Microsoft Exhibition Stand: Custom LED Ceiling

The challenge

Microsoft wanted their exhibition stand to stand out and not just by sitting there looking nice. They needed something that would genuinely stop people mid-walk, draw them in, and create an impressive backdrop for their product demos. The vision was ambitious: a dynamic LED ceiling that could run flowing video content across its entire surface, turning a typically static element into the visual heart of the space.

But ambition only gets you so far. The real challenge was making it work reliably. Exhibition stands run long hours, and you don't get a second take if the tech fails. We needed to design and build something that was visually stunning and technically bulletproof.

What we built

We created a striking LED ceiling using 270 individually controlled lighting battens, each capable of running flowing video content in perfect sync across the whole installation. No static light, this was a genuinely dynamic display that responded to content and changed throughout the show.

The result? A feature that genuinely stopped people. It wasn't just impressive to look at; it created an environment that made Microsoft's products feel premium and cutting-edge.

Beyond the ceiling itself, we lit the entire stand to complement it. The demo areas got an even, bright wash with no harsh shadows, no dark corners where the product disappeared into gloom. Just clean, controlled lighting that let people actually see what they were looking at.

How we made it happen

Every element was rigged and flown using our own motors and truss system. That meant full control over the structure from build to breakdown, safe, stable, and ready well before the doors opened. We worked closely with the stand designers throughout the project to make sure the finished ceiling matched their concept exactly, then built everything around it.

The technical complexity was significant, but that's exactly what we do. We managed 270 individually controlled battens, coordinated content delivery, and engineered a rig that was both ambitious and rock-solid reliable.

Technical specification

• 270 x Martin Sceptron 10 LED battens with Martin P3 content control

• 16 x Fatrons on the booth frontage

• Cameo Opus SP6

• Cameo Zenit W600 and Martin ELP Profile fixtures for the wash lighting

• 36 x D8+ 250kg Chainmaster motors on a Milos M290V black truss rig