“Wanted to congratulate you for the stall, I think we all agree it was very nice and attractive stall (maybe the nicest one in the whole Mega Event)” – Celia Costa, Cooperation Manager, Delegation of the European Union to India and Bhutan
General consensus was that the booth designed by Pilcrow for International Finance Corporation & European Union, at the Smart City Expo held in Pragati Maidan on 10 – 12 May 2017, was one of the best, if not THE best.
What made it so special?
Because it walked the talk. It spoke about the programmes and changes that can be done inside and outside the home to create an Eco-City and showed examples for each. It also used maximum eco-friendly or recyclable material in the construction.
The main backdrop spoke about what it takes to create an Eco-City and connected it with in-lit yellow lines to the IFC programmes running across the various cities. These were further connected, with the in-lit yellow lines, to physical examples – whether it was streetlights in Odisha or solar heaters and double-glazed glass inside your homes.
The booth incorporated an engagement activity that changed a bare brown tree to a green leafy one by people, including Johann Hesse – Head of the EU Delegation in India, taking a pledge for incorporating a simple change to make a greener home. Indoor, air-purifying, Spider plants were given away to people who took the pledge.
How did we create the experience?
When the audience came into the stall, they entered a covered space that was designed like a green home and makes real what green homes are. It had elements such as rooftop solar (net metering factoids), low-flow shower heads (water, cost saving factoids), insulated double glaze windows (and relevant statistics), energy-efficient lights, solar panels depicting a solar rooftop installation. Each of these elements were tactile and had a messaging centered around how green homes can help save energy, water, and maintenance cost. The main backdrop wall spoke about the program, the five cities it is operational in, the strategic pillars, the expected impact, and program achievements.
On exiting this simulated green home, the audience came to a veranda, which was designed like an interactive space with eco-friendly seating. This is where we had the audience interact with IFC and EU. On leaving the veranda, the audience came to the road and in contact with the civic infrastructure. Here we showcased elements of our strategic pillar – climate smart infrastructure such as energy-efficient streetlights, urban mobility, waste management with project examples, posters, and handouts.
The last element of the booth was a pledge tree. This was the space for the audience to make a pledge and leave with a commitment for building a green home and an Eco-City. There was a twitter screen and audience could tweet tagging @IFC South Asia @EU and #GreenHomes hashtag. One key element of the stall was pre-written tweets on the walls, ceiling, and floors so audience could quickly seek inspiration before tweeting.
