White is the HORIBA booth. White and light. And it should be: With an area of around 170 square meters, it is one of the largest exhibition stands at the Testing Expo 2017. Fine blue light accents and short text messages discreetly guide visitors' eyes to the exhibits. This year, everything revolves around real driving emissions (RDE), E electrification and lab management. The booth is bright, the message friendly: HORIBA supports automotive companies worldwide on their way to an emission-free future.
From the A8 I take the exit 'Airport & Fair Stuttgart'. In the trunk of my Nikon, in my stomach this exciting feeling of being so close to my destination. I mean, that feeling when everything is done, when you can't change anything anymore. My mission: On the eve of the trade fair opening, as the responsible designer, to check that everything is in order.
The Mini purrs quietly into the exhibition garage. Almost no car there. It goes on foot across the large forecourt, through a small revolving door to the registration area and on into the large Hall 1. Bustling activity everywhere. Whirring cordless screwdrivers, hammering, shouting, knocking and in the middle of it all our companions from HORIBA, Uhland and Grafix. The new exhibition stand is in the shell of the building, boxes, cables and foils everywhere. The men are professionals, every move sits and is created before my eyes, for which we all planned, sketched, designed, programmed and animated beforehand: the HORIBA booth.
