EXPOTECHNIK

Expansive brand image presentation of the Sonova Group at the 2011 EUHA Congress

Taunusstein/Nuremberg, 26 October 2011. Tangible, audible and very close to the people – that's how the Sonova Group presented itself with their hearing aid brands Phonak, Lyric and Sona from 19 to 21 October 2011 at the EUHA Congress for hearing care professionals in Nuremberg. Expotechnik linked the overarching philosophy of Sonova with the individual focal points of the brand lines to create a uniform appearance. Interactive elements placed the emphasis on people and the emotional experience, while technological innovations formed the gateway to an improved audio experience.

The Spice Generation products and innovations of the Phonak brand formed the centre of the Sonova presentation at the 56th International Congress of Hearing Aid Acousticians. Guided by the theme “Spice+ – Experience the Sound of Quality”, Expotechnik, the leading service provider of spatial brand staging, transformed the 400-square-metre main stand into an acoustic world of experience. A 28-metre-long LED strip stretched across the entire length of the stand, setting the scene for the product highlights and simultaneously highlighting the expansive architectural structure.

The crowd puller for conference participants as well as the pivotal point of the stand was the revolving presentation platform on which the innovations and the Phonak product values could be experienced in the form of live presentations. The forum provided the opportunity for lectures and knowledge transfer on the latest developments of the Phonak brand in specially-designed training and meeting rooms. The so-called “Phonak Target Expert Forum” in the form of a bar and the Epsilon workstations developed by the Expotechnik Group complemented the main stand.

Interaction: Visitors help design the stand
“Hear the World”, the specially-designed Phonak lifestyle magazine on hearing, was presented in a separate area with the implementation of the campaign “Listening is important because...”. The visitors themselves became the actors here: In a room built specifically for this purpose, a photographer set the scene for the congress participants to match the campaign theme; the photographs were subsequently produced for the visitors at the stand. In addition, visitors were invited to complete the line “Listening is important because ...” in writing. The Expotechnik Group reflected the complexity of the magazine in the architectural design.

Successful visualisation of an invisible star
On an additional, 60-square-metre area, the Phonak product Lyric was given its own stage: the first invisible hearing aid that can be worn around the clock over a period of up to four months. Using cameras and screens, the live demo was the main focus of the Lyric presentation, which illustrated the practical and simple application of the product.

“Aero details” used as an allegory
For the exhibition of Sona, another Sonova brand line, the communicative emphasis fell on the world's only upgrade option for hearing aid software. The Expotechnik Group symbolised this new freedom of acoustic innovation with the concept of an upgrade when flying: The stand design displayed this with the sectional view of an airplane interior with real airplane seats. The theme was carried through in the exhibit presenters and workstations by using trolleys and technical flight details.

Uniform presentation with its own emphasis on priorities
The Expotechnik Group used recurring elements in all of the Sonova spaces to emphasize the Group’s shared identity despite different areas of concentration. To create this overarching “look and feel”, Expotechnik’s Scandium superstructure system and identical floor materials were used in all four stands.

Innovation for better quality of life
The aim of the Sonova Group with their Phonak and Sona brand lines is to improve the quality of life of people with hearing loss. With creativity and versatile solutions, the Phonak specialists are committed to overcoming technological limitations – so that all people can hear, understand and fully experience the rich soundscapes of life better. This Swiss hearing aid manufacturer has been at the technological forefront of developing and producing hearing systems and wireless devices for more than 50 years. Phonak has offices and distribution partners in over 100 countries. The Sonova Group has been relying upon the experts of the Expotechnik Group for many years now for its trade fair exhibits.

EUHA – the European Union of Hearing Aid Acousticians – organises the annual International Congress of Hearing Aid Acousticians, which took place in Nuremberg from 19 to 21 October this year. It is the most important European congress for the industry. Product innovations and technical progress in various hearing systems are regularly presented at the accompanying exhibition.