January started off slow and steady, slow meaning time to catch up on admin that normally takes a back seat.

Then February has seen us hustling… and hustling hard! Which is right up our alley. We love working with all our clients and their various projects.

But while we were taking it relatively easy in January, we thought it was a great time to get stuck into our website which we’ve been wanting to do for ages.

Our website is now updated, and relevant to who Shades of Green is right now, and where we plan on going.

So please pop over and have a look – and you know, if you have something nice to say, please do!

All our best,
SOG Team x

According to Steve Lamar, Executive Vice President of the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA), “it is clear that Africa sits on the threshold of new opportunities for export diversification and regional integration in these industries”. The fact that Source Africa reveals Africa’s healthy economic growth over the past decade is what we love most about this specific tradeshow.

Source Africa goes beyond your usual trade exhibition – picture informative business seminars, networking functions, fashion shows and African country pavilions enabling you to explore and experience an all-encompassing range of African products and services.

And, if last year’s event is anything to go by, Source Africa 2017 is bound to be a successfully diverse exhibition. 2016 saw the two day trade exhibition featuring 183 exhibitors from 14 different countries namely Ethiopia, Kenya, Germany, Egypt, Madagascar, Lesotho, Mauritius, Tanzania, South Africa, USA, Zimbabwe, UK, Turkey and Nigeria.

*Images courtesy of Source Africa official website.

If you are as intrigued by this exhibition as we are, and you want to attend Source Africa 2017, click here to pre-register and find out further information:

Visit our Exhibition Gallery to find out about various exhibitions that you too could be a part of.

Contact us and let’s start SOURCing some ideas.

2017 Exhibition colour of the year: Greenery
According to Pantone, Greenery is a “fresh and zesty yellow green shade that evokes the first days of spring when nature’s greens revive, restore and renew”. Despite green being our favourite colour (for obvious reasons), we love how versatile this particular colour is. Picture fresh plant life, botanical wallpaper, graphics and flooring, bringing a sense of life to your next exhibition stand.

Sustainable exhibition stand designs:
Traditionally speaking, the events and exhibition industries are not the most environmentally friendly of industries. However, as we mentioned in Inspiration Station, sustainable exhibition designs are becoming increasingly popular worldwide. This involves the use of more sustainable processes and products when designing, manufacturing and implementing your final exhibition stand.

If you’re still not entirely sure what is meant by this, think reused, recycled and re-purposed materials and fabrics to create your next visually appealing exhibition stand. Incorporate elements of the 2017 colour trend and you are good to go.

Creating a virtual reality:
Digitisation along with immersive technology is fast becoming the key element to include in your overall exhibition stand design. The reason for this is simple – attract more customers, increase engagement and get visitors to explore your brand even more.

So, how can you create a virtual reality? Look to incorporate live streaming, interactive touch screens or experiential games to ensure exhibition-goers stop by your exhibition stand. Our post, Game On! elaborates on how an experiential game can be an effective addition to any exhibition stand.

Innovative lighting solutions:
This year, exhibition stands are deemed to become even more ingenious through the use of LED technology. Incorporating elements of this year’s sustainability trend, the use of recyclable lighting solutions is increasingly being used in exhibition stand designs around the world.

When contemplating how to attract visitors to your exhibition stand, be sure to consider the innovativeness of lighting and how it triggers a sense of emotion in exhibition-goers. Incorporating lighting that is smart, emotional and flexible, is bound to boost your exhibition stand and brand image as a whole.

So whether you are looking for a bit of colour, structural, technological or lighting inspiration let this year’s exhibition stand design trends guide you. Additionally, take a look at our Gallery to get a few more ideas for your next exhibition stand.

Pair these ideas with some of this year’s design trends and you are destined for success. Contact us to turn your concepts into reality.

Besides ensuring that your exhibition stand is designed and styled in an aesthetically appealing way, we look to provide unique and tailored interactive elements to lure attendants in. One of the most common entertainment elements incorporated in to an exhibition stand is that of experiential marketing games. These come in all shapes, sizes and forms. Think touch screen devices, rapid reaction screens, product demonstrations, “Spin the Wheel” competitions and much more. It simply comes down to our client’s willingness to hand over the creative ropes to us.

Most recently the Shades of Green team incorporated a touch of experiential marketing into an exhibition stand done for NATMED at the RCOG which was held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from the 20th March 2017 to the 22nd March 2017. For this particular stand, a giant wire loop game was designed and constructed to attract conference attendees and increase overall interaction with the NATMED stand.

The overall aim of the wire loop game was for contestants to test just how steady their hands actually are. For many participants, the game was a lot harder than it appeared and this can be seen in the following video.

Overall, the inclusion of the wire loop game in to the NATMED stand proved very successful. Participants had far too much fun, spectators were entertained and the NATMED stand was admired. We encourage all our clients to stand out, engage with their audience and leave a lasting legacy.

Contact us for assistance with your exhibition stand and let’s get your game on.

The tradeshow comprises of 3 main sections namely Maison, Objet and more recently, Influences. The Maison section presents a range of interior décor while the Objet section is considered to be the trade show’s “concept store” making it ideal for retailers from across the globe. The show’s unique Influences section is one that was introduced to assist with communicating and demonstrating a variety of innovative, up and coming creations.

Maison & Objet is an experience, enabling people from all corners of the earth, to arrive and discover a world of the unexpected. If you’re looking to grow your brand, look no further, as Maison & Objet is considered to be “a springboard for brand growth”. The next show is due to be held from 8 – 12 September 2017 in Paris and from what we’ve gathered it’s definitely something to be added to the bucket list!

To get a taste of what Maison & Objet is all about, have a look at this video that has captured a few of the highlights from this year’s January show.

Head on over to our Exhibition Gallery and browse through some of the innovative exhibition work done by the Shades of Green team.

Contact us and let’s discuss how we can assist you with your up and coming exhibition.

The Shades of Green team have been truly inspired by the following sustainable exhibition designs from around the world:

Urban Spa by WeNew Innovation – Sao Paulo, Brazil (2014)

According to the co-founders of WeNew Innovation, Michelle Souza and Vivian Grieco, Urban Spa was designed to create a space that replicates a more stripped and irreverent kind of spa as opposed to the conventional luxury spas that exist across the world.
In this particular exhibition, WeNew has made use of everyday urban elements such as reused palettes, sidewalk concrete blocks and street asphalt to construct their design. These have been combined with organic spa elements to install the idea that “welfare can be anywhere at any time” – Michelle Souza, Experience Designer and Co-Founder of WeNew Innovation.

http://www.archello.com/en/project/urban-spa

Helden der Stadt by yalla! yalla! – Ludwigshaven, Germany (2015)

Helden der Stadt (heroes of the city) makes use of 1200 green vegetable crates stacked in such a way that it creates a walk-through installation.
The uniqueness of this particular exhibition is demonstrated through the fact that yalla! yalla! have avoided the conventional way of displaying an exhibition, otherwise known as the concept of “white walls”. Instead, vegetable crates are used as an everyday object to divide the exhibition into different sections displaying different topics.
The overall aim of this exhibition was to demonstrate the transition towards a more sustainable society and the rise of the do-it-yourself culture.

http://www.designboom.com/architecture/yalla-yalla-studio-helden-der-stadt-exhibition-ludwigshafen-germany-07-03-2015/

Recyclable Planet by Giancarlo Zema Design Group – Milan, Italy (2013)

Recyclable Planet is an example of an eco-design exhibition made entirely out of recycled cardboard.
Promoted by the Origami Furniture brand, Recyclable Planet was designed to represent an imaginery ecoplanet showcasing their eco-friendly furniture brand.
Inspiration for this particular exhibition was drawn from America’s Grand Canyon. If you look closely enough, you will see how the exhibition incorporates the stratifications found along the canyon’s rock in to the different elements of the overall exhibition.

http://www.giancarlozema.com/recyclable-planet/

Bamboobooth by Vo Trong Nghia Architects – Hanoi, Vietnam (2012)

Exhibited at the 2012 Vietnam Architecture Exhibition, Bamboobooth is an example of a mono-material exhibition stand that was constructed using 500 stacked bamboos.
The exhibition was designed to create a log type house that experiments with the use of natural, local materials.
Bamboobooth encapsulates what is meant by sustainable design and it represents the core of Vietnamese architectural expression.

http://www.archdaily.com/233612/bamboo-booth-2012-vo-trong-nghia

Drawing on this, we too have applied the concept of sustainable design to one of our own Shades of Green exhibition stands:

Van Dyck Carpets – Decorex, Durban (2015)

Van Dyck Carpets is committed to improving their carbon performance in order to have a more positive impact on the environment. As a result, we created this exhibition stand for Van Dyck at the Decorex exhibition in Durban.
This is a prime example of a sustainable exhibition design as it is made entirely out of Xanita, a 100% upcycled, ultra-lightweight and non-toxic fibreboard.

We realize it can be difficult to construct an exhibition stand that is made completely out of sustainable materials, but incorporating at least one sustainable element is better than nothing at all. Hopefully you have been as inspired by these sustainable exhibition designs as we have.

For more exhibition inspiration, be sure to take a look at our Exhibition Gallery and keep a look out for our next post on Inspiration Station.

Contact us for all your experiential marketing requirements, we turn concepts into reality.

54sqm BARD Exhibition Stand at the 34th World Congress of Endourology and SWL (WCE, 2016) held in Cape Town

“Now that the dust has settled I would to thank you & your team for putting together a very professional booth for us at the WCE.” Brendan Marshall, Business Unit Manager – BMD & BBS

“Just a big thank you from me too! The stand was perfect and looked really top professional – we most definitely made a statement.” Zandre van der Schyff, Business Unit Director – Prostate Brachytherapy & Bard Care

Flora wins Gold for the most innovative stand and Silver for the best custom stand at The Good Food and Wine Show in Cape Town.

54sqm CCG Systems Exhibition Stand at the Institute of Municipal Finance Officers Annual Conference (IMFO 2016) held in Durban. The CCG Exhibition Stand won a Gold award for best exhibition stand.

“Hi Kylie, thank you. We couldn’t have done it without you” Edeline Musadziruma, Business Development Administrator

Shades of Green had a few of their own highlights too:

Christmas came early for our Director Kylie and her family with the birth of their first born child in December.

Our lovely Nicole got engaged to her gorgeous fiancé in Thailand.

Shades of Green settled into a new home in the leafy suburbs of Hillcrest. We are now settled and looking forward to having friends of the industry stop in for coffee.

We released our new branding at the end of 2016 and will be rolling it out in the first half of this year. We hope you love our new logo as much as we do.

For more images of our 2016 year please view our Gallery.

2016 was an amazing year and we are so looking forward to the year ahead as our calendar is lining up with great things. We wish everyone a prosperous 2017 and hope to touch base with you soon.

Don’t forget to like us on Facebook and contact us for all your experiential marketing requirements, we turn concepts into reality.

Shades of Green has partnered with a few clients in this manner, we conceptualise a solution that is tailored to each client and their specific needs. We look at the exhibition calendar and locations of the various conferences before designing, keeping in mind the bottom line. Reusability doesn’t have to mean boring, our design encompasses creativity and functionality by incorporating custom and interchangeable features.

Our approach is to create value in both the product we design and deliver and the way in which we execute our service.

Contact us for all your experiential marketing requirements, we turn concepts into reality.

Shades of Green partnered with Verve Marketing and Communications (the creatives behind the activation) to produce and project manage the infrastructure of the campaign. We created a fun environment in various malls for Moms and children, to raise awareness about climate change.

The interactive space was made up of a 1 minute walk through an indigenous tree path bringing to the forefront the reality of deforestation. The signs leading up to the activation told a story of how many trees are cut down every minute in a tangible association to rugby fields. At the end of the path Moms and Children were met by promoters who showed the parents how to “tweet for a tree” on the iPads, while the children placed their thumbprint on a bare tree wall symbolising their pledge for a brighter future (allowing the tree to bloom over the days). A provoking multi-media presentation (Farewell to the Forest – a film by Unilever) was played on a video wall and carried the message that a tree might be safer in the city than in the forests. As a reward for participating in the activation and to ignite a sense of taking climate action, Moms were given a card made of seed paper (indigenous flowers) that could be planted at home.

Aligning with our company philosophy, we were delighted to be involved in a project that not only required our expertise in producing and project managing an exhibition stand but also with applying our green stamp.

The Unilever brightFuture mall activations took place at Sandton City in Johannesburg, at Gateway in Durban and Tygervalley mall in Cape Town. Check out the Gallery…

Contact us for all your experiential marketing requirements, we turn concepts into reality.

The inspired design was crafted by Opus 3 creative Ltd for Marketing Manchester / MAG and VisitBritain. Although the space was shared between the two organisations, the design for each was completely independent of each other:

Marketing Manchester / MAG
The stand took on the theme of origami paper planes. The main architecture featured a “floating” 7 meter dart paper plane (with a 6 meter wing span) engineered out of kraft paper board supported by feature bulkheads and a 4 meter high supporting plane. The eye-catching angles of the stand were exaggerated by use of the clients colour palette and graphics. While the stands architecture loured in attendees the interior created an open feel with clean lines bathed in white light.

VisitBritain / Visit England
The red and white exhibit featured large open inviting arches spanning the width and length of the stand with striking signage. The interior included a bespoke seating area for exhibiting partners (inspired by the St George’s Cross) with high gloss white benches, pantone upholstery and tables washed in red LED’s. The stand also boasted a contemporary meeting room with a glass façade and reception counter. Although the design was simpler in its execution, it was no less impactful than its flying neighbour, enhanced by radiant lighting aligned to clean functional contemporary design.

Check out our gallery to see more photos of the Marketing Manchester / MAG and VisitBritain Exhibition Stand at World Routes 2015.

Shades of Green and Opus 3 creative Ltd are committed to delivering outstanding service and surpassing every client’s expectation. Whether your exhibition stand is local or abroad we have you covered.

For all exhibition enquiries please contact Kylie van Staden at Shades of Green: kylie@sgevents.co.za

For all international exhibition enquiries please contact Ian Ward at our global partner Opus 3 creative Ltd: Ian@opus3creative.co.uk

South Africa commemorates Women’s Month in August as a tribute to the thousands of women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956 in protest against the extension of Pass Laws to women.

This historic march was a turning point in the role of women in the struggle for freedom and society at large. Since that eventful day, women from all walks of life became equal partners in the struggle for a non-racial and non-sexist South Africa.

Women’s Day is a special occasion for Shades of Green; we not only recognise the remarkable ladies who made history in 1956 but also bow down to all women of the 21st century. The struggles of yesterday seem incomprehensible but being a millennial woman is no walk in the park either. We are honoured to work alongside such fantastic women; those employed those that consultant, those who pay the bills and of course the Moms who raise all these empowered women.

Being a “women” owned & run company means that Shades of Green gets to brag a little extra. We congratulate Kylie for being selected as one of the Top 40 Women in MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) in South Africa by Meetings Magazine. Kylie is the epitome of the quote “dreams don’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work”.

Happy Women’s Day! We wish you a day as beautiful as you are…

Contact us for all your Exhibition & Event needs and let us show you the power of a women’s touch.

We have conceptualised, designed, manufactured and built some really interesting Exhibition Stands over the last few months, including stands for:

• Van Dyck at Decorex Durban which was held at the Durban Exhibition Centre, 18-22 March 2015. We designed and built a replica of their “torture tunnel” using X-Board which is made from post-consumer recycled cellulose fibres such as sugar cane bagasse and kraft cardboard boxes.
• Baxter at the South African Society of Anaesthesiologists (SASA) 2015 Congress which was held at Durban ICC, 22-24 March 2015. This stand included a functional networking set up with a combination of modern lounge style seating and a work space for browsing the internet or recharging tablets and phones whilst having a barista style coffee or smoothie.
• Trade & Investment KwaZulu-Natal for Automechanika which was held at Nasrec, Johannesburg Expo Centre, 6-9 May 2015.
• Gondwana, Gooderson Leisure, African Synergy and Trade & Investment KwaZulu Natal for the Indaba at Durban ICC and Exhibition Centre, 9-11 May 2015. These stands included combinations of system and custom infrastructure, custom and rental furniture, wall paper, and tension fabric branding each to accommodate client’s specific budgets and requirements.
• Durban Pavilion (A joint venture stand for Trade & Investment KwaZulu-Natal, Tongaat Hulett and Tourism KwaZulu-Natal) and NMC for the South African Property Association Convention (SAPOA) held at Durban ICC, 19-21 May 2015. NMC was our second successful eco stand using X-Board.
• Trade & Investment KwaZulu-Natal for the Food & Hospitality World, held at the Cape Town ICC, 26-28 May 2015.
• Flora Gold for Taste of Cape Town and Good Food & Wine Show, held at the Green Point Cricket Club (10-12 April) and the Cape Town ICC (26-28 May).This innovative and trendy X-Board design (designed by our client Tag Marketing & Promotions) won Gold at the GF&WS. The combination X-Board and custom stand will be used at various exhibitions this year.
• CIA for NAMA INDABA which was held in Durban at Southern Sun Elangeni, 10-12 June 2015.
• SA Power Services for KZN Industrial Expo, held at the Durban Exhibition Centre, 9 – 12 June 2015. A backlit tension fabric stand with branded plinths gave the brand a professional look and feel.
• Trade & Investment KwaZulu-Natal for SAITEX which was held at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg, 21 – 23 June 2015.

We can blink and see Christmas already with all that is lined up for the remainder of the year. We look forward to sharing our journey along the way.

Contact us for all your Exhibition & Event needs.

Shades of Green Exhibitions completed building the exhibition infrastructure for the JD Edwards Summit today. The summit is an event for Oracle customers and partners organised by Pottershand at Southern Sun Elangeni. The client requested an innovative way in which the Oracle partners could consult with their customers in an exhibition environment without using outdated shell scheme. Without hesitation we had an affordable and trendy solution for the client which worked within the confined space of a hotel (tension fabric branded backdrops).

Our team also completed an outdoor installation for one of our regular customers, PPC at the Shield Exhibition (MTN Expo Centre, Gauteng). The client wanted the space and freedom to network with some of the 300 members attending the exhibition, in particular to obtain leads and offer promotional prices. Shades of Green provided the client with a functional networking setup with a combination of low, soft seating for more consultative discussions and high casual seating to lure in the more discerning customer. We also built our innovative concrete block coffee tables and bar counter which PPC really love.

Shades of Green will be in Gauteng again this weekend for the Johannesburg CosRen Event as well as attending the Event Green Forum AGM.

We have hit the ground running and feel extremely positive that 2015 will be a year for great things. We look forward to working with old friends and making new ones so don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss your event and exhibition requirements for the year or better yet, come and have a coffee with us at our new offices in March.

Wishing you all an amazing, fulfilling and prosperous 2015.

Contact us for all your Exhibition & Event needs.

For Shades of Green it is all about constant communication, attention to detail and generally going above and beyond to ensure the companies 100% success rate is maintained.

Shades of Green has worked with companies, associations, organisations and agencies from all industries, building exhibition pavilions at the last hour, supplying portable exhibition stands across the border, constructing exhibitions in the deepest townships and organising the most prestigious events. There really isn’t anything that Shades of Green can’t do.

When it comes to exhibition and event management, international or local, high end budgets or mall activations you can rest assured that your exhibitions or events are in the hands of real people who care about what you think.

To see what some of our clients think, have a look at the Shades of Green home page or contact us for references.

For the 3rd consecutive year, Shades of Green managed the design, construction and budget of the exhibition, as well as handing all individual exhibitor requests.

“I wanted to start by thanking you all so much for everything you did in making the Soccerex African Forum 2014 a success. I feel like I write the same email to you every year, purely as each year you go beyond expectations and we are so grateful for your professionalism and service throughout.” – Joe Martin, Exhibition Manager, Soccerex.

Check out our Gallery to see more photos of the Soccerex African Forum.

Please contact Shades of Green Exhibitions for more information on the various packages on offer. Whether hosting a small stand at an exhibition, a complete exhibition or any exhibition related requirements – we have the right package for you!

Shades of Green Exhibitions are committed to delivering outstanding service and surpassing every client’s expectation. For more information on how Shades of Green Exhibitions can help with your exhibition stand requirements follow this link:

Custom & System Exhibition Stands – Exhibition Management & Exhibition Stand Builders

Each SAACI branch (Eastern Cape, Western Cape, KwaZulu Natal and Northern Territories) is responsible to host an annual congress in their province. It was KZN’s turn to host the SAACI 2014 Congress and Exhibition in the chosen destination of St Lucia, iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

The Local Organising Committee (LOC) from SAACI appointed Shades of Green Events and Exhibitions to do an environmental audit as part of a sponsorship agreement.

Shades of Green Events and Exhibitions interviewed the LOC prior to the Congress in order to establish an understanding of what environmental measures the committee had put in place during the planning stage of the Congress. Shades of Green Events and Exhibitions then performed an on-site inspection during the event, using the findings in the report. The key areas that the report looked at were:

• Waste Reduction and effective management
• Energy Efficiency
• Water minimisation
• Transport
• Eco Procurement
• Venue & Accommodation
• Communication, Awareness & Training
• Social and Economic Development
• Biodiversity
• Monitoring and Reporting

Attending the congress gave the Shades of Green team the opportunity to network and keep up to date with the latest developments in the conference and meetings industry.

Shades of Green Events & Exhibitions are committed to delivering outstanding service and surpassing every client’s expectation. For more information on how Shades of Green Events & Exhibitions can help you with your environmental audits or carbon footprint analysis please don’t hesitate to contact us.

To showcase a selection of 2014 exhibition stands we have updated the gallery to highlight our key exhibition services:

• Exhibition Management (management of exhibitions, from a single exhibition stand to a full exhibition)
• Exhibition Stand Building (portable, system or custom exhibition stands)
• Exhibition Design (3D renders and graphic design)
• Exhibition Infrastructure (shell scheme, marquees, flooring etc.)
• Exhibition Printing (digital and fabric printing)
• Exhibition Furniture and Specialised Décor (rentable or custom made)
• Exhibition Audio Visual (all technical equipment)
• Exhibition Staffing
• Exhibition Greening (Eco Audits & Carbon Foot Print Analysis)

Please contact Shades of Green Exhibitions for more information on the various packages on offer. Whether hosting a small stand at an exhibition, a complete exhibition or any exhibition related requirements – we have the right package for you!

Shades of Green Exhibitions are committed to delivering outstanding service and surpassing every client’s expectation. For more information on how Shades of Green Exhibitions can help with your exhibition stand requirements follow this link:

Custom & System Exhibition Stands – Exhibition Management & Exhibition Stand Builders