We worked with Synthomer, a global specialty chemicals company producing high-performance binders and polymer solutions, at Coatings For Africa 2026. The show was held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, and was run in association with the South African Paint Manufacturing Association (SAPMA), making it the largest dedicated coatings industry event in Southern Africa. It draws over 2,000 attendees and more than 150 exhibiting brands from 15-plus countries across the region.
For 2026, Synthomer moved into Stand G63, a 48m² (6m x 8m) footprint positioned between two parallel aisles. It was the first time Synthomer had taken a “walk-through” stand at the show: open on two sides, rather than the closed or corner formats used in previous years. The brief was to design a space that welcomed visitors equally from either aisle and encouraged people to walk in, move through, and engage naturally with the sales team, rather than approach a single fixed frontage.
We built a fully custom stand around a central circulation path, with an open-fronted reception counter on each aisle, leading into a shared central meeting and product display zone. CNC-cut timber lattice screens ran across both side walls, softening sightlines and framing product displays without closing off the space. Recessed lighting, dedicated product sample walls, and integrated screens gave the stand a warm, tactile feel suited to showcasing Synthomer’s specialised binder range, including Plextol, Revacryl, Pliolite, Hydro Pliolite, Emultex and Pliotec. All this was finished off with a “Specialised Binders, Unlimited Potential” message on one side wall and a “Global Technology, African Supply” message on the other, tying the technical depth of the product range to Synthomer’s distribution reach across the Middle East, Africa and beyond.
Design development was handled collaboratively with Synthomer’s marketing team based in France, working through concept and layout remotely ahead of the build. On site, Synthomer’s sales presence was led by its Middle East regional team, travelling to Johannesburg specifically to engage the African market. Their story was reflected directly in the stand’s storage wall graphics, which map Synthomer’s supply network across the Middle East, Africa and India.
Location: Sandton Convention Centre
Stand Type: Walk-through
Size: 48 m²
Client: Synthomer
We designed a fully custom, open walk-through stand built around dual entry points and a shared central meeting space. Key elements of the solution included:
We delivered Synthomer’s first walk-through stand at Coatings For Africa. Outcomes included:
The project reflected the growing importance of Coatings For Africa, the largest dedicated coatings event in Southern Africa, as a platform for global chemical suppliers like Synthomer to build a direct, physical presence in the African market.
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