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Counters Intuitive

For many marketers, a reception desk is a mere afterthought, considered long after the ever-important demo stations, meeting rooms, and presentation theaters have been designed. However, few booth visitors will ever see any of those other accoutrements until they've made a stop at your reception desk first. And given the power of first impressions, you need to ensure that your desk speaks volumes about your brand, and helps tempt attendees to explore the rest of your space. So here are six reception desks that are far more than afterthoughts. By Linda Armstrong

PHOTO: Diephotodesigner.de

Luscious Legs
Exhibitor: Genesis Display GmbH
Show: EuroShop
Design: Plajer & Franz Studio, Berlin, 49-30-616-558-0, www.plajer-franz.de

Hoping to give mannequin provider Genesis Display GmbH a leg up on the competition at EuroShop, Plajer & Franz Studio crafted this one of a kind desk featuring mannequin parts as the base. The angular desk with couldn't-miss legs provided an ogle factor all its own.

PHOTO: Von Hagen GmbH

Car Star
Exhibitor: Airport Authority
Show: World Routes
Design: Von Hagen GmbH, Blomberg, Germany, 49-5235-952550, www.vonhagen.net

Far more than a typical exhibit element, this blazing-red beauty was crafted to look like the front end of a vintage Pontiac. Supporting the exhibit's drive-in theater theme, the custom desk drove attendees into the space, where they no doubt parked it for some product info.

Double-Time Design
Exhibitor: Armodilo Display Solutions
Show: EXHIBITORLIVE
Design: Armodilo Display Solutions, Elmira, ON, Canada, 800-975-5946, www.armodilo.com

This lively yet simple desk for Armodilo Display Solutions did double duty at EXHIBITORLIVE. While it kept the company's tablet mounts center stage, the colorful numbers on the front of the curved construction played up the products' data-delivery capabilities.

All Your Vault
Exhibitor: Pelican Products Inc.
Show: International Consumer Electronics Show
Design: Pelican Products Inc., Torrance, CA, 310-326-4700, www.pelican.com

To communicate that its Vault line of phone and tablet cases offers extreme device protection, Pelican Products Inc. opted for a vault-like graphics treatment featuring images of riveted steel. The laminate-topped desk communicated a message while performing a traditional function.

Urban Elegance
Exhibitor: Tangram International Exhibitions
Show: EXHIBITORLIVE
Design: Tangram International Exhibitions, Pleasantville, NY, 914-741-0046, www.tangramint.com

This minimalist desk for Tangram International Exhibitions caught the eye with its angular design and strategic base lighting. Plus, the urban creation was the perfect accompaniment for the cityscape graphics on the exhibit's back wall, which highlighted the company's office locations.

Box Office Hit
Exhibitor: Kubedesign srl
Show: EuroShop
Design: Kubedesign srl, Osimo, Italy, 39-71-7200013, www.kube-design.it

Mention "cardboard," and most people immediately envision boring brown boxes. Breaking out of that box is this design that resembles a vintage radio. This unique find was not only lightweight and shipped flat, but also recyclable and biodegradable.