Located at the entrance of the Expo 2020 site, Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) is a state-of-the-art event, exhibitions, and conferences destination, with 45,000 sqm of flexible event space for the MICE industry. The venue is located just 300m from the heart of Expo 2020 Dubai and adjacent to Dubai Metro’s Route 2020 station.

Blue Rhine Industries partnered with Expo 2020 to fit out the venue’s entire South and North Complexes. The South Complex is 28,000 sqm in size and divided into nine halls that can host up to 20,000 people. The North Complex is 17,000 sqm in size and divided into five halls that can host up to 11,000 people.

The project

Blue Rhine Industries, the region’s leading digital display and signage manufacturer, partnered with the Dubai Exhibition Centre team at Expo 2020 to design, manufacture and install 1,600 digital and static signs across DEC’s expansive wayfinding network.

Tasked with the installation and manufacturing of the signage, the Blue Rhine team collaborated with a range of contractor and design partners to bring the DEC vision to life. The wayfinding system, which combines digital and traditional signage, is the first of its kind in this type of venue.

Our solutions

Guiding visitors through DEC’s expansive events space, the hi-tech signage is fully integrated into the venue’s state-of-the-art infrastructure and allows for a hyper-personalised, seamless visitor experience.

The combination of digital and static signage ensures that conference organisers can put their own stamp on DEC easily by adapting the content on display on the screen to their event. This is controlled from a central content management system and can be changed from anywhere in the world.

When a visitor enters DEC’s expansive North and South Complexes, they can use one of the available touch screens to download their delegate badge or scan a QR code with their smartphone to use an augmented reality event map. As they walk to the exhibition hall or a meeting room, a sponsor’s marketing content can appear on the overhead video walls. In the event of an emergency, an event organiser can get a message out to participants quickly by displaying a responsive safety message on all digital screens.

The first signage visitors see when they enter the venue is two 12m high digital totem signs. The shape of the totem was inspired by the UAE’s sand dunes. Blue Rhine’s in-house teams manufactured and installed custom LED screens to fit the required curved design.

Just one of 20 types of exhibition signage installed by Blue Rhine throughout DEC, the directional totem signs are split into static and digital halves. The illuminated static lettering on the bottom half directs visitors to fixed points of interest such as prayer rooms, and the top half is a water- and dust-proof IP68 LED screen that is completely adaptable both in terms of content and the brightness of the display.

The LED screens used throughout the venue are also fully colour-calibrated and programmed for different brightness levels so that the venue’s visitors can receive the optimal experience. To ensure structural integrity, Blue Rhine’s manufacturing team engineered all metalwork so that each sign stays completely stable, cladding them in a special grade of stainless steel so they also keep their pristine appearance.

Our delivery

Blue Rhine manufactured and installed all screens according to scope and on time with the expectation that Expo 2020 would begin in October 2020. The company was also awarded one of the highest scores for health and safety on site, having already been compliant with Expo 2020’s stringent worker welfare requirements before the project began.

• LED screens controlled by a central management system allows event organizers to personalise the experience for their visitors’ specific needs
• Combination of digital and static signage allows for the use and integration of innovative technologies such as augmented reality
• Water- and dust-proof LED screens reduce the need for consistent maintenance in Dubai’s desert climate
• Special-grade stainless steel ensures the signs’ appearance remains pristine for longer, without the need for regular refitting