China Petroleum Technology & Development Corporation (CPTDC), a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), is the largest supplier of Chinese petroleum and petrochemical materials and equipment in the world.
THE STORY
In 2014, the company sought a display fabricator to partner with them to build its 40’x60′ vision for the Global Petroleum Show (now known as the Global Energy Show). Because they had committed to attending GPS for a few more years, they were looking for a long-term partnership.
At 40ft w x 16ft h x 60ft d, the exhibit plans were impressive. The build called for a custom 30ft w x 15ft h x 13ft d tower that included a 16 monitor video wall, a storage room, and a meeting room with a frosted glass wall. Large pieces of equipment needed to be accommodated but the environment needed to be comfortable without feeling industrial.
Our relationship with Dolphin International Media and CPTDC started over lunch when they sent their account manager Andy O’Hare on a trip from Beijing, China, to Calgary to interview local display builders. We had no idea that this would be the beginning of a partnership that has continued to grow stronger over the last six years.
Andy needed to be confident in his choice of an exhibit house as he would be managing the project from overseas. He was impressed by our knowledgeable and experienced team. After seeing samples of our work and spending time in our in-house design, print production, and custom fabrication departments, he was confident that we were the reliable partner that could bring their client’s exhibit to life.
THE CHALLENGES
There were several challenges the project faced, including limiting CPTDC’s exposure to risk, communicating between cultures and languages, working between multiple time zones, the exhibit’s technical requirements, and ensuring a turnkey result on opening day while remaining on budget.
CPTDC is an active exhibitor globally, but GPS is the only show CPTDC attends in Calgary. Together we quickly decided that it didn’t make sense to ship a custom booth across the ocean for the event every year. 2014 had already been marked by labour disputes in Vancouver, bringing the international movement of displays into Canada to a halt. Receiving certificates of compliance for the materials used when building in China also takes time. The client wanted to limit their exposure to risk and potential complications moving towards looming show deadlines. The decision was made to build in Calgary.
THE SOLUTIONS
- The build was planned so that multiple assets would be constructed with reuse in mind—the lifespan of each piece needed to be a minimum of five years.
- The amortization of the initial investment was extended over five years, making this a cost-effective solution.
- The display’s core pieces are stored from year to year rather than building new components each year.
- Display pieces, including walls and lightboxes, are updated annually with new graphics and messaging.
- Choosing a Calgary firm supported their budget, their aversion to risk, and ensured consistency in subsequent years.
THE FINAL DISPLAY
The exhibit’s bold external walls were impressive from aisles away with 15ft tall full colour decal graphic panels: hanging structures, double-sided lightboxes, multiple product stands, reception counters, and an eye-catching backlit bar complete the comprehensive list of features in the space. CPTDC’s exhibit could be seen from every angle in the BMO Centre and stood out amongst the crowd.
CPTDC and Dolphin Media know that they can count on our team to handle every aspect of the display from printing, building the structure on-site, and ensuring the exhibit space is trade show perfect!