ESSA Unsung Hero Award Nominee Tom Still, Project Manager at Tecna UK

We are so proud of our Project Manager Tom Still, for being shortlisted for the ESSA Unsung Hero Award this year. He is a valued member of our team that has delivered some great projects with the rest of our team. We wanted to sit down with Tom to find out more about how he works at Tecna UK, and what he values about the events industry as a whole.

Tell me about your role

How do you like to work with your clients?

I prefer to tackle a project in one go so you are on top of everything, making it as efficient and painless for the client as possible. I don’t want to feel like I’m bombarding you with emails when realistically a lot of our contacts have their own tasks and workloads to manage. If I can rip off the band aid and sit on a call for 30 mins to run through everything, it gives everyone the information they need. Any emails going forward can then be 5 minutes of the clients’ time to make sure we are all on the same page. 

Having access (if we can) to an exhibition portal is so helpful, it’s a great starting point for us to confirm the project details from stand dimensions to build schedules. It’s also a great safety net for the client, as we have the experience to let them know any key dates or highlight any venue requirements that they may not be aware of to rule out any additional charges. Providing us with an honest budget can really guide us on what we can do with your space. There is a big difference between a £10,000 stand and a £25,000 stand – and in a 5x3 a certain budget could look really nice, but if you have an 8x8 space with a small budget it could look really empty. We will look at a clients objectives in exhibiting and can make recommendations on how to get the most out of it including suggesting hiring a smaller space and having the means to do a lot more with it. We don’t just want to fill a space unnecessarily. At the end of the day it’s our system and reputation, so we want every stand we do to look amazing and provide ROI regardless of the budget.



Is there a specific stand/project you are most proud of?

My favourite stand design logistically speaking is Tecnogym at elevate, because it had a lot of elements, and it related more to my previous experience. Tecnogym had a 12x6 hanging banner, a platform floor, cabling that need to be run in certain positions for their machines, with two substrate materials on top of that, individual printed foamex panels that needed to be lined up, speakers and lighting on top of the hanging banner that needed to be fitted, and an LED video wall. This was sent through from Tecnogym’s Italian head office working with the UK, and it was one of their biggest projects. For me it was absolutely brilliant to have been trusted with this project by Tecnogym and for Craig at tecnogym to recommend us to their Italian business because it really showed their confidence and trust that Tecna can deliver.

How do you work with other team members at Tecna?

One of the things I enjoy most about working at Tecna UK is how the departments all work together and come up with great ideas. We have the mindset that we’re one team, so we all go the extra mile to make things the best they can be. There is even a team chat to show off our designs and inspiration features for the whole team. It gives you pride to show what you have been doing, and an opportunity to highlight the help you have gotten from other team members. I’ll always shout out the technicians at Tecna UK, they make projects a reality for us and our clients, and are always suggesting improvements to our designs. It’s not just their job, they 100% go above and beyond to get a great finish. 

What would you always ask clients to consider when designing their exhibition stand?

The biggest thing I would suggest my clients consider is stand space vs budget. Clients can be tempted to sign up for a stand before they have considered the design of the stand and what they are trying to achieve from the event. Weigh up before you have booked your space why you are at the event. If it’s selling product, you would need lots of graphics and display solutions. if it’s lead generation, you would look for meeting spaces etc. Realise what you want from the stand, what are you looking to achieve and book your space size accordingly, then you will have a clear budget for your stand design. 

Staffing is vital, if somebody wants lead generation but there are only two people running the stand, it’s going to make your target harder to reach. In these cases, we can recommend ways to prepare for this such as iPads and touchscreen totems for visitors to register their details with you. If you have lots of staff you can consider more seating areas, meeting rooms etc to create those conversations. Understanding your needs and staff count helps us to find solutions for you.

Sustainability is also a key consideration as businesses are prioritising making their products and services more environmentally friendly. There is little point in making warehouses and manufacturing sustainable, and then spending thousands of pounds on a completely non sustainable stand. Tecna are focused on sustainability and are able to provide fully sustainable stands as well as recently achieving Tier 5 ESSA sustainability accreditation, so we do our best to advise you on more environmentally conscious design and logistic decisions.

What's popular right now in exhibition design?

Clever shelving is really popular, where we make a carcass and put it in the wall. LED strip lights are quite popular under counters or in shelving to provide interesting lighting effects and highlight products. Wood cladding instead of graphics on end panels are very popular, wood is really in at the moment and you’ll see from a lot of our recent designs that there’s wooden elements like slat walls or gantries, rather than just graphics. A lot of people ask for activations like ball grabbers, prize cranes etc. What is also big at the moment is bespoke 3D signs, it’s a cost-effective method to lift off of your graphics, and your graphics will be more detail about your products, lead times and general information. 

Different elements engage different people. Stands that engage me at events are bright lights and games, I’m like a big kid so I’ll be over there looking at any product because it’s shiny and flashy, even if the stand next door is giving away free Ferraris.

What do you like most about the events industry?

More than anything I love that every client, every stand and every day in the events industry is different. It’s all to do with their branding/voice, and every company has different values of what they want from a stand. Everyone has an idea, from your client to the multiple departments at Tecna, and we all get really excited about it. A massive thing for me in my career and my development, because I want to be the best at what I do, is that every day you’re learning something, there’s always a way to do something better and make a bigger impact. We always have to evolve and be more innovative to ensure our clients get the best possible result.

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