Hill & Partners Creative Director, Mark Holme saw the opportunity to create outstanding impact for each of the four brands simultaneously leveraging the 9,500+ square foot area they occupied collectively on the show floor. CEO, Michael McMahon, sat down with Holme to get his take on the project.

MM: “What was most challenging when you learned that Columbia was sending out an RFP?”
MH: “The pressure was on, with a completion date for the RFP presentation in less than two weeks! Designing four independent exhibits in a couple of weeks isn’t difficult, but considering them as a cohesive brand family sharing close proximity at the show added a layer of complexity.”

MM: “What did you do to get things rolling?”
MH: “First we had our internal project launch, where we have a ‘permission-to-speak-freely’ brainstorm session to tap the team for creative input. We considered design components and materials that would support the continuity between the four booth designs, while providing freedom to be brand-focused in each booth space.”

MM: “What dominated your thoughts during the process?”
MH: “You have these fantastic brands with exceptional market awareness and you know this is a wonderful opportunity. Budgets for the scope of the project were challenging and expectations on both sides were very high. We knew that these budgets would be as important as our ability to capture the unique essence of each brand.”

MM: “Doesn’t everyone say there’s not enough money?”

MH: “Yes, that’s typical. In this case, three of the four exhibits were turnkey rental solutions with very clear budget parameters, and the fourth was a refurbished custom exhibit. At the time we weren’t aware of the final show floor location. The presentation was limited to specific execution of exhibit design, while staying on-brand and on-budget to win the opportunity.”

MM: “Is producing a turnkey rental exhibit more difficult than designing and constructing a new exhibit?”
MH: “I wouldn’t say it’s more difficult, but when you want to have a unique brand statement that’s entirely on-point to the smallest detail, nothing beats the opportunity to design all new from the ground up. We have managed to stay in touch with our passion for custom solutions while incorporating rental inventory in ways that successfully turn heads on the show floor.”

MM: “Did everything work out as planned?”
MH: “It certainly did. Through the efforts of everyone on the team we were able to design on-budget compelling solutions for all four. We presented to the decision makers at Columbia Sportswear within two weeks. We were awarded both the project and the opportunity to design final solutions for all four brands that debuted in January, 2010 at the Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City, UT.”

After the Hill & Partners team competed and won the opportunity to provide solutions for all four brands at Outdoor Retailer Winter 2010, the real work started. Six weeks into the project details finally emerged about specific locations on the show floor. Each of the brands had opportunities to evaluate and provide input on their exhibit designs. By early December all four brands approached the final exhibit design phase. Soon after production commenced.

The Big Picture
Each of these four projects at the 2010 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market are prime examples of the marriage between excellent brand awareness and strong vision for the outcome of an event. The level of communication and attention to detail from the members of these four brands made all the difference when transforming design renderings into finished exhibits spanning 9,500 square feet.

You can see the strength that these powerhouse brands bring to the table when you take into account that they are all members of the same team. Through unique, sophisticated, and deliberate brand management these four brands have been able to maintain a sense of individuality in their marketing approaches while simultaneously being able to stand united. This project posed an exciting challenge for Hill & Partners and resulted in the production of innovative exhibits that tied together to embody theColumbia Sportswear family of brands.