Ask anyone who has attended a large gaming convention such as E3 or PAX Prime and they will tell you how amazing the booths can be. Companies spend a great deal of time and money creating interesting and elaborate booths designed to attract the attentions of those in attendance and to drive up the awareness of the games that are being promoted.
Recently I spoke with Wayne Leonard, Partner, Senior Account Director at KenwoodX about the award winning design they did for Square Enix at E3 2015
How did the design come about?
The 2014 booth evolved from previous designs. We’ve worked with this client for almost 17 years on E3, and each year we start with the practical considerations: mainly, what should we feature? The “backstage” area hosts VIP meeting rooms and a stylish hospitality area. The front is the showcase.
Many booths feature a flown video wall that shows trailers and special promo videos to attract attention. We pulled our video screen to the ground and produced a more intimate connection with the content, via a large 12’ x 24’ LED screen. Once in the booth, we created activities that foster an ebb and flow of energy. We had a live battle arena where four groups of players could come together to defeat the bad “boss” – complete with a shout caster giving play-by-play commentary for the audience. We provided 30 custom kiosks for hands-on gaming. Three unique theaters housed back-to-back live demos of upcoming titles. And, for the audience outside the convention center, we developed a broadcast studio in our booth to web stream live from the show floor via Square’s YouTube channel.
With so many exciting elements, however, it’s easy to become cluttered. To avoid this, we used an open-plaza approach. The entire booth felt welcoming. Standing in it, you could see all the points of interest from any given viewpoint.
Also, without unlimited funds, we must be smart and practical. Our designs install quickly, are modular to adapt to smaller events, and can be reconfigured for future events.
How much time did you have to construct it?
Fabrication took 3-4 weeks.
As someone who attends many trade shows, I am always amazed at how elaborate and detailed the booths area. Can you tell us about how long it took to transport, setup, and then take down?
We fabricated in the Portland area, and it took two days to get to Los Angeles. Load in, set up, and rehearsals took about 8 days, all before the doors opened. After running for 3 days, we took another 3 days to pack up and leave.
What were the themes that Square Enix said were essential and how did you set about to capture them?
We focused on the theme that each Square Enix franchise is an amazing story that keeps unfolding over time. Not only do the stories within the games unfold with each chapter, but as titles move through the development phase, new information is released to the public. E3 is ground zero to play new titles and hear updates about those still in development. Our theme manifested in a visual approach to the art direction on the signage and digital branding. Our LED wall featured custom interstitial animation that let one trailer “unfold” to reveal the next one. With the physical properties, guests always discovered something unfolding as they progressed through the booth.
How many booths had you done prior and what do you have next?
Too many to count! In the game business, we’ve been at every E3. For the very first E3, we worked with PlayStation and EA. Prior to that, we were doing Sega at CES. In addition to E3, we have worked with clients at PAX and Comic-Con. For Square, our expertise is evident in that many elements are modular, allowing us to bring a fully branded experience to a smaller show like PAX.
As for what’s next… we’re doing the PSX show in San Francisco and planning for E3 2016. Additionally, we’re working on non-trade show projects around a AAA title announcement, as well organizing a community event for 4,000 fans — 2016 is shaping up to be an exciting year for KenwoodX!
