ention the word "beer," and most people conjure images of everything from kegs and cases to tailgating and frat parties. But BeerBev LLC is about as "frat party" as Bieber is "wholesome gentleman." In fact, the provider of engineering and project-consulting services doesn't actually brew beer. Rather, it helps breweries and beverage providers improve efficiency, effectiveness, and results. So for Drinktec 2013, BeerBev asked Ueberholz GmbH to craft an open, inviting exhibit that hinted at its beer-based roots, but that also communicated the firm's strategic and technological expertise.

Pairing no-nonsense aesthetics with high-tech accoutrements, the resulting 43-by-49-foot design featured 19.5-foot-tall walls comprising transparent fabric scrim that defined the footprint yet maintained an airy space. Within the walls, a 29.5-foot-long beer-service counter served as a hospitality zone, and a voluminous header above housed a media wall that played a company- capabilities video and highlighted BeerBev's offerings.

Behind the counter, attendees discovered a media wall depicting a typical brewery operation and a monitor attached to the wall that slid left and right and up and down. "When attendees repositioned the monitor over the brewery image, content on the monitor revealed the inner workings of the precise brewery area located immediately beneath it," said designer Andre Fuesser. On the whole, designers chose white colors and smooth, glossy finishes to clearly communicate a high-tech aesthetic.

To add contrast and texture, designers covered two walls on either side of the media wall (and two information kiosks at the front of the space) with live moss. "Pairing green, living elements with cold, almost sterile materials produced a dazzling juxtaposition," judges said. So for BeerBev, three parts cool sophistication and one part unexpected earthiness seemed to create the perfect brew.