’s real and what’s commercially sound.
“Push the Possible.” became the centrepiece of your rebrand. How do you interpret that phrase?
Simeon:
For me, “Push the Possible.” is a promise both internally and externally. It’s not a flashy slogan; it’s an attitude. We know what we’re exceptional at: modular, sustainability, tailored design, exceptional operations, and building long-lasting partnerships with customers. We’re not trying to be a company that pretends to offer everything to everyone. That’s how businesses overextend and lose quality.
Within our space, within the world of tailored creativity, sustainable design, focused operations, we want to be the company that goes further to delight our customers than anyone else whether they are trade partners, show organisers or retailers. The company that explores smarter ways of achieving your objectives, explores design ideas that completely push beyond what you thought was possible, or identifies operational improvements that will completely change the dynamic for our customers.
“Push the Possible.” encapsulates that constant curiosity and incremental innovations. It encourages our teams to ask: “How could this be better? How could this be easier for the client? How could this be more sustainable?” It’s not about radical reinvention; it’s about incremental innovation day after day, which, by 2028, will take us to a place that feels transformational. It also means we can become consistently excellent.
Sustainability is a complicated space, especially with accusations of greenwashing across the industry. How is Tecna approaching it differently?
Simeon:
This is an area where we feel a huge responsibility. Exhibitions have historically been wasteful, builds are thrown away, materials aren’t reused, and sustainability claims often don’t hold up to scrutiny. Greenwashing isn’t just a marketing problem; it’s an operational one. And it’s incredibly damaging because it undermines the genuine efforts of businesses that are trying to make real progress.
For us, sustainability starts with honesty. We measure everything: the lifespan of materials, the reusability of structures, the number of build cycles, the environmental impact of transport, the efficiencies we’re creating through modularity. If we say something has a sustainable advantage, we have evidence behind it. We are the first design and build company to offer sustainability reporting as standard and we are exceptionally proud of that.
The second part is education. Many brands and agencies want to make sustainable choices, they just don’t know how. They’re being told different things by different suppliers, some of which are contradictory or, frankly, misleading. So we’ve taken the position of being leaders and guides in this space. If there’s a better, more environmentally responsible way to build something, we’ll recommend it. And if there isn’t, we’ll be transparent about the limitations. We are also the first stand builder to have achieved Tier 5 ESSA accreditation, and we will continue to work achieve that every year, so far we have 4 years of consecutive achievement.
And finally, sustainability for us is tied directly to innovation. Modular systems allow for beauty, flexibility, and efficiency without endless waste. It’s not about stripping design down; it’s about designing intelligently. I think the industry needs businesses willing to speak plainly about what’s possible, what’s not, and what genuinely moves the needle and that’s what we’re trying to do. Bespoke builds don’t have to be wasteful and elements can be re-used, radical honesty here is key.
It sounds like you’re positioning Tecna as both a partner and a leader. What does industry leadership look like for you?
Simeon:
It looks like reliability first and innovation second in that order. The best design in the world means nothing if you can’t deliver it on time or to a consistent standard. Too often, our industry prioritises the “wow” factor at the cost of predictability. But customers value trust and implementation more than anything. When we deliver flawlessly, we earn the right to innovate. Not before.
Leadership also means guiding the people who rely on us. Agencies need builders who can support them quietly but powerfully behind the scenes. Brands need expertise that helps them get more from their investment. Organisers need exhibitors who can deliver stands that are safe, sustainable and well-managed.
And leadership means raising the bar, not just meeting it. We’re investing heavily in design capability, in operational governance, in training, in technology, and in R&D. We want to show what’s possible when you combine creativity with commercial discipline and genuine sustainability.
You’ve emphasised culture and people as a core part of your 2028 strategy. Why is that so central to Tecna’s growth?
Simeon:
Because a strategy is only as strong as the people who bring it to life. You can have the best vision in the world, but if your team isn’t aligned, empowered, and inspired, it won’t go anywhere.
Our culture is built around incremental innovation, the belief that small improvements made consistently by everyone will lead to enormous progress over time. That requires every individual to understand their value, their purpose, and the impact of their work.
A designer creating a well-engineered T3 layout isn’t just drawing a stand, they’re saving materials, improving transport efficiency, and making a show day smoother for a customer. A project manager isn’t just coordinating deadlines; they’re protecting trust and creating an experience that makes a customer want to work with us again. A member of the install team isn’t just building something physical, they’re delivering the final, tangible moment of our brand promise.
Everyone here plays a critical role. There’s no hierarchy of importance, no “small jobs.” Every action affects the experience our clients have. When people see that clearly, they perform not just with skill, but with pride.
If we want to be the most trusted partner in our industry, trust has to start internally, with trust in each other, in our processes, and in our shared purpose.
Finally, looking towards 2028, what do you hope Tecna will be known for?
Simeon:
I hope people say, “Tecna is the team we rely on. They push us to make exceptional choices. They help us to achieve our sustainability goals. They design beyond our brief, tailoring stands to our objectives. They make our lives easier. And they help us stand out.”
I want us to be known for design that is both beautiful and brilliantly functional. For sustainability that is real, measurable and mature. For operations that are dependable, not dramatic. For relationships that feel like partnerships, not transactions. And for a culture where people genuinely love what they do and feel proud of the impact they make.
If we can scale our business whilst delighting customers, developing people, and leading the way in sustainable, scalable exhibition and retail design; then we’ve done something truly meaningful.
And the best part is, every person in this company will have helped make it happen.
