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From the outside, exhibit conference rooms often comprise little more than opaque – and uninteresting – walls and doors. Like old-time speakeasies, these nondescript exteriors offer few clues as to the elegance and excitement often housed within. However, if secrecy isn't a serious concern for client meetings, why not add a little flair and make your conference room's exterior a bit more inviting, not to mention a whole lot more interesting? Featuring everything from colored Plexiglas to inflatable walls, these six conference rooms offer a fresh take on otherwise tedious exteriors. By Linda Armstrong

 

Green Scene
Exhibitor: Zykronix Inc.
Show: Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA)
Design: Abex Display Systems, San Fernando, CA, 800-537-0231, www.abex.com


The show floor may have been chock-full of cutting-edge home-entertainment systems, but this green-acrylic space offered a quiet respite while still retaining a high-tech aesthetic befitting the Zykronix Inc. brand.

 

Positive Pairing
Exhibitor: Softspace; Trussworks by BGB
Show: EXHIBITORLIVE
Design: Softspace, Columbia, TN, 931-380-8845, www.softspace1.com; Trussworks by BGB, Oakland, CA, 510-534-7500, www.trussworks.com


Two exhibitors paired up to offer this clean, uncluttered space. White Celtiec framing from Trussworks by BGB formed some of the walls and ceiling, while other walls comprised a clear acrylic with frosted vinyl graphics.

PHOTO: Ray Schram Photography

Mini Meeter
Exhibitor: Landa Corp.
Show: Drupa
Design: Goodall Design, Dorking, Surrey, United Kingdom, 44-1306-741-553, www.goodalldesign.com

While massive conference spaces are nice, they're usually not necessary. This little gem provides all the requirements via neutral, black furniture and unassuming white walls. Plus, transparent panels in the exhibitor's corporate-blue hue sidestep any hint of cramped confines.

PHOTO: Padgett and Company Inc.

Blank Slate
Exhibitor: Edens
Show: International Council of Shopping Centers Recon
Design: Lorenc+Yoo Design, Roswell, GA, 770-645-2828, www.lorencyoodesign.com

For a company like Edens, which develops community-oriented shopping centers, each project starts from a blank slate. This pristine space featuring slick surfaces and modern accoutrements replicated that starting point, allowing clients to put their own custom stamps on their properties.

PHOTO: Excalibur Exhibits, a Swords company

Double Delivery
Exhibitor: Oil States Industries Inc.
Show: Offshore Europe Conference and Exhibition
Design: Excalibur Exhibits, a Swords Company, Houston, 844-298-2732, www.excaliburexhibits.com

Privacy concerns and aesthetic demands are conquered concurrently with this one-off space. Two squared-off walls at the back of the environment form a solid background, and two curved semitransparent structures at the front offer seclusion and easy access via a sliding Plexiglas door.



PHOTO: Kohlhaas Messebau GmbH & Co. KG

Open-Air Awesomeness
Exhibitor: Schattdecor AG
Show: Interzum
Design: Kohlhaas Messebau GmbH & Co. KG, Germering, Germany, 49-89-45-76-60, www.kohlhaas-messebau.de

Surrounded by Schattdecor AG's surfacing products, this inviting conference area walked the line between a business briefing room and a modern farmhouse kitchen. Nevertheless, it oozed quiet sophistication and maintained a laser focus on Schattdecor's wares.
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