Finmeccanica stand - The concept
Finmeccanica was present two years ago and will take part this year in the Farnborough International Air Show 2008, in a way that further consolidates the Group's image.
The area allocated to Finmeccanica includes the pavilion, the chalets and the stand, as well as space for the static display.
The need for new operational spaces, the desire to keep Group companies together and the need to increase the area for the static display led to the creation of two chalets (both with two floors) covering an area of 2,700 square metres, almost double that of the 2006 edition.
The two chalets have different lengths and run perpendicular to one another. The longer one runs along the back of the stand towards the static display area and the shorter runs parallel to the internal road inside the exhibition area and also serves to partially define the static display area. The chalets have a traditional DeBoer modular structures, set up in a way that reflects the Group's consolidated image, with red PVC outside and red and white surfaces inside.
A large platform, rising about one metre from the ground, links the two pavilions and acts as an entrance area for the chalets, the stand and the static display area.
In addition to the large entrance space, the platform is also used for an exhibition celebrating Finmeccanica's sixtieth anniversary, in the centre of which there are two historical models of the old Scout helicopter and the Macchi 205 aircraft.
The external part of the stand has a air-filled covering made of shiny, transparent "air bubbles" that drew so much attention two years ago. There is a separate entrance leading to the chalets so that all visitors can access the exhibit, as well as an internal passageway reserved for Finmeccanica staff, linking the stand and the chalet.
From the exterior the stand looks much as it did two years ago. The real novelty is inside. Around 300 square metres of the total 1,000 square-metre egg-shaped area is taken up by a 8-metre high square structure with two floors. Services are provided on the ground floor, whilst the first floor has a snack bar and a new auditorium with tiered seating for 100. The conference room, which was also used for the snack bar last year, is now a clearly defined area. An opening in the auditorium wall allows those inside to see the stand and allows stand visitors to see if a conference is underway inside. In the 700 square metres allocated to the actual exhibition, everything rotates around a central component, the Control Room. The Control Room is where the delegations are taken after they have come through the entrance and been able to see the images of people who make up the world of Finmeccanica.
The Control Room has an elliptical shape, in line with this year's graphic design, with different levels to reflect Finmeccanica's ability to provide "Solutions at Every Level". Lower down, there are five monitors flanked by the same number of titles indicating the solutions' different fields of application. Inside the Control Room visitors can watch different operating scenes at various levels of complexity - situations in which Finmeccanica is able to provide answers based on customers' individual needs and interests. At the same time, the centre of the stand is connected to the peripheral area, where visitors can find more in-depth depictions of the scenarios and situations presented in the Control Room together with products offered by individual Finmeccanica Group companies.
Five "capability" areas are situated along the stand's perimeter starting at the entrance, made up of Space, Security and Resilience, Defence Electronics, Fixed Wing and Rotary Wing. Companies display their related products in the area to which they are best suited. A sixth area, located close to the red structure of the auditorium, is devoted to Training, with three subsections entitled Theoretical, Procedural and Mission. The Control Room forms a network with a series of platforms located in each of the peripheral areas, so that the connection between the centre and the periphery is physical as well as virtual.
