The 18th session of the UN Industrial Development Organization General Conference was held at Emirates Palace from 3 to 7 November 2019 under the theme Industry 2030 - Innovate. Connect. Transform our Future.

Evolution was appointed to deliver the exhibition at the centre of the conference. The strategic opportunity was to turn industrial-development policy into an environment delegates could explore through distinct subjects, interactive technology and visual storytelling.

Instead of one continuous information display, the atrium was organised into themed hubs that allowed complex global priorities to be encountered in focused, human-scale experiences.

The Challenge

The exhibition needed to translate a broad policy agenda, spanning technology, sustainability, partnerships, entrepreneurship and industrial development into an engaging visitor experience.

The challenge was to move beyond information-led displays and create an environment where complex themes could be understood, explored and discussed.

Set within Emirates Palace, the exhibition also had to operate within a formal international conference environment.

The design needed to introduce impactful scenic and digital elements while respecting the venue’s architectural character, maintaining clear delegate circulation and creating space for meaningful engagement with each subject area.

The Solution

Evolution designed and produced seven themed hubs covering Gender, Youth and Entrepreneurship, Circular Economy, Industry 4.0, Industrial Parks, Sustainable Energy and Partnership content.

Programmed touchscreens, iPads with personal headsets, AI stations and large-format screens gave each subject an appropriate mode of interaction. Delegates could choose where to focus and move between overview, personal listening and deeper digital exploration.

Scenic panels transformed the atrium into a coherent exhibition environment while maintaining open routes and comfortable engagement space around the hubs.

A dedicated gallery for Elisabetta Lattanzio Illy’s photographic exhibition, Transforming Needle and Thread into Women Empowerment Tools, introduced a more human and cultural perspective alongside the policy and technology content.

Delivery Highlights

• Interactive exhibition for the UNIDO General Conference at Emirates Palace.
• Seven themed content hubs aligned with Industry 2030.
• Programmed touchscreens and large-format digital displays.
• iPads with personal headsets for focused content engagement.
• AI stations supporting interactive learning.
• Scenic transformation of the Emirates Palace atrium.
• Dedicated photography gallery focused on women’s empowerment.

Outcome

The atrium became an active learning environment rather than a backdrop to the conference. Delegates could move between policy themes, test different digital formats and encounter both institutional and human perspectives on industrial development.

The exhibition made Industry 2030 easier to navigate by giving each subject a distinct physical and interactive identity within one connected experience.

Project Ecosystem

Client:

UNIDO

Evolution Events: Led exhibition strategy, content-environment planning, gallery coordination, production management and conference delivery integration.

Evolution Scenic: Designed and produced the seven hubs, atrium scenic panels, gallery environment and physical exhibition architecture.

Evolution Technical: Integrated the programmed touchscreens, iPads, headsets, AI stations and large-format screen systems.

Additional Project Support:

Evolution Furniture - Evolution Site Services

ADIPEC 2022 brought more than 160,000 participants from 164 countries to Abu Dhabi, with over 2,200 exhibiting companies and 28 international country pavilions represented across the event.

Within the Smart Manufacturing Zone, Evolution was entrusted with designing and producing the ADNOC stand. The creative opportunity was to make several complex areas of innovation feel related, accessible and clearly connected to ADNOC’s wider leadership in the energy sector.

The stand was organised around four focus areas: Offshore and Marine, Digitalisation in Energy, Smart Manufacturing and Decarbonisation. Each required its own content space, while the full environment needed to read as one coherent ADNOC experience.

The Challenge

Energy and industrial innovation can become difficult to navigate when every subject relies on technical language, screens and demonstration content. The stand needed a strong visual hierarchy capable of helping a diverse international audience understand where to begin and what each zone represented.

The design also had to comply with ADIPEC exhibition guidelines and draw selected inspiration from ADNOC’s earlier Make it in the Emirates Forum stand, while establishing a distinct presence appropriate to the scale of the world’s largest energy gathering.

The Solution

Evolution developed dedicated zones for Offshore and Marine, Digitalisation in Energy, Smart Manufacturing and Decarbonisation. The spatial separation gave each topic clarity, while recurring materials, brand cues and architectural features maintained continuity across the stand.

Advanced audio, video and lighting systems supported presentations and interactive content throughout the environment. Technology was integrated into the stand architecture so digital information and live explanation remained part of the visitor journey rather than appearing as equipment added after the design.

Presentation tools and interactive applications gave visitors several ways to engage with ADNOC’s work. The combination of structured content zones and responsive media helped translate industrial subject matter into a more direct exhibition experience.

Central coordination of design, fabrication and technical integration ensured that the stand’s physical and digital elements opened as one complete platform for ADNOC.

Delivery Highlights

• ADNOC exhibition stand within ADIPEC’s Smart Manufacturing Zone.
• Four dedicated content areas covering Offshore and Marine, Digitalisation, Smart Manufacturing and Decarbonisation.
• Design informed by ADNOC’s established exhibition language and ADIPEC requirements.
• Integrated audio, video and lighting systems.
• Interactive applications and presentation tools for an international audience.
• Complete stand design, production and onsite delivery.

Outcome

The stand gave ADNOC a clear structure for presenting innovation across several technical disciplines. Visitors could move between focused subjects while retaining a consistent understanding of the organisation’s role in smart manufacturing and energy transformation.

Physical design and digital engagement worked together to make a complex industrial story more legible within the scale and intensity of ADIPEC.

Project Ecosystem

Client:

ADNOC

Evolution Events: Led exhibition strategy, stakeholder coordination, content-zone planning, project management and onsite delivery.

Evolution Scenic: Designed and fabricated the stand architecture, dedicated content zones and branded physical environment.

Evolution Technical: Delivered the confirmed AVL, presentation systems and interactive-technology integration across the stand.

Additional Project Support:

Evolution Furniture 

For the Montenegro Pavilion National Day at Expo 2020 Dubai, Evolution designed and installed an additional exhibit within the existing pavilion environment.

The exhbit needed to add a new layer of cultural expression without disrupting the visual character already established across the pavilion. It was therefore conceived as an enhancement rather than a separate temporary stand.

Specialised content, dynamic acrylic lighting and detailed joinery were brought together to create a focused visitor moment reflecting Montenegro’s culture and heritage.

The Challenge

Working within an existing pavilion limited the scale and position of the new exhibit. Every connection, material and lighting element needed to align with the surrounding architecture and avoid appearing retrofitted.

The installation also needed sufficient presence for the National Day programme. It had to introduce a recognisable change and stronger cultural focus while remaining coherent with the long-term pavilion experience.

The Solution

Evolution designed and fabricated the exhibit around the proportions and aesthetic of the existing space, allowing the new content layer to feel embedded within the pavilion.

Dynamic acrylic lighting elements introduced depth, colour and movement around the specialised content installation. The lighting treatment gave the exhibit a stronger celebratory presence without relying on a large structural intervention.

Traditional joinery and acrylic fabrication were combined to balance craft, durability and contemporary presentation. High-quality detailing maintained the artistic integrity of the space at close visitor range.

The completed installation was integrated through a controlled onsite programme, protecting the existing pavilion while preparing the new exhibit for the National Day audience.

Delivery Highlights

• Additional National Day exhibit within the Montenegro Pavilion.
• Design developed to integrate with the existing pavilion aesthetic.
• Specialised cultural content installation.
• Dynamic acrylic lighting elements.
• Combination of traditional joinery and contemporary acrylic fabrication.
• Controlled installation within an operating Expo pavilion.

Outcome

The National Day exhibit gave the pavilion a new focal point without weakening its existing design. Visitors encountered a more concentrated expression of Montenegro’s culture through content, light and craftsmanship.

The intervention succeeded by feeling intentional and permanent within the space, despite being introduced for a specific celebratory programme.

Project Ecosystem

Client:

Arton Advisors Management Consultancy

Evolution Events: Led pavilion coordination, cultural-content integration, installation planning and National Day delivery.

Evolution Scenic: Designed and fabricated the exhibit, joinery, acrylic elements and physical content environment.

Evolution Technical: Integrated the confirmed dynamic acrylic lighting system supporting the specialised content installation.

Additional Project Support:

Evolution Furniture