The recently combined Stanco, Opex Group, Early Action Group (EAG), Exposystems and Excel Invision businesses, all key suppliers to the events and exhibition industry, launched their new group branding at the Exhibition News Awards last Friday at the Business Design Centre, Islington.

  Talking to Exhibition News magazine, Group chief executive Steve Barratt says: “We spent a lot of time researching this brand and did a lot of market research into what we needed to deliver going forward. As we acquire more companies, we can integrate those into our new group branding without any issues. It’s also not a reconfiguration of existing brands but the launch of a new name for company with a new vision, that does what customers require and addresses where the market is.”

  Our new umbrella logo and identity embodies the new groups vision. It’s a striking and fresh logo which represents the coming together of the different companies, but also movement and energy – there’s a lot of running around involved in making things happen quickly in the set up of exhibitions!

We have also created a series of 10 subbrands for different services within the company such as SO Wired and SO Simple. “The subdivisions are being designed to help people outside our industry better understand the services we provide and clear up the process of delivering to exhibitors and visitors,” Barratt continued.

The accompanying visual language or ‘brand property’ we have also created is based around the O’s of the logo which when used in different patterns and sequences imply a chain reaction, and a coming together of people who work together as a team to make it all happen.

  The logo and identity brings the vision alive and feels bold and clean. It has been expressed on the recently designed stationery, and will be developed across publications and adverts we are also working on.

More news and visuals on our main website soon, but in the meantime here’s some snapshots from Friday’s Exhibition News awards.