HAV Group at SMM Hamburg: How We Built Their Exhibition Stand at the World's Largest Maritime Fair
Show Off built HAV Group's exhibition stand at SMM Hamburg 2024. Our own Norwegian team, design and production in Norway, assembly in Hamburg. A project that proved Scandinavian quality travels well.
In 2024, HAV Group exhibited at SMM Hamburg, the world's largest maritime trade fair. The Fosnavåg-based technology group needed a stand that reflected the breadth of their business: ship design, energy systems, hydrogen technology and water treatment. Show Off designed, produced and installed their stand on site in Hamburg.
The result was a large-scale exhibition space with teal blue walls, illuminated branding, ocean-themed graphics and dedicated zones for each business unit. All built by our own Norwegian team, travelling from Norway with materials and equipment.
The brief: Norwegian maritime tech on German soil
HAV Group is one of Norway's leading maritime technology companies. From Fosnavåg on the west coast, they deliver ship design through HAV Design, energy solutions through HAV Energy, hydrogen propulsion systems through HAV Hydrogen, and water treatment technology.
SMM Hamburg was the natural arena for reaching their global audience. With over 50,000 visitors and 2,200+ exhibitors from more than 100 countries, it is the most important meeting place for the maritime sector worldwide. The brief was clear: one stand that presents the group as a whole, while giving each business unit its own identity and space.
Our model: Own Norwegian team, delivered in Germany
Show Off's approach to exhibitions in Germany differs fundamentally from how we work in, say, China (where we use a permanent local build team). In Germany, our own Norwegian team travels from Norway. We bring the stand materials, tools and equipment with us, then assemble everything on site at the venue.
This means:
- Design and production happen at our workshop in Sandnes
- Materials and finished elements are transported to Hamburg by truck
- Assembly and dismantling are carried out by our own installers on the exhibition floor
- Project management is handled by the same person from first meeting to final teardown
For HAV Group, this meant a single point of contact throughout the process. No subcontractors, no language barriers. The people who built the stand in Norway were the same people who assembled it in Hamburg.
The stand design: Teal, professional and brand-building
HAV Group's visual identity centres on a deep teal blue, a colour that evokes the ocean. The stand design leaned into this palette, creating a space that was immediately recognisable from across the exhibition hall.
Walls and structure
Large teal blue walls formed the outer frame. They served both as branding surfaces and structural dividers that created distinct areas within the stand. The HAV Group logo was illuminated and mounted prominently, visible from multiple directions in the hall.
Ocean imagery ran across several wall sections, reinforcing the maritime connection without being heavy-handed. The graphics tied HAV Group's technology back to the environment it operates in.
Business units in focus
Presenting multiple business units within a single stand without it feeling cluttered was a key design challenge. The solution: give each unit its own dedicated area.
- HAV Hydrogen had its own section with specific branding and product information
- HAV Design was presented with ship visualisations and project references
- Each area used the group's teal colour palette but with subtle differentiation to signal distinct operations under one umbrella
This made it easy for visitors to find the part of HAV Group relevant to them, while experiencing the group as a unified entity.
Meeting zone
Trade shows are about conversations. The stand included a dedicated meeting area with Scandinavian-style furniture: clean lines, light wood and comfortable seating. This was where the real business happened. The furniture choices were deliberate. They communicated quality and simplicity, which mirrors both the HAV Group brand and Norwegian design culture more broadly.
SMM Hamburg: The world's largest maritime trade fair
SMM (Shipbuilding, Machinery and Marine Technology) takes place every two years at Hamburg Messe. It is the global benchmark for maritime exhibitions.
- 50,000+ visitors over four days
- 2,200+ exhibitors from over 100 countries
- Exhibition halls covering tens of thousands of square metres
- Conference programme featuring industry leaders and policymakers
For Norwegian companies, SMM represents the most concentrated gathering of clients, partners and decision-makers in the maritime sector. Every major shipyard, equipment manufacturer and technology provider is there. Standing out requires more than a pop-up banner and a brochure rack.
Why this model works
Norwegian companies exhibiting in Germany often face a choice: hire a local German stand builder or try to manage everything remotely. Both have drawbacks. Show Off offers a third option.
| Approach | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| Local German supplier | Local knowledge, no transport costs | Less control over quality, communication gaps |
| Remote management from Norway | Full design control | Risky installation, no presence on site |
| Show Off's model | Norwegian team on site, full control, known quality | Travel and transport costs (included in our pricing) |
Because we travel with our own team, the client gets Norwegian quality standards applied directly on the exhibition floor. There is no translation layer between what was designed and what gets built. The project manager who sat in the briefing meeting is the same person who oversees the last screw being tightened in Hamburg.
For HAV Group, this continuity was important. Their brand is built on precision and technical excellence. The stand needed to reflect that, and it did.
The result
HAV Group stood at SMM Hamburg 2024 with a stand that matched the ambition of their technology. Teal walls, illuminated logos, ocean imagery and clean Scandinavian furniture created a space that was professional, inviting and distinctly Norwegian.
From a distance, the teal colour and illuminated branding drew visitors in. Up close, the dedicated areas for HAV Hydrogen and HAV Design allowed focused conversations about specific products and services. The meeting zone provided a comfortable space for longer discussions with key contacts.
The stand communicated what HAV Group is: a serious, multi-faceted technology group with roots in Norwegian maritime tradition and eyes on the global market.
Planning an exhibition in Germany or Europe?
Show Off builds exhibition stands across Europe with our own Norwegian team. We handle everything from design and production in Norway to transport, assembly and dismantling at the venue.
Learn more about how we work with exhibitions in Germany, see our SMM Hamburg page for the next show, or get in touch directly for a no-obligation conversation about your next exhibition project.
Dennis Halvorsen dennis@showoff.no | +47 400 93 099