Bar Excellence

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Bar Excellence
Exhibitors often use hospitality bars in their booth to foster relationships and draw out dwell times. But to capture those value-adds, your bar needs to look more like a hip hot spot than a has-been hole in the wall. So here are six examples of top-shelf experiences that offer form, function, and style straight up. By Linda Armstrong

PHOTOS: Stefan Roehler, Modul A

All the Right Angles
Exhibitor: Lenovo
Show: Internationale Funkausstellung
Design: Forum Your Brandbuilder GmbH, Krefeld, Germany, 49-2151-56789-0, yourbrandbuilder.de

Shapes, angles, and colors perform a masterful dance in this bar comprising wood, metal, and Plexiglas. Neutral gray, white, and black components rest under an upper-level meeting area and adjacent to glorious pops of orange and red on the walls, flooring, ceiling, and furniture.

PHOTOS: Pinnacle Exhibits Inc.

Black Diamond
Exhibitor: Faraday & Future Inc.
Show: Auto China
Design: Pinnacle Exhibits Inc., Hillsboro, OR, 503-844-4848, www.pinnacle-exp.com

This little black dressed-up bar is the epitome of simplicity and sophistication. A single wall of transparent glass along with two opaque dividers in semigloss black surround the dainty bar in the corner of the exhibit. Nearby, a back-wall menu in two languages displays the bar's offerings.

PHOTOS: Modul A, Stefan Roehler

Surf's Up
Exhibitor: Salesforce.com Germany GmbH
Show: CeBIT
Design: Atelier Damboeck Messebau GmbH, Neufinsing, Germany, 49-8121-975-0, damboeck.de

How do you craft a calming retreat amid a frenetic trade show floor? If you're Genentech Inc., you mix plush furnishings with soft lighting. Modular, curved furniture formed the basis of this soothing retreat, while thick-pad carpeting buffered the sound and cushioned the feet.

PHOTOS: Padgett and Company Inc.

Natural Wonder
Exhibitor: Natural Organics Inc. (Nature's Plus brand)
Show: Natural Products Expo West
Design: 3D Exhibits Inc., Chicago, 800-471-9617, 3dexhibits.com

A pairing of earthy elements and an almost laboratory feel is a winning combination for Natural Organics Inc.'s line of Nature's Plus vitamins and supplements. Three tones of wood laminate provide warmth while a drop ceiling and varied lighting create a sense of intimacy at this sampling bar.

PHOTOS: Stefan Roehler, Modul A

Espresso Yourself
Exhibitor: Albert Horn Sohne GmbH & Co. KG
Show: Paperworld
Design: Forum Your Brandbuilder GmbH, Krefeld, Germany, 49-2151-56789-0, yourbrandbuilder.de

Sometimes hospitality is the star instead of a supporting character. This dramatic, circular espresso bar, complete with an eye-catching Italian-style coffee machine, takes center stage. A wooden bar top painted white is accented by curvaceous backlit panels at the base.

PHOTOS: Padgett and Company Inc.

Raising the Bar
Exhibitor: Peco Real Estate Partners (PREP)
Show: RECon
Design: Journey Communications Inc., Wayne, PA, 610-240-0774, journeycommunications.com; Lorenc+Yoo Design, Roswell, GA, 770-645-2828, lorencyoodesign.com

A variety of design styles collide in this bar space, where slick modern chairs and a matching countertop sit under suspended Edison light bulbs. Meanwhile, wall-mounted graphics and a cozy banquette offer a decidedly retro feel.