Screens and video walls on a stand

Muted, subtitled, short loop

three conditions for screen content that works at a fair

Stand design

What the screen is for

Before adding a screen, answer one question: what would the visitor fail to understand without this content? No answer means no screen. An answer also tells you how long the content should be and what form it takes.

The content that works best shows what will not fit on the stand: inside the factory, a plant installed on site, the stages of production, an assembly sequence. A corporate film is the weakest of these; nobody stands in an aisle for three minutes.

The second good use is the screen as a tool in the salesperson’s hand. At the table it shows product configurations or reference projects, faster than turning catalogue pages. Screen positions belong in the floor plan stage; a screen added later creates a cabling problem.

Size, height, reflection

Screen size follows viewing distance. A screen meant to be seen from across the aisle has to be large and set above eye level; the crowd in front will otherwise hide a small one completely.

A screen at the table is the opposite. Eye level, slightly tilted, positioned so two people can look at it together. Looking up at a high wall-mounted screen from a seat hurts the neck and shortens the meeting.

Reflection is the third issue. A glossy panel bounces back the ceiling wash and the spotlights. The angle of any fitting opposite the screen should be checked on build-up day. Sometimes a matt film, or a slightly shaded niche, is the answer.

When a video wall earns its place

A video wall makes sense on large island stands and where long-distance visibility is the whole point. The cost is not just hire: supporting structure, extra power, a technician and content production all belong in the figure.

On a small stand, one large screen is cheaper and more effective than a wall. Tiled screens need content made for them; feeding a standard video to a video wall produces resolution and aspect problems.

Redundancy gets overlooked too. A media player that fails on day two means a three day gap. A spare player, a spare cable and a copy of the content should be on site. Writing that into the build list is safer than remembering it on opening morning.

Can we use sound on the screen?

Most venues cap sound levels in their regulations and neighbours complain. Beyond a directional speaker or headphones, it is safer to run without audio.

Are touchscreens worth it?

Worth it when a wide range needs browsing without help. Otherwise a tablet in the salesperson’s hand does the same job better.