Padlet’s Emotional Connection Booth at Bett UK 2024–2025

Role: Senior Illustrator, Padlet

What: Booth design, custom illustration, and branded swag

Where: ExCel London

How: Led vendor communications, created all visual assets, onsite for installation and event

Impact: Helped Padlet stand out by creating a memorable experience that drove booth engagement, sparked emotional connections, and surpassed lead goals.

Bett is an annual EdTech event that showcases the latest innovations and solutions in the education sector. It's the biggest international conference in its field that attracts over 30,000 attendees.

This booth was installed at ExCel London 2 years in a row (2024-2025).

Goals

Padlet was exhibiting for the first time. We wanted to engage with our current users, demo our product to a global audience, and leave a lasting impression. We also set out to generate 500 new leads by making every interaction at the booth feel personal and meaningful.

Collaboration

Padlet chose to partner with Creative8 to design and build the booth on-site, rather than shipping one internationally. This decision helped us navigate complex event requirements, reduce costs, and leverage local expertise.

My Role

I led communications with the vendor on every aspect of the booth and was in charge of designing the backdrop, informational materials, and swag to create a cohesive Padlet presence.

I was onsite for the installation to make sure everything came together as planned. During the event, I worked the booth, gathered feedback, and made tweaks on the fly to keep improving our setup as the show went on.

Design Concept

Padlet booked a space measuring 8.5 x 7.5 meters. We wanted to go big, stand out and attract people, regardless of whether they heard of Padlet or not.

At the same time, we wanted to create something clean, simple, yet easily noticeable and functional.The simplicity of construction would allow us to focus on creating an engaging and emotionally appealing backdrop design.

Final Design

The final booth layout included four identical pillars, each featuring a demo station and storage space on both sides, along with a long u-shaped table positioned at the back to provide additional storage, demo space, display swag, and host activities.

For the backdrop illustration, I created a complex and playful composition with a lot of detail. This kind of artwork would be visible from a distance, create an instant emotional connection, and serve as a photo background.

We made a choice to use dark tones because a lot of exhibitors typically stick to lighter color palettes which often leads to less distinctive appearance when placed side by side. Padlet's booth design ended up looking like a big mysterious island that was hard to miss and mistake with any other booth.

Results

Padlet's booth design ended up being a huge success, leaving a lasting impression on attendees. Creative8's team delivered a high-quality build and was very responsive to the last-minute tweaks.

We reached all of our goals. We talked to our users, educated them about Padlet's latest features, collected valuable feedback, met lots of new people, and generated 501 leads. We consistently received compliments on how inviting and memorable the booth experience was.

Padlet returned for Bett 2025 with the same booth design, demonstrating the lasting value of creating not just a space, but a meaningful brand experience.