The Cersaie Opportunity
Every September, BolognaFiere hosts one of the most influential events in the international surfaces and bathroom furnishings industry. Cersaie brings together brands from around the world, along with buyers, architects, specifiers, and decision-makers who, in just a few days, establish — or reaffirm — which brands will become their points of reference.
In this context, the stand is the only physical communication tool a brand has to convey its vision, positioning, and design capability. It is not simply about fitting out a space; it is about building an experience system that operates on multiple levels at once — visual, sensory, relational, and analytical.
VOID Exhibition works precisely at this level. Our approach to experiential trade fair design for events such as Cersaie begins with a very specific question: what should this space activate in the visitor? Not just what should it show — what should it activate? Emotion, curiosity, trust, the desire to explore further. And how can each of these states be translated into qualified interaction, commercial conversation, and measurable data?
In this article, we outline the solutions we use to design interactive exhibition stands for Cersaie 2026 — from the strategic logic that connects them to the technical detail behind each one.
From Traditional Stand Design to the Architecture of Experience
The fundamental difference between a traditional exhibition stand and an experiential design system is not technological. It is conceptual.
Traditional stand design starts with the product and builds an exhibition space around it: shelves, panels, samples, lighting. The product is physically central, yet the stand as a whole remains passive — waiting for the visitor to come closer, take an interest, and ask questions.
An experiential design system, by contrast, is built to be active. Every element of the space — spatial layout, acoustics, lighting, digital surfaces, sensors, hospitality areas — is calibrated to generate a specific visitor behaviour: stopping, exploring, interacting, remembering.
The product remains at the centre, but no longer as an inert object. It becomes the protagonist of an experience designed with the same care as a digital interface: with attention to usability, flow, immediate feedback, and data collection.
This is the philosophy with which VOID Exhibition approaches every interactive exhibition stand project for Cersaie.
VOID Solutions for Cersaie 2026
1. Digital Tables: Turning Catalogue Exploration into a Shared Experience
Digital tables are high-resolution interactive surfaces integrated into the architecture of the stand. They are not generic horizontal screens with a standard interface; they are tools designed to support the commercial conversation between the brand and the qualified visitor.
On a VOID digital table, users can explore the full product range, view variants and finishes in real time, navigate realistic settings in which the product is already installed, open technical sheets, and access project renderings — all through natural gestures, with no learning curve and no instructions required.
The value of this tool is not purely demonstrative. A digital table turns the stand visit into a co-design session: the buyer or architect interacting with the surface becomes an active participant in the presentation. That radically changes both the quality of the relationship and the memory that remains after the event.
From a design perspective, digital tables are integrated into the stand without aesthetic compromise: materials, finishes, and proportions remain fully aligned with the brand’s visual identity.
2. Projection Mapping on Surfaces: When the Product Becomes the Medium
Projection mapping applied directly to displayed surfaces is one of the most impactful solutions in the VOID repertoire — and one of the least exploited in the ceramics and surfaces exhibition sector.
The principle is radically simple: instead of using a screen to show the product, the product itself becomes the projection surface. Textures, patterns, real-world applications, colour variations, and material animations are projected directly onto the physical sample on display.
The result is a fusion of the tactile experience of the real material with the narrative fluidity of digital media. The visitor sees the product in its physical presence — can touch it, perceive its visual weight, its warmth or coolness — while at the same time being immersed in a visual narrative that expands its design potential.
At Cersaie, where sensory overload is high and the ability to capture attention within seconds is decisive, projection mapping on surfaces is one of the most effective differentiation tools available.
3. Interactive Configurators: From Visit to Design Process
Interactive configurators integrated into the stand turn the visit into a concrete design exercise. The visitor — whether an international buyer, architect, or interior designer — can compose spaces, select combinations, explore formats and finishes, and view the result in real time.
This kind of interaction has a very precise effect on brand perception: anyone using a well-designed configurator is not simply looking at products — they are making decisions. And people who are making decisions already feel part of a project. That mental state is exactly the one most conducive to moving a commercial conversation forward.
VOID configurators are developed with touch interfaces optimised for exhibition use — fast, intuitive, and free of perceptible loading times — and can be connected to the brand’s CRM to record the configurations created by visitors and turn them into qualified leads enriched with precise product preferences.
4. Holographic Screens and Transparent Displays: Presence Without Visible Support
One of the elements that visually weighs down many exhibition stands is the heavy presence of technological supports: monitors, structures, cables, brackets. Even when the content is excellent, the technology surrounding it can end up competing with the product for visual attention.
Holographic screens and transparent displays solve that problem at source. Content — product animations, presentations, 3D visualisations — appears to float in space without any visible physical support. The visitor’s attention goes directly to the content and, through the content, to the product.
In the design of an interactive exhibition stand for Cersaie, these devices can be used to create high-impact focal points, present new products in a highly scenographic way, or perceptually define different areas of the stand without using physical walls.
5. Proximity Totems: Contextual Information Without Friction
Proximity totems are devices that activate automatically when a visitor enters their range, with no need for any direct interaction. No button, no instruction, no learning curve.
In an exhibition stand context, this means every display area can communicate autonomously: the totem placed next to a specific collection activates and displays product sheets, settings, technical information, or video content at the exact moment the visitor is standing in front of the physical material.
The effect is a seamless continuity between the physical experience of the product and the informational layer around it. Visitors receive the information they need exactly when they need it — without searching, without waiting, and without interrupting the natural flow of the visit.
6. NFC/RFID on Samples: A Touch That Opens Up an Entire World
Embedding NFC chips into displayed samples is one of the most elegant ways to connect the physical and digital experience in an immediate and personal way.
The visitor touches the sample with their smartphone — without downloading an app or scanning a code — and instantly receives dedicated content: a full technical data sheet, an applications gallery, project renderings, installation videos, access to the online configurator, or a link to a downloadable catalogue. Everything is tailored to that specific product.
From the brand’s perspective, every NFC interaction is a trackable event: it becomes possible to know how many times a sample was tapped, at what times, and — if the visitor opts in — to collect contact details for precise and relevant post-fair follow-up.
7. Audio-Reactive Environments: A Space That Responds to Presence
Audio-reactivity is one of the most interesting frontiers of experiential design applied to trade fairs. An audio-reactive environment is a space where light, sound, and projections change in response to people’s presence and movement.
Within the context of Cersaie — a fair marked by high levels of noise and sensory input — a stand designed to respond to the visitor immediately creates a sense of perceptual separation from the surrounding environment. Anyone stepping into such a stand instantly feels they have entered a different kind of place: intentional, curated, and carefully designed.
From a commercial perspective, this shift in perception predisposes the visitor to a higher quality of attention. They are more open, more receptive, and more willing to stop and engage in depth.
8. Heat Mapping and Sensors: Turning Impressions into Data
How many people stopped in front of that collection? How much time did that international buyer spend there? Which route did qualified traffic follow through the stand? Which area attracted the most attention during the first hours of opening compared with the afternoon?
In a traditional exhibition stand, these questions remain unanswered. With the integrated heat mapping and sensor systems that VOID installs in every project, they become measurable data.
The sensors track visitor behaviour within the stand anonymously and in compliance with privacy regulations. The data is processed and returned to the brand in the form of visual reports: heat maps, dwell-time charts, time-slot analysis, and comparisons between different areas.
The result is that the fair does not end when the stand is dismantled. It continues — as a strategic tool — in the weeks that follow, helping to guide decisions around product, communication, and positioning for future events.
9. Lead Wall: Business in Real Time
The lead wall is a real-time visualisation system for the contacts acquired during the fair. It is not just a digital register; it is an internal coordination tool for the stand’s commercial team.
As visitors interact with digital surfaces, complete forms, use configurators, or register via NFC, their data flows into a centralised system visible to the team. Leads can be categorised by interest type, priority, and geographical area, allowing follow-up actions to begin while the fair is still underway.
For brands attending Cersaie with measurable commercial objectives, the lead wall transforms the stand from a generic touchpoint into a qualified lead-generation machine.
10. Immersive Rooms: Where Real Deals Are Closed
Immersive rooms are dedicated environments built within the stand for high-level commercial relationships. They are not simple hospitality areas with sofas and coffee. They are architecturally distinct, sound-insulated spaces with integrated technology, where the brand can offer a fully immersive experience to its most strategic interlocutors.
Inside a VOID immersive room, it is possible to project 360° environments, present collections in simulated real-world settings, conduct shared design sessions with advanced digital tools, or simply negotiate in a setting that communicates exclusivity and attention.
The physical context in which a commercial conversation takes place influences both its quality and its outcome. A well-designed immersive room is not a luxury; it is a selling point in its own right.
11. Digital Concierge: Seamless VIP Flow
Managing meeting schedules during a trade fair such as Cersaie is operationally complex. The digital concierge is an integrated appointment and VIP-flow management system that automates this complexity, freeing the team from constant coordination work.
Registered visitors can book meetings, receive personalised notifications, and be directed towards the areas of the stand most relevant to their interests. The commercial team always has real-time visibility over the agenda and can allocate resources in the most efficient way.
In a high-density relational context such as Cersaie, the ability to manage time with precision is a concrete competitive advantage.
Cersaie 2026 Projects Start Now
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