Meet and Eats

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Meet and Eats

A little hospitality goes a long way when you're courting clients on the trade show floor. So it's not surprising that many exhibitors allocate space inside their booths for attendees to sit and sip. But if you want guests to stick around long after noshing on nibbles, your lounge has to be not only functional but also comfortable and inviting. And it doesn't hurt to throw in some eye candy on the side. To help inspire your next in-booth lounge, here are six delicious designs that deliver hospitable spaces with fashionable furnishings. By Linda Armstrong

PHOTO: Xavier Vila Photographe

Theater in the Rounds
Exhibitor: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
Show: Mobile World Congress
Design: Jack Morton, London, 44-208-735-2000 www.jackmorton.com

At the Mobile World Congress, the Ericsson brand serves up a full-on meal along with a heaping helping of drama, thanks to moody lighting, colorful chairs, and multiple screens showing an array of content. Meanwhile, round tables promote intimate conversations between guests.

PHOTO: Dirk Weyhenmeyer Fotografie

Spacious and Gracious
Exhibitor: ICS International AG
Show: LogiMat
Design: Atelier Damboeck Messebau GmbH, Neufinsing,Germany, 49-8121-975-0, www.damboeck.de

Housed within a one-of-a-kind, spherical exhibit, this hospitality zone offers ample seating via benches, chairs, and stools. Mirroring the overhead bands of color, accent pillows offer pops of blue, green, and gray, which provide a delightful contrast to the exhibit's stark-white surfaces.

White Light
Exhibitor: Osram Spa
Show: LivinLuce
Design: Cerqiglini & Rossi Architecture, Varedo, Italy, 39-362-571-066, www.cerquiglini-rossi.com

Light takes center stage in this hospitality area for Osram Spa, a manufacturer of light-management systems. White surfaces and embedded lighting in the floor and bar area are paired with Osram-orange chairs, creating a vibe that says "Osram is light!" without shouting.

PHOTO: Stands

Highly Hospitable
Exhibitor: Superior Energy Services Inc.
Show: Rio Oil and Gas
Design: Excalibur Exhibits, Houston, 713-856-8854, www.excaliburexhibits.com

Who says a hospitality area has to somehow be separate from the larger exhibit? This roughly 1,500-square-foot exhibit features an open, airy conference room as its star. Sitting atop a wood-patterned floor, bistro-style tables and chairs surround a similarly styled bar.

PHOTO: Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Phillips Lighting)

Square Trade
Exhibitor: Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Philips Lighting)
Show: EuroShop
Design: Totems Architecture B.V., Amsterdam, 31-20-508-13-10, www.totems.com

In this upper-level hospitality lounge for the Philips Lighting brand, it's all about the angles. A rectangular overhead structure caps the space and adds a touch of illumination, while colorful, angular chairs and white, square tables pepper the inviting area below.

PHOTO: Czarnowski Display Services Inc.

Plane and Simple
Exhibitor: Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.
Show: National Business Aviation Association
Design: Czarnowski Display Services Inc., Chicago, 800-247-4302, www.czarnowski.com

Housed within an exhibit resembling an airplane hangar, this expansive space conveys an airy yet orderly feel befitting of an aerospace firm. Easy-to-clean white-laminate tables and chairs dot the room while floral arrangements and cloud-like light fixtures add a touch of color.