Baselworld

2014 will be the 10th consecutive year Helm-X has been at Baselworld, the Swiss watch and jewellery show. It is one the biggest exhibition events in the world with the vast majority of global watch trading occuring here. It is a mecca for exhibition steelwork, with over 2000 exhibitors cramming in double decker and triple decker stands into the purpose built multi-hall Messe. 2013 was a big year for the show, as it saw the opening of a new hall which in turn saw exhibitors competing with each other to fill the space. Some of the companies that seized this opportunity were Guess GC, Guess Jewellery, and the Geneva Watch Company.

Central Display Ltd secured these 3 contracts and Helm-X were chosen to supply and fit the steelwork and glass on their behalf. All in all over 110 tonnes of steel was fabricated in Birmingham and shipped out to Switzerland, along with 185 panels of glass (some weighing as much as 380kg each).

The biggest of the 3 stands was Guess GC, with 64 columns and over 100 beams covering 400m2 area, which made a huge rooved mezzanine encased in glass at both levels to form enclosed offices. The main feature of the stand was the stunning ‘ruby wall.’

This wall has a stainless steel sphere and rod skeleton which supports 40 different sized triangular ruby red pieces of glass protruding at different angles giving a giant crystal effect. The wall was a huge achievement as it posed many design challenges all the way from drawing, manufacture, and fitting.

Central Display designed and project mangaged the contracts, working their magic to turn our steel and glass into exhibition stands of great beauty. For more information see their web page http://www.centraldisplay.com/. For more information about Baselworld 2014 http://www.baselworld.com/