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modem · Ludwigsburg

DecisionDecision

PlanningPlanning

PresentationPresentation

SystemsSystemsLife shows us just what systems can do. Whether we

have to find our way through a road junction, looking

for information on which to base our decisions, how

the spider weaves its web with an amazing precision

it needs for survival, or the way we phrase our

comments in order to insure their impact: systems

provide efficiency and effectiveness. They set standards

where they are helpful and save time which we then

can devote to individual problems. It was to these

ends that, more than 30 years ago, OCTANORM

started to specialize in the creation of intelligent sy-

stems intended to give exhibition constructors,

planners, agencies and architects, shopfitters and interior

designers the scope necessary for their work. The

eight key concepts underlying these developments:

illusion, function, structure, material, speed, proportion,

aesthetics and light – are discussed in this brochure.

They are the main concerns of our partners and

customers. Do you share their interests?

Illusion

[ILLUSION. delusion, new and wrong interpretation of sense impressions

on account of expectations, desires and emotions]

The perfect illusion. The

magic of virtual reality.

Our lives are an illusion:

people imagine that they

are living in their own,

personal reality which

in the end is no more

than subjective

wishful thinking – in this

age of the multimedia

communication more so

than ever. We respond to

illusions as they create a world

of fantasy and adventure which

provide emotional escapes from

the routine of our daily lives.

OCTANORM systems are the foundation of

your individual worlds of illusion – in exhibitions,

at events, in shops, stores and showrooms – for

enhancing any object. Whatever shape, colour or

finish you require and whatever ambience you

wish to create – OCTANORM systems will help turn

your ideas into reality.

Professor Holste, do trade fairs rely too much

on the creation of illusions?

Holste: I don’t think the term »illusions« is the

right choice of words here. We don’t create dre-

am worlds, magic or tricks. However, it is true

that exhibitions and special events rely increa-

singly on the creation of illusions. We create our

own experience worlds using all the means at our

disposal. .

OCTANORM: Do visitors expect illusion?

Holste: I’d express it differently. I’d say that the

audience expects, even demands, drama. All

aspects of a presentation need to work well

together to create an overarching image, alt-

hough I’ve also observed certain phenomena

such as at the last radio and TV show, where visi-

tors crowded around internationally famous stars.

There was indeed some show business – and il-

lusion – in that.

OCTANORM: How do you define »experience

worlds« at a show?

Holste: A production needs to take essential

factors into account: 1. the so-called instrumental

benefits, i. e., factually oriented information and

2. the so-called emotional benefits, where outside

stimuli and psychological phenomena play a

significant role. Our job is to unite these two

factors in one production.

OCTANORM: What will the exhibition stands of

the future look like?

Holste: The trend is towards total theatre, i. e.,

so-called human architecture. Exhibitors need to

realize that people want, and are demanding to

be, the focus of attention, although it’s someti-

mes a struggle persuading exhibitors of this fact.

Visitors to exhibitions are constantly evolving as a

group. This is the logical result of changing pat-

terns of consumption and intake of visual stimuli

– the latter, of course, strongly affected by the el-

ectronic media. By the way, these media aren’t in

competition with special events, exhibitions, and

fairs. To the contrary: they provide us with in-

spiration for new ideas.

Professor Carl Hoste, 56,

designs exhibition stands,

showrooms and special

events. His studio, which

is located in Hannover,

Germany, also sees to the

logistics of the events and

spaces designed there, up

to and including the

moment the project is

handed over to the client.

His firm counts among its

clients multinational

companies such as Astra

(1,500 square meter booth

at the 1997 radio and TV

show) McCain, Mercedes

Benz and Rutenbeck

(telephone accessories).

FunctionIt works! Is there a more

positive experience? Factors

to be considered and puzzles,

experiments and tests – and

finally success! Function is one

of mankind’s most primeval

experiences. It confirms and

spurs us on to new challenges.

However, as always, it is the

result of hard work. The

OCTANORM development

department often experiments

for weeks and months, and

conducts trials with partners

and experts before a product is

ready to go into production. The

customers are the ultimate

judges. Sometimes their needs

and wishes for an optimum

solution can even render a new

product quickly obsolete. But

that is the way we like it to be.

[FUNCTION: special effectiveness

in a larger context]

The OCTANORM principle of

function is to have the least

number of components with

the maximum of possibilities.

Mr. Pionke, how long have you worked in the field of

trade fair exhibition building?

Pionke: I’ve been in the business for ten years now. Previous

to that, as I am a qualified mechanic, I worked a lot with com-

puters. But I didn’t want to work in an office or workshop any

more. I like this »gypsy life«.

OCTANORM: There’s a growing trend towards custom-built

trade fair exhibition stands. Has your work changed because

of this?

Pionke: It certainly has. The work has become more difficult,

time-consuming and strenuous. The architects and stand

designers should spend more time discussing the projects with

those of us who have to build them. But even with the

standardized booth systems, a great deal of individuality can

be achieved. These systems save me a lot of time, which I then

invest in building booths where custom-building is unavoidable.

OCTANORM: Are the systems perfect?

Pionke: They are sophisticated, not perfect. In this respect too,

my appeal to the architects and designers is a valid one: Take

more time to talk to the builders! The better communication

between us, the better the results.

Hans Joachim Pionke (see photo, bottom right) is project

manager at a large German trade fair exhibition builder.

Structure

[STRUCTURE: a branch of mechanics

dealing with the analysis of the

conditions required to keep the for-

ces acting on a body in equilibrium;

the basis for all calculations con-

cerning the construction of buil-

dings]

Mr. Anlauff, which fascinated

you more as a child, the

seesaw or the jungle gym?

Anlauff: I’ll have to admit it was

the jungle gym. Even when I was a

university student, I was more

interested in the art and architectonic side of things.

This conflict was resolved later on. A balanced structure

can definitely lead to economy of means and thereby

make a significant contribution to elegance.

OCTANORM: Do you occasionally still come into

conflict with the design?

Anlauff: The whole subject of balanced structure is far

from unproblematic in the field of exhibition construc-

tion, as designers increasingly create stands that try to

appeal primarily to the eye. And design is going to

become more and more important.

OCTANORM: But the safety regulations are quite strict.

Anlauff: That’s right. At least they are in Germany and

some other European countries, where two different

structural engineers have to carry out an inspection of

each exhibition stand. In other countries, they’re more

relaxed about these things. But Germany is exemplary in

terms of recycling the same system materials again at

other venues.

OCTANORM: How do you satisfy customers’ requests

for booths comprised of increasingly wide spans?

Anlauff: That’s another megatrend – nobody wants to

have supports in their booth any more. Here system

builders have an important responsibility, as without sy-

stem components, spans of over five meters are al-

most impossible to achieve.

Engineer Horst Anlauff ranks internationally

among the leading architects and structural engi-

neers. The 63 year-old Anlauff has developed

reinforced concrete components with a high load

capacity and a wide range of exhibition construc-

tion configurations. He has also been head engi-

neer for the construction of office building for

many well-known corporations.

Dieser Blindtext stellt – mal wieder, wie

langweilig – den späteren echten Text

dar. Er zeigt die typografische Wirkung

des Gestaltungselements

The desire for

the unusual and the

unexpected converts the

modern exhibition stand or event staging into

worlds of experience demanding the highest structural

standards. Whether it is a two-storey stand or a massive presentation wall – the

strength of the individual components and their connections, as well as the delicate

equilibrium between the forces involved, are all intended to provide the highest safety

standards; and in spite of all this, the components must be capable of being assembled

and dismantled in the shortest possible time. The key to this is »system«.